Prairie State Wire

Illinois State Board of Education, Education Policy Planning Committee met May 2.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

I. Roll Call

Chair Donna Leak brought the meeting to order at 12:33 p.m. Roll call was taken, and a quorum was present with two members. Chair Leak and Dr. Patricia Nugent were physically present.

Members Present

Chairperson Donna Leak

Dr. Patricia Nugent

Members Absent

Dr. Anna Grassellino

Other Board Members Present

Dr. Steven Isoye, Chair of the Board

Staff Present

Dr. Tony Sanders, State Superintendent

Kim Clarke, Executive Assistant to the State Superintendent

Jo Ireland, Board Services Coordinator

Jeff Aranowski, Executive Director of Safe & Healthy Climate

Kim Barnes-Cummins, Director of Wellness

Dr. Erica Thieman, Director of Standards and Instruction

Erin Saxton-Snodgrass, Supervisor in Student Care

Emily Fox, Director of Educator Effectiveness

Marci Johnson, Director of CTE & Innovation

Dr. Jason Helfer, Deputy Officer, Instructional Education

Dr. Christine Paxson, Director of ESSA/IL-EMPOWER

Krish Mohip, Deputy Officer, Operational Education

Jeremy Duffy, Legal Officer

II. Public Participation

There was no public participation.

III. Approval of Minutes: April 12, 2023

Dr. Nugent moved that the Education Policy Planning Committee approves the April 12, 2023, meeting minutes. Chair Leak seconded the motion, and it passed by a unanimous roll call vote.

IV. Presentations

A. Mental Health Programming Overview

Mr. Aranowski said he looked forward to working with Dr. Nugent in preparation for work with the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) Building Bridges for Student Mental Health Initiative. Dr. Nugent thanked him for his work.

Mr. Aranowski started by summarizing the components of whole child education and the values that guided the work of these programs. He discussed the different tiers of support, from universal to targeted to intensive support, and gave an overview of current programs for mental health and social emotional learning (SEL).

He discussed the SEL instruction standards and SEL Hubs, which provide support for mental health and wellness programming in districts. He discussed the Resilience Education to Advance Community Healing (REACH) Statewide Initiative, which provides learning experiences for educators, mental health professionals, and community members to identify and address trauma. He also highlighted the efforts to sustain these programs in schools.

Chair Leak asked about the number of SEL Hubs. Mr. Aranowski confirmed that there are seven in total, with one directly in Chicago Public Schools and others spread across geographic regions in Regional Offices of Education.

Dr. Nugent asked about the framework informing the Communities of Practices under the REACH program. Mr. Aranowski said he was not sure of the precise model, but could follow up with information.

Ms. Barnes-Cummins discussed the mental health needs of students and said that many educators and professionals in education are not prepared to provide supports. She discussed the growth of a student she had met when she was a school principal, highlighting the benefits that out-of-school programming can bring to students. She gave an overview of the different out-of-school programs, including 21st Century Community Learning Centers, the Freedom Schools Grant, and After School Program opportunities.

Chair Leak asked about Freedom Schools. Staff said that there were about 50 such schools, mostly in the Chicago metropolitan area, but also elsewhere in the state. Chair Leak asked about tracking outcomes from Freedom Schools, and Mr. Aranowski said that staff could follow up with information and had been considering the sustainability of programming. He said that those schools incorporated SEL practices, but also had other focuses. Ms. Barnes-Cummins discussed the schools’ work educating on civil rights and African American history, and how that is meant to engage students.

Chair Leak asked about the financial outlook for Coronavirus Urgent Remediation Emergency Fund after school programs. Staff said they could follow up with more information. Chair Leak noted that these funds had an end date and that it is important to prepare for that. Mr. Aranowski said that staff continues to consider sustainability across all programs. Chair Leak discussed the end point for all coronavirus-related programming and the importance of making the Finance and Audit Committee aware of potential impacts for future appropriations.

Ms. Barnes-Cummins discussed other grant-funded programs, including a REACH Out expansion, IL AWARE, and Mental Health Grant programming. Mr. Aranowski noted the intended focus of REACH Out was to ensure services would be available to alternative schools in particular regions, especially in Chicago.

Ms. Barnes-Cummins also discussed other issues that affect student mental health, including exclusionary discipline and restraint and timeout, and current program interventions to reduce the usage of harmful practices. She highlighted the availability of resources to support this reduction. She also discussed the Jett Hawkins Law and the need to support students’ self-esteem.

Mr. Aranowski emphasized the connection between reduction of harmful discipline and student wellness. He discussed bullying prevention supports and policies, and different interventions to support. Ms. Barnes Cummins emphasized the importance of effective support in response to bullying. Mr. Aranowski also discussed work and partnerships in suicide prevention, support for transgender and nonbinary students, and supports for students facing housing insecurity. He concluded by discussing other state and ISBE initiatives, including support for mental health days.

Chair Leak noted the importance of understanding how mental health days are considered with respect to absenteeism and ensuring that districts are not penalized for providing these supports. Mr. Aranowski noted that statutory definitions of chronic absenteeism might continue to present some issues with this, and that discussion on adjustments would be needed. Chair Leak emphasized the importance of ISBE support for high schools especially on this topic.

Chair Leak discussed ways to reduce exclusionary discipline and the value of parent advocacy. She asked about racial equity considerations in tracking exclusionary discipline, citing concerns from predominantly African American districts about being unfairly counted against in this regard. She also discussed the importance of having more conversation on standards statewide, noting that some students might face more discrimination in some districts over others.

Mr. Aranowski noted that the list tracking disparities in exclusionary discipline was defined by a particular threshold and acknowledged that it did not account for some of the complexity in districts and efforts to reduce the number of these cases. He said that staff was looking for ways to uplift and promote these efforts.

Dr. Sanders asked for advice about sustainability and best practices in programming. Mr. Aranowski said that staff has looked to the field and want to learn from districts doing well on both points, but that more work could be done by ISBE to communicate these best practices more broadly across the state.

Chair Leak thanked staff for the presentation.

V. Review of May Board Action Items

A. Approval for Publication – Parts 1 (Public Schools Evaluation, Recognition and Supervision) and 555 (Children’s Mental Health Initiative Grants)

Dr. Thieman discussed this item. There were no questions.

B. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval of Intergovernmental Agreement with ROE 9 to Administer Learning Technology Center

Dr. Thieman discussed this item.

Chair Leak expressed her appreciation for the program and encouraged districts to take advantage of it.

C. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval of Member Initiative Grant to Virtual Learning Systems Dr. Thieman discussed this item.

Chair Leak asked if the vendor had finalized the curriculum. Dr. Thieman said that some units were ready, but there were others still in development pending the approval of the grant, with plans for all curriculum to be available sometime during the upcoming school year.

Dr. Nugent asked if there were any development opportunities related to parent engagement. Dr. Thieman said that there was nothing in this program, but there are other resources that have supported the implementation of other initiatives. Chair Leak encouraged staff to engage with leaders in diversity, equity, and inclusion across the state about how to navigate community relations on these subjects. Dr. Thieman discussed current work to collect feedback from administrators and teachers.

D. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval of Intergovernmental Agreement with Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health for the Execution of a Project AWARE 2.0 Grant

E. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval of Intergovernmental Agreement with ROE 40 for the Execution of a Project AWARE 2.0 Grant

F. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval of Intergovernmental Agreement with West 40 for the Execution of a Project AWARE 2.0 Grant

Ms. Barnes-Cummins discussed the AWARE 2.0 agreements. There were no questions.

G. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval of Intergovernmental Agreement with Southern Illinois University for the Execution of a Mental Health Services Provider Grant

Ms. Banes-Cummins discussed this item.

Chair Leak asked about the promotion of these services. Ms. Barnes-Cummins said that districts are expected to make communities aware of program offerings. Chair Leak asked about the geographic reach of this program, and Ms. Barnes-Cummins said a separate initiative would be discussed later in the meeting that served a different region.

H. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval of Intergovernmental Agreement with University of Illinois Springfield

Ms. Saxton-Snodgrass discussed this item.

Chair Leak asked about the expansion of offerings to school resource officers (SROs). Ms. Saxton confirmed this was the intention, and that districts had expressed interest in SROs having access to associated information. Chair Leak discussed the value of having trained SROs as part of intervention teams in schools.

I. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval of Intergovernmental Agreement with Illinois State University Center for Intensive Behavioral Supports for Execution of the RTO Training and Supports Program

Ms. Saxton-Snodgrass discussed this item. There were no questions.

J. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval of Intergovernmental Agreement with the National Board Resource Center at Illinois State University to Administer the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Program

Ms. Fox discussed this item.

Chair Leak emphasized the importance of recruitment efforts for teachers of color. Ms. Fox discussed the plans to support recruitment efforts. Dr. Nugent asked when details would be available for that plan. Ms. Fox said that ISBE staff were identifying districts of interest and could provide that information within the next month and that it would be included in the contract of the agreement.

K. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval of Sole Source Contract with Illinois Education Association to Administer the Virtual Coaching and Mentoring Program

Ms. Fox discussed this item.

Chair Leak noted that the virtual element allowed for strong matching of mentors and mentees and discussed the importance of supporting retention for teachers of color. Dr. Nugent discussed the importance of making university programs aware of this opportunity, so that they could inform prospective teachers. Chair Leak agreed, noting the similar need for communications with districts.

L. Approval of State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board Appointees

Ms. Fox discussed this item.

Chair Leak expressed appreciation for the range of regions and positions represented in the nominees list.

M. Adoption of the PaCE Framework

Ms. Johnson discussed this item.

Chair Leak discussed the importance of ensuring that districts and schools knew this was an extension of current work pertaining to the Postsecondary and Career Expectations (PaCE) Framework and not a new set of mandates.

N. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Discussion and Approval of Contract Award for Facilitation of the State's Accountability Technical Advisory Committee

Dr. Helfer discussed this item.

Chair Leak said she appreciated the opportunities for the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to coordinate with the State Assessment Review Committee (SARC).

VI. Review of June Board Action Items

A. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval of FY 2024 Continuation School Improvement Grants Dr. Paxson discussed this item. There were no questions.

B. Contracts & Grants Over $1 Million – Approval of Intergovernmental Agreement with ROE 40 for the Execution of a School-Based Mental Health Services Grant

Ms. Barnes-Cummins discussed this item.

Chair Leak asked for an update on funding adjustments and geographic reach of the program when it is available, and Ms. Barnes-Cummins said that it could be provided. Chair Leak asked about the intended funding rollover for fiscal year 2024. Ms. Barnes-Cummins confirmed this was available and could be renewed the following year as well.

Chair Leak asked staff to explore opportunities to broaden the reach of this program, namely with virtual offerings. Ms. Barnes-Cummins said that they would explore opportunities.

VII. New Business: Items for the Next Agenda

Chair Leak asked for follow up from Dr. Nugent’s involvement with NASBE’s Building Bridges initiative.

Chair Leak asked about updates from TAC and SARC, with the hope for discussion about expectations for assessment in the upcoming school year.

VIII. Next Meeting: June 6, 2023

IX. Adjourn

Dr. Nugent moved to adjourn. Chair Leak seconded the motion, and it passed by a unanimous roll call vote. Chair Leak adjourned the committee at 2:26 p.m.

https://www.isbe.net/Documents_Board_Meetings/20230502-EPP-Minutes.pdf