Review Process for Chapter 127: Enhancing Educational Standards

1. Chapter 127 Review Process Patrick Phillips and Pam Rolfe Maine Department of Education October 27, 2005

2. Chapter 127 • General objectives of the rule: • Establishes instructional program requirements for elementary, middle, and secondary programs • Sets requirements for Local Assessment Systems • Establishes diploma requirements for public schools of the state and private schools not accredited through NEASC • Established cycle of review for MLR

3. Chapter 127 • Brief history of the rule: • Adopted most recently in 2002 after several years of review of MLR implementation • Previous versions completed in 1991 and mid-1980s as education reform initiatives began to reshape educational systems and accountability structures • Sections of the rule amended during the 1980s on school calendar, required courses of study, and non-public schools

4. Chapter 127 • The rule’s role in Learning Results implementation: • Clarified how students and schools would be held accountable for achievement of the Learning Results • Specified a framework of the technical requirements for Local Assessment Systems • Established timelines for completion of the LAS and for new diploma requirements based on the LAS

5. Chapter 127 • Impact on local districts: • Required heavy investment in building assessment literacy among teachers and administrators • Required significant redesign of local educational systems, curriculum, programs of study, PD programs, and data systems • The up side: deeper conversations about student work leading to improvement • The down side: capacity concerns

6. Chapter 127 • Legislative Session 2005: • Testimony from the positive side and negative heard by Education Committee • Commissioner Gendron pledged mid-course adjustments to simplify, slow down, and support • Modification made in LD 1424 that slowed down timeline for MLR diploma requirement • Introduced LR Endorsement and modified diploma process for special ed. students

7. Chapter 127 • Task for review of 127: • Update the rule to be consistent with statute (define aspects of the LR Endorsement, clarify PET process guidelines for diploma decisions, etc.) • Add new language in areas not covered by LD 1424: update standards for LAS, define role of MEA/SAT as external reference for LAS, etc. • Incorporate recommendations from broad input

8. Chapter 127 Review Process • Consensus-based process to ensure stakeholder input and agreement • Two full days in early November (1st and 8th) • Broad involvement of policy committees, association reps, practitioners, and DOE • Focus process on six areas of critical concern, not address every aspect of the rule • Process will result in rule language that will then undergo public comment • To Education Committee in January

9. Chapter 127 Review Topics • Revisions to the Local Assessment System • District Validation and Assistance Process • Role of MEA/SAT as External Reference for LAS • High School Course of Study (Core Curriculum) • The Learning Results Endorsement • Diploma Decisions for Special Ed. Students

10. Revisions to the Local Assessment System • Balancing the integrity of the LAS while relieving some of the time and resource issues • Defining the role of school level data • Considering validity and reliability as aspects of a broader set of quality standards • Re-examining the role of the Guiding Principles

11. District Validation and Assistance Process • Connection to quality standards for Learning Results implementation that will be developed in Chapter 125 • Clarifying if validation will be required prior to awarding LR Endorsements • Defining the basis on which the Department will provide technical assistance to SAUs • Defining the timeline in which the validation process will take place

12. Role of MEA/SAT as External Reference for LAS • Clarifying the Commissioner’s role in defining the range of acceptable variance from MEA or SAT results • Defining how frequently such comparability checks would be conducted, upon how many years of data, and with what consequences • The district’s responsibility for reporting LAS results to the State

13. High School Course of Study (Core Curriculum) • Defining a “core curriculum” to ensure that every student will have the opportunity to learn, practice, and demonstrate achievement of a rigorous set of standards • Will the “core curriculum” be defined by courses or by some other way of defining educational experiences? If so, how to document? • What will be the relationship between the credit in areas defined as the core curriculum and the LAS as the basis for awarding a high school diploma?

14. The Learning ResultsEndorsement • Single endorsement for all the subjects currently required by the State, or multiple endorsements to reflect a student’s strengths and weaknesses? • How will the annual targets for the percentage of credit-based vs. LR Endorsements be established? • How will the State define a range of acceptable variance from the targets?

15. Diploma Decisions for Special Ed. Students • Now that special education students may earn a diploma defined by the PET, what procedural steps must be considered to ensure that every student is given fair chance to meet Maine’s Learning Results? • How will 127 relate to other special education regulations • When must decisions be reached in a student’s high school career?

16. Maine’s Accountability System • Chapter 125 + Chapter 127 + NCLB = Maine’s Accountability System • Chapter 127 focuses on how we will hold students accountable and by what means (LAS) • Chapter 125 defines how the State holds districts and schools accountable for inputs • NCLB holds State, schools, and districts accountable for achievement results

17. Key Policy Questions for the Next Phase of Implementation • How can we ensure that State developed systems of accountability move us toward greater equity of student achievement across regions and groups? • How can we ensure that districts receive needed support for LR implementation? • How can we foster maximum innovation and ownership at the local level? • How do we balance urgency while paying attention to real capacity issues?

18. Contact Information • Patrick R. Phillips (patrick.phillips@maine.gov) • Pam Rolfe (pam.rolfe@maine.gov)