Commissioner's Newsletter
December 17, 2001
Dear School Administrator:
We are cutting it close, but I hope this letter gets to you before you leave for your holiday break. It includes some very important items for your information and use.
As you know, Governor Holden announced another round of budget cuts and withholdings last Friday. He ordered a total of $212.2 million in additional withholdings and cuts from the current budget – but explicitly avoided any reductions in direct funding of K-12 education programs.
Our Department will absorb some additional administrative reductions, but there should be little or no direct impact on school districts. The Department will have to "freeze" some vacant state-funded positions until at least July 1 and go slow in filling other positions. We previously imposed internal restrictions on travel and other operating expenses, and those restrictions will continue.
The most substantial reduction we are making will be about $2.1 million in A+ Schools funding, but this is unused money that we expect to lapse at the end of this fiscal year. There will be NO IMPACT on current A+ Schools grants or on tuition assistance for students. A larger-than-expected number of A+ graduates qualified for federal Pell grants this year. As a result, there was less need for state tuition assistance. This is why we expect to be able to lapse some A+ funds at the end of this year.
The governor has taken a very strong stand on maintaining the state’s commitment to fund public schools, and I am grateful. I know he will be criticized from many sides for this. He is going to bat for us and deserves our thanks.
PROPOSED RULE ON SCHOOL "REPORT CARDS"
Enclosed is a copy of PROPOSED changes in our current regulation concerning school district annual reports. This was adopted by the State Board of Education at its October meeting. I know that many of you have just finished work on your district "report card" for this year. The enclosed document, when it is approved in final form, will be in effect for NEXT year and will define what districts must report by December 1, 2002.
I encourage you to review this carefully, and let us know if you have suggestions or concerns. This is essentially the same as what is presently required, with a couple of major differences:
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The new reports will require more building-level data.
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Information about suspensions and expulsions will be mandatory. See section (2)(V) of the enclosed document.
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Information about the certification status of teachers will be required. See section (2)(W).
If you have comments or suggestions about these proposed changes, please contact Dr. Bert Schulte, Assistant Commissioner for the Division of School Improvement, by January 7.
Our staff is working on a suggested model for the required reporting form, and we will distribute copies of this template along with the final text of the regulation after it is adopted by the State Board of Education.
All school districts recently received their Annual Performance Reports. These have generated a number of calls from districts about whether they will qualify for the MSIP waiver. As a reminder about this policy, I have enclosed a copy of the final regulation that was adopted by the State Board of Education early this year. This spells out the criteria for the different types of waivers for which districts may qualify.
For the current school year, 19 districts qualified for waivers from their scheduled on-site MSIP review. We expect another 26 districts to qualify next year.
If you still have questions about this issue, please contact your Area Supervisor or the School Improvement and Accreditation Section.
INTERNET FILTERING & E-RATE ELIGIBILITY
Many school administrators have been asking questions about compliance requirements for the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). That act became law in December of 2000. In order to be eligible for E-rate discounts, school and library representatives must certify that they are enforcing a policy of Internet safety that includes filtering Internet access for both minors and adults for certain content. To obtain E-rate discounts for the current fiscal year, schools and libraries must certify that they have complied with the requirements of CIPA or are undertaking actions to comply. Schools must be in FULL compliance by October 2002 to receive further E-rate discounts.
The Department has begun efforts to assist schools with the details of compliance with CIPA. In the near future we will provide a set of questions and answers that apply to the variety of situations that occur in Missouri districts. In addition, we are exploring the possibility of securing appropriate software packages on state contract. We plan to request assistance from districts that have developed a policy and have filtering in place in order to provide effective input to others in the field.
Watch for further information about this topic as we explore the options available for school districts and libraries. Meanwhile, a set of "Frequently Asked Questions," a copy of MSBA’s Internet use policy and a sample "acceptable use policy" can be found at www.more.net/usf/cipafaq.html. For additional information, you may contact the Instructional Technology Section at 573-751-8247.
"RFPs" AVAILABLE FROM THE DIVISION OF VOCATIONAL AND ADULT EDUCATION
The Division of Vocational and Adult Education recently issued requests for proposals (RFPs) for grant-funded projects to be conducted next year (Fiscal Year 2003). The funds for these projects will be subject to appropriation by the General Assembly. These grant applications will be of interest to school districts, area vocational schools and community colleges that provide services in the area of vocational education.
Again this year, we are making all of the instructions and application forms available ONLINE. We will NOT distribute these documents in printed form unless someone specifically requests the printed version. Please share this announcement with members of your staff who may have an interest in these funding opportunities:
Vocational-Technical Education Enhancement Grant
Don Walker (573-751-8465)Contact:
Deadline: February 28, 2002
Technology Education Grant Award (Elementary)
Technology Education Grant Award (General Secondary)
Technology Education Grant Award (Model Secondary)
Doug Miller (573-751-2584)Contact:
Deadline: March 31, 2002
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Family and Consumer Sciences Grant Award
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Improving the Quality of Child Care and Education Grant Award
Cynthia Arendt (573-751-2644)Contact:
Deadline: April 2 and April 30 respectively
Complete information about these grant programs may be downloaded at http://www.dese.mo.gov/divvoced. However, the actual applications must be submitted in printed form.
NEW COORDINATOR FOR THE EDUCATOR/MILITARY PROJECT
John Robbins, supervisor in the Guidance and Placement Section, will assume the responsibilities associated with the Educator/Military Career Awareness Project. The Department appreciates the excellent support that members of the advisory committee, both educator and military, have given over the years to the project and know this cooperative spirit will continue under John’s direction.
With 26 years of service in the field of education, John recently retired from his position as an elementary counselor in the New Bloomfield School District. He came to work for the Department in July 2001. John served in the U.S. Navy and in the Naval Reserve. With his military and educational background, John will be able to carry on where Ken Werner, his predecessor, left off. John is anxious to get started with the assignment and plans to build on the success this project has had over the years. John can be reached by contacting the Guidance and Placement Services Section (573-522-1488) or by e-mail at jrobbins@mail.dese.mo.gov.
2002 COLLEGE PREPARATORY STUDIES CERTIFICATES
College Preparatory Studies Certificate information will be sent directly to high school principals early in February. To help your counselor(s) determine who will earn the certificate, the following information is necessary. Subject requirements are the same as last year , with a total of 24 units required: 4 English, 3 Math, 2 Science, 3 Social Studies, 1 Fine Arts, 1 Practical Arts, 1 Physical Education, 6 General Electives, and 3 Specified Core Electives. Your counselor(s) may refer to the Requirements and Guidelines for the College Preparatory Studies Certificate (blue sheet) sent last year. The student needs to score above the 2001 national average by having attained at least a 1020 on the SAT or a 21 on the Enhanced ACT. Please provide these scores to your counselor(s). Because the certificate is awarded by the state, local schools may not add additional requirements for students to qualify.
Last year, more than 15,400 graduates in 453 public high schools received the State Board of Education's College Preparatory Studies Certificate. We encourage high schools to take advantage of this state-level recognition program for students and to order their certificates promptly. Certificates are mailed to the high schools between the months of April and June. Please advise your counselor(s) to submit their order(s) in a timely manner to ensure delivery before your graduation ceremonies.
MISSOURI ACT COUNCIL ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Enclosed is a flier announcing the Missouri ACT Council Annual Conference, which will be held March 12-13 in Columbia. This conference offers participants the opportunity to hear about issues and strategies related to education and assessment. School district personnel who may be interested in attending this conference include middle school and high school principals and counselors, A+ coordinators, curriculum and assessment coordinators, and Tech Prep coordinators. The program and registration form will be sent in January.
Stephen Barr, Assistant Commissioner for the Division of Special Education, recently announced his intention to retire at the end of December. He will be joining the Ohio Department of Education in the area of federal programs. During his years with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Stephen provided important leadership for the consolidation and streamlining of our federal programs and for the expansion of early childhood and early childhood special education programs. Since his appointment as Assistant Commissioner of Special Education in September 1999, he has worked hard to shift the focus of our special education services from compliance with state and federal regulations to improving achievement among students with disabilities. I appreciate his determined efforts in this area.
There are no immediate plans for naming Stephen’s successor; I will keep you posted.
Best wishes to you and your family for a wonderful holiday season and a peaceful new year. Thank you to Lindsey Travis, a senior at North Callaway County R-I High School, and her teacher Barbara Peck for contributing the artwork we used for the enclosed greeting card.
The new legislative session begins shortly after the beginning of the new year, but the process has already begun for our staff. We had our first formal hearing with the House Appropriations Committee last week. Clearly, it is going to be a tough year because of the state’s budget problems, but we will get through it.
See you next year.
Sincerely,
D. Kent King