Staff Present:
Mr. Gordon Wohlers, Assistant Superintendent, Policy Research and Development
Dr. Santiago Jackson, Assistant Superintendent, Government Relations and Public Affairs
Ms. Tiffany Heben, Legislative Analyst, Government Relations
Mr. Joe Rao, Director, Policy Research and Development
Dr. Roger Rasmussen, Director, Independent Analysis Unit

Others Present: See attached list.

The Special Legislative Session has started and they are focusing on the following bills:

1. School Accountability Senate Bill IX (Senator Deirdre Alpert).

2.California Mentor Peer Review and Assistance Program Assembly Bill IX (Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa).

3. High School Exit Examination Senate Bill 2X (Senator Jack O'Connell).

The Special Legislative Session will need to conclude their work by the end of March 1999, in order to implement the bills in the upcoming fiscal year. There are over 20 bills being introduced in the special session.

Ms. Heben presented the provisions of the measures:

School Accountability SB 1X (Senator Alpert) would establish the Public School Performance Accountability Program which has three components - the Academic Performance Index, the Immediate Intervention/Underperforming Schools Program and the Governor's High Achieving/Improving Schools Program.

The Immediate Intervention/Underperforming School Program is the short term accountability program. Schools would be invited to participate if they score or rank in the lowest 50% on the STAR examinations. The program will be limited to 200 schools. If fewer than 200 apply, the schools are selected to participate. Schools would receive planning grants of $25,000 to $50,000.

The schools in the Intervention Program would have an external evaluator selected by the local board from an approved list. The local board would appoint a school site, and community member recommendations. The evaluator and team would develop an action plan. Once the plan is approved, the school would be eligible for a maximum of $150 per student for implementation. There are consequences for schools failing to meet short/term growth targets in the first year in the program. The governing board would be required to hold a hearing and the board would be able to impose consequences that include allowing students to attend another school in the District or placing the principal on probation. There would be different consequences after two-years in the program. Schools meeting or exceeding the growth target each year would be able to receive a monetary award. Schools not meeting their goals, but demonstrating significant growth would receive funding for an additional year in the program, and schools not meeting the goals, and failing to show significant growth would be deemed educationally deficient. Educationally Deficient schools would face consequences and the Superintendent of Public Instruction would be required to take over the school and reassign the principal and exercise other remedies.

The High Achieving/Improving Schools Program would use the Academic Performance Index to rank all public schools. The program would indicate target and actual growth rates for all schools and would rank them by elementary, middle, and high school levels. Local school boards would be required to hold annual hearings to discuss the results of this ranking.

The Governor's Performance Award Program would provide monetary awards to schools meeting or exceeding their targets. All schools are eligible to participate, and if schools are found not to meet growth targets, they may be referred to the low-performing schools program. Approximately one hundred ninety-two million dollars is budgeted for the School Accountability program.

The High School Exit Examination Senate Bill 2X (Senator O'Connell) would be adopted by the State Board of Education by July 1, 2000, and will be aligned with content and performance standards. Beginning with the year 2002-03, would require passage for high school graduation. Students may take the exam multiple times beginning in grade 10.

The California Mentor Peer Review and Assistance Program Assembly Bill 1X (Assembly Speaker Villaraigrosa), would change Stull Act requirements for teacher evaluations to include student progress on criterion reference exams and would authorize a school district to require participation in Mentor Peer Review and Assistance Program for employees receiving unsatisfactory ratings.

Dr. Jackson commented that staff is now reviewing the proposals to see if there are any amendments needed.

PRESENTATION OF PEER REVIEW PLAN

Ms. Linda Guthrie, a teacher at Virgil Middle School; Mr. George Hildebrand, ESL teacher and a Mentor teacher at Central Adult High School and Polytechnic Community Adult High School, and Ms. Mary Kay Beck, Title I coordinator at Magnolia Elementary School, are members of the UTLA Accountability Committee. They discussed UTLA's proposed Accountability Peer Assistance Plan.

The intent of this plan is to design a program that works. A program that not only supports new and emergency credentialed teachers, but veteran teachers who are suffering burn-out and having problems. Due to the current and anticipated teacher shortage, teachers who are having problems
would be worth rescuing. Mr. Hildebrand urged the Board to work with the unions to build a good peer assistance program.

Ms. Guthrie stated that there is no review without assistance. She felt that the District and UTLA should be held accountable for having a qualified teacher in every classroom. Ms. Guthrie stated that teachers should not only be familiar with their subject area, but they should know the psychology for the grade level they are teaching. Teachers should have the compassion to deal with young people and adults in a way that they need to as they are being supported in the educational process. UTLA views the mentor teacher program as the first step to what they want to accomplish in terms of peer assistance and review.

Ms. Guthrie distributed documents from various organizations on accountability for the committee members to review. She referred to several publications regarding peer review programs and how they've caught hold across the nation. With the increase attention to peer review, there has been some confusion over its purpose. The purpose of peer review and assistance is about helping people, not about dismissal. Ms. Guthrie continued to discuss the program, and called attention to some of the factors that must be considered.

Ms. Beck, presented the timeline for UTLA's Accountability Committee. The initial proposals will be introduced to the UTLA membership and the Parent Collaborative for review and input at forums scheduled at various locations throughout the city. After general approval by UTLA members, it will be brought forward to the Board.

There was a lengthy discussion and Ms. Guthrie responded to the Committee Members questions and concerns.

OFFICE OF POLICY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT UPDATE

Mr. Wohlers announced that on Thursday, February 25, 1999, at 2:00 p.m., the Superintendent's Accountability Task Force will make its third presentation to the Board of Education. Dr. Gerald Hayward, Co-Director, Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), will be making a presentation, and Karen Edelman, Director, American Productivity & Quality Center, will present their findings from the Texas trip. After this, Mr. Wohlers will be presenting a set of principles that reflect these practices to the Superintendent to review. A presentation to the Board for consideration will guide the development of an accountability system to the District.

Notes by: Alice Fong, Board Secretariat