November 2008

Worth Remembering
“Education is the mother of leadership.” – Wendell L. Willkie

Gov. Beshear's Appointments to the EPSB
Please join me in welcoming our new board members:

James G. Hughley , of Louisville , is a technical teacher at Doss High School Magnet Career Academy. He represents secondary school teachers. The appointment replaces Joseph K. Juett, whose term has expired. Hughley shall serve for a term expiring Sept. 18, 2012.

Laranna Lynn May , of Grayson, is a physical sciences instructor at East Carter High School . She represents secondary school teachers. The appointment replaces Jennifer L. Forgy, who has resigned. May shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term ending Sept. 18, 2010.

I am very pleased that the governor has reappointed the following members to the board to serve for terms expiring Sept. 18, 2012:

Sandy Sinclair -Curry , of Columbia , teaches exceptional education at Adair County High School . She represents secondary school teachers.

Lonnie R. Anderson , of Williamsburg , is the superintendent of the Whitley County School District . He represents school administrators.

The newly appointed members and our reappointed members must be confirmed by the General Assembly during the 2009 regular session.

Regulations Update
On October 13th the Interim Joint Committee on Education approved the amendments to 16 KAR 3:050.  This was the last review of the amendments the EPSB has made to the regulation that guides the preparation of Kentucky principals.   The committee unanimously approved the amendments.  I will confess that while I sat at the testimony table, witnessing the motion and vote to approve the amendments, it was somewhat surreal.  The amendments to this regulation reflect over three years of collaborative efforts and vision by the EPSB and our many partners.  While driving back to Frankfort that afternoon, I let myself celebrate the achievement of this important milestone but then remembered…now the real work begins. 

KTIP Task Force
The Task Force has issued a brief, five-question survey to resource teachers to determine their experiences working within a professional learning community.  As discussions continue to focus on the inclusion of learning communities into the KTIP experience, data are needed to determine the barriers schools face in addressing the inclusion of a PLC.

KTIP University Slots
All KTIP slots have been allocated as of October 15.  The EPSB has committed all available KTIP funds for this fiscal year.  The EPSB will, however, still establish internships for new teachers if the following criteria are met:

(1) The teachers must be employed in a district that will bear the expense of the KTIP internship committee, and

(2) There must be enough days left in the school calendar for an intern to complete the required 140 days of internship.

All district KTIP coordinators have been informed of the procedures to establish a district-funded internship. 

KTIP and Career and Technical Education (CTE)
The Office of Career and Technical Education has provided funds to pay stipends for resource teachers and teacher educators for those interns teaching CTE courses. These include both high school program teachers and field service teachers.  A modified KTIP contract will be sent to the universities to accommodate payments to teacher educators serving on KTIP committees for new CTE teachers.

Speaking Engagements

On November 6 in Boston , MA I will join Joe Simpson , Wyoming 's Deputy Commissioner of Education; Lynn Scott of the Rand Corporation; and Rob Larson from the Oregon Department of Education on a panel to review Massachusetts ' new policy standards for school leaders.  Titled “Making Standards Work: Policy to Practice,” the session will address the ongoing collaborative work between the Massachusetts Department of Education and the principal preparation programs in the Springfield and Boston Public Schools to develop a school leadership model that is grounded in student learning .  The panel will be responding to the new standards and discussing implementation issues.

On November 7 in Boston, MA I will join Dr. James Cibulka , president of NCATE; Cheryl King, Distinguished Educator Scholar, Education Development Center, Inc.; and Peter Martinez, Director of the Center for Urban School Leadership, University of Illinois, on a panel moderated by Michael S. Knapp, Director of the Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy at the University of Washington.  The panel's discussion is titled “The Politics of Implementation: Standards, Assessments and Leader Preparation Programs.”  People across the country are interested in how the EPSB and its partners have worked together to completely redesign the preparation of principals.

On November 13 at the Lexington Civic Center , I will be leading a breakout group during the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' annual Kentucky School Improvement Conference.  I will be presenting on the redesign of Master's degree programs for teacher rank change and the redesign of Kentucky 's principal preparation programs. 

On November 3 Alicia Sneed will conduct an Ethics Seminars for the Elizabethtown KEA Conference at Rough River Dam State Resort.  

On November 11 Gary Stephens will conduct Ethics Seminars at Campbellsville University and South Laurel High School for their Teachers in Preparation class on November 19 . 

On November 6 Mike Carr will be speaking at the KACTE Fall Conference.  The title of his presentation is “The Changing Face of Certification.”

Continuing Education Option
The Education Professional Standards Board, following its review of the Continuing Education Option program, directed staff to provide recommendations on how the CEO program should be modified so that it aligns with the revised Kentucky Teacher Standards, including the new standard on teacher leadership.  Staff is working to design a model that will focus on data-driven student achievement and improved student engagement in the classroom.  The tentative schedule is to provide a discussion item on the progress of this redesign at the January 2009 EPSB meeting in the hopes that the CEO program will be accepting new candidates in fall 2009.

Standard Setting Studies
The Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) periodically hosts reviews of currently required teacher and principal certification tests. These tests were originally validated by practicing teachers, principals, and higher education faculty in Kentucky .  However, after a number of years have passed since validation, the EPSB hosts reviews and standard setting studies to ensure that the tests are current and valid. In addition, the panelists review performance trends.  Superintendents and principals were recently contacted regarding the review of the following assessments:

· Tuesday, February 17 -                   
Education of Deaf & Hard of Hearing Students (0271) and Teaching Students with Visual Impairments (0280)

· Wednesday, February 18 -               
Speech Language Pathology (0330) and
Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades K-6 (0522)

· Thursday, Febru ary 19 -                   
Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades 5-9 (0523) and  Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades 7-12 (0524)

· Friday, February 20 -                       
Chemistry Content Knowledge (0245)

· Dates yet to be determined:             
Speech Communication (0220) 
School Leadership Licensure Assessment (1010) 

Certification Task Force
The Certification Task Force (CTF) met on October 10, and the next meeting is planned for December 12.  The group is making good progress in identifying possible problem areas for examination.  Efforts are now being made to contact stakeholder groups with some of the group's preliminary ideas in an attempt to avoid any unintended consequences when the CTF formulates recommendations for the EPSB.  To allow time for meeting with these groups, some of whom have gatherings in November, the CTF's November 7 meeting was cancelled.  This will allow the CTF to have more input in December when it is hoped that a preliminary list of recommendations can be formulated.

LEAD Report Update
We continue to have difficulties with the upload of teacher and schedule information via Infinite Campus (IC), the state's new student information system.  In recent weeks, KDE has been working with EPSB technology staff to correct these problems, and we remain hopeful that EPSB staff soon will be receiving “clean” data from all districts. EPSB staff is moving forward with gradually allowing uploads from IC districts to evaluate problems with a small sample of data and is reviewing full data reports for those districts still on the STI system. As she has in previous years, former certification director Janet Banta has returned temporarily to aid with the contacting of districts regarding their LEAD data. 

All districts' MUNIS data have been received by the EPSB, and this is a great improvement over past years.  I am, however, unsure (at this time) that EPSB will be able to send a complete report to KDE on the November 15 reporting deadline. 

Certification PD Meetings Continue
The certification professional development meetings continue across the state during October and November.  October meetings were held with district human resources personnel (and any other interested educators) in Ashland , Hazard, and Bowling Green , with a November meeting planned in Boone County .  So far, nearly 200 people across the state have attended these training sessions for certification. 

New EPSB Personnel
October has seen two new persons hired in the Division of Certification.  Lisa Baker will begin on November 1 as a new certification consultant, replacing Norma Andrade, who retired after 12 years with the division.  Lisa has been at EPSB as a temporary employee working on the Technology Help Desk.  This experience will prove invaluable in her new position.  In another move,

Wayne Eccles began on October 16 as the new Troops to Teachers Coordinator for Kentucky , replacing Larry Fohl who decided to take a teaching position near his home in Elizabethtown .  Wayne is a 26-year military veteran, who most recently has been the Senior ROTC Instructor at Marion County High School , so he brings a wealth of practical experience to his new position.  Both people are very excited to be a part of the EPSB family.

Annual Kentucky Employee Charitable Campaign Report Despite retirements, a constricted agency budget, and the general malaise that is rooted in the instability of the national economy, the EPSB had a fantastic campaign and raised $6,538.00 for 2008 KECC.  Once again I am very proud of the generosity of the dedicated employees of the EPSB.

To the great EPSB staff, I want to say thanks again for your hard work and dedication to the EPSB mission while also being willing to go above and beyond to help others.

Meetings, Conferences, Etc.
November 3 – Program Reading Committee meeting
November 4 – Holiday (Presidential Election Day) EPSB office closed
November 5/7 – Wallace Assessing Leadership Effectiveness Conference ( Boston , MA )
November 6/7 – KACTE Fall Conference at Georgetown Conference Center
November 7/8 – Midway College accreditation focus visit
November 10 – NKCES meeting
November 11 – Holiday (Veterans Day) EPSB office closed
November 11 – SE/SC Education Cooperative meeting
November 12 – STEM Task Force Steering Committee meeting
November 13 – SACS Kentucky School Improvement Conference
November 14 – Kentucky ACT State Organization Education Summit
November 14/15 – Midway College accreditation focus visit
November 16 – EPSB Sunday evening study session
November 17 – EPSB regular meeting
November 17 – Interim Joint Committee on Education meeting
November 18/19 – Teacher Leader Master's degree review committee meeting
November 19 – WKEC meeting
November 19 – KEDC meeting
November 19 – CKEC
November 20/21 – Leadership Continuum meeting
November 21 – NKCES Human Resource Administrators meeting
November 20/22 – Midway College accreditation focus visit
November 26 – OVEC meeting
November 27/28 – Holiday (Thanksgiving) EPSB office closed

FYI: Acronyms and abbreviations:
CEO – Continuing Education Option
CPE – Council on Post-Secondary Education
KACTE – Kentucky Association of Colleges for Teacher Educators
KASA – Kentucky Association of School Administrators
KEDC – Kentucky Education Development Cooperative
KPIP – Kentucky Principal Internship Program
KTIP – Kentucky Teacher Internship Program
LEAD – Local Educator Assignment Data
NASDTEC – National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification
NBPTS – National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
NCTAF – National Commission on Teaching and America 's Future
OVEC – Ohio Valley Education Cooperative
SESC – Southeast South Central Education Cooperative
VAA – Value-Added Assessment
WKEC – Western Kentucky Educational Cooperative