For Your Information

Vol. 21, No. 10
May 29, 2009

Click here for past issues of the For Your Information newsletter.

Board Votes June 11 on Requiring Online Posting of Check Registers

State Superintendent of Education Dr. Joe Morton estimates 120 of the state’s 132 local school systems will post additional fiscal accountability details on their Web sites beginning this fall.

The state Department of Education plans to help the remaining systems, many of which can’t afford the updated software, come online within a year.

Morton and Craig Pouncey, assistant state superintendent for administrative and financial services, presented the new report to the state Board of Education at Thursday’s K-12 work session.

The new software feature automatically generates a report for local systems to easily post information on expenditures online. The public can view check numbers and amounts going to vendors, along with descriptions of whether federal, state or local funds were used.

View the Jefferson County Board of Education’s check register report. Jefferson County was tapped to test the software.

The state board is expected to adopt rules requiring local boards to post this information monthly.

Plans were also announced Thursday to change the Alabama High School Graduation Exam science subtest, piloted in 2007-2008, to a biology subtest in the coming year. The change will satisfy requirements of No Child Left Behind, particularly the need to base tests on state content standards and to align them with high school content.

On June 11, the state board is expected to consider a scaled score of 445 on a range of 0 to 999 as the passing biology score. In 2008, about 81 percent of 11th graders passed the piloted science test, and had the recommended passing score for biology been applied to the class of 2009, an estimated 78 percent of 11th graders would have passed.

Not all five subtests of the Alabama High School Graduation Exam – reading, language, mathematics, social studies and biology – will be used toward determining adequate yearly progress under NCLB. Only reading and mathematics results will serve that purpose.

A related discussion on proposed student assessment changes was tabled until the board’s next work session, June 25.  At its regular K-12 meeting in June, the state board is expected to vote on nominees to fill two vacancies on the Alabama School of Fine Arts board.

In July, the board is expected to add the nine standards in the Alabama Educator Code of Ethics to the Alabama Administrative Code, so they can be used in teacher certification revocation cases. Standards address professional conduct; trustworthiness; unlawful acts; the teacher/student relationship; alcohol, drug and tobacco use or possession; public funds and property; remunerative conduct; maintenance of confidentiality; and abandonment of contract.

In other discussion, the state board heard a review of education-related legislative acts, including:

• Requirement for each school board to adopt a policy for orientation and training of board of education members.
• A requirement that all public K-12 schools have an automated external defibrillator, an electronic device that restores normal heart rhythm.
• Changes to the school nurse law that would allow a 1:5 ratio of licensed practical nurses to registered nurses and a nurse for every 500 students.

For a detailed look at legislative actions and enactments, check out the final edition of AASB’s Leg-Alert newsletter coming in June.

July 25-26 Leadership Course
for New Board Members

School board members and education leaders who have been on the job for two years or less are urged to take advantage of the Alabama Association of School Boards’ leadership orientation program. This training session provides a wealth of information on the fundamentals of school board leadership and includes such topics as boardmanship, school finance, personnel law and ethics. Leadership I attendees will earn 8 credit hours in AASB’s School Board Member Academy.

Accommodations go fast, so contact the Perdido Hotel soon at 800/634-8001, mention group code 4065. Conference registration must be completed by July 17 to avoid a penalty. Leadership I registration is $120. Call AASB at 800/562-0601 for details.

Learn How to Navigate Tough Times
at July 26-28 Summer Conference

Schools are facing tough economic times.  As leaders for public education, boards and superintendents need to make difficult decisions to help all students continue to succeed. Don't miss the Alabama Association of School Boards’ July 26-28 Conference, “Navigating Rough Waters, Seeking Student Success.” Earn up to 8.5 credit hours in AASB’s School Board Member Academy. At this conference, map your course and:

• Learn how to stretch your stimulus dollars.
• Make a difference in your board service.
• Understand the leadership, policies and support needed to create an effective school system.
• Stay informed on key federal legislative issues.

Hear from such experts as motivational speaker Tim Cusack on Life is Short, Go Long for Education; educator and attorney Dr. Crystal Kuykendall on Steering a Course to Student Success; and National School Boards Association Associate Executive Michael Resnick on Stretching Your Stimulus Dollars/Federal Legislative Updates.

A first for AASB, opt to enjoy valuable bonus training sessions that address education law issues, including those difficult personnel decisions. Breakouts featuring speakers from the Alabama Council of School Board Attorneys run from 1:30 until 3 p.m. Monday, July 27. Plan to also participate in AASB’s second annual Sand Castle Building Competition, a fun-filled team-building exercise set for 7:15 p.m. July 26.

Select from three morning breakout sessions on Tuesday, July 28. These important topics – Decide What Matters Most, Budgets that Drive Student Achievement and Consolidating and Closing Schools – will be your guideposts for leadership and help you make the most of your service to public education.

Accommodations go fast. Contact the Perdido Hotel in Orange Beach, Ala., at 800/634-8001, mention group code 4065. Conference registration must be completed by July 17 to avoid a penalty.  

AASB Conference Registration is $215 for members, including employees of member school boards, and $430 for non-members. The fee covers conference speakers, materials, refreshment breaks and designated meals. A $15 late fee will be added for on-site registration. Call AASB at 800/562-0601 with questions.

Board Attorneys Gather July 26-27

The Alabama Council of School Board Attorneys, a component of AASB, presents its summer workshop in conjunction with the AASB Summer Conference at the Perdido Hotel, (800/634-8001, mention AASB). Hear the latest developments in education law. Presentations are made by ACSBA members. Conference attendees may earn CLE credits. Register online or contact Donna Norris. The registration fee is $180.

Secretaries Workshop June 17

School board secretaries juggle important tasks each day, such as dealing with difficult people, taking efficient minutes and notifying the public about meetings. AASB’s Secretaries Workshop will help guide you on the path to success. If you're a new secretary who wants to polish your skills or a veteran secretary interested in learning more, don’t miss the Alabama Association of School Boards Secretaries’ Workshop Wednesday, June 17, 2009, at the Wynfrey Hotel in Birmingham for only $90. Register for this event or download the agenda. Call 800/562-0601 for details.

Call for Officer Candidates

If you are interested in serving as AASB vice president or president-elect, contact AASB to receive details about how to notify Nominating Committee Chairman Jim Methvin in writing (448 Crest Drive, Homewood, AL 35209) by June 15. Also, send a copy of your letter of interest to AASB Executive Director Sally Howell, J.D. (P.O. Drawer 230488, Montgomery, AL 36123-0488). President-elect Florence Bellamy will become president at the close of AASB’s convention in December, and Vice President Steve Foster has served the one term allowed under AASB bylaws in his current position. Download the nomination form here.

NSBA Needs Your Feedback

The National School Boards Association is working with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to create a new certification for educational leaders. Both are interested in your views as a school board member. By June 8, please complete the survey, or contact Dr. Shannon Fox, NBPTS Director of Knowledge Management, with questions.

Board Governance is Crucial

School boards play a critical role in setting the expectation that all students can achieve at high levels. Through policies and goals, the board can assure that student achievement standards are met. Find out how AASB could customize full-board training just for you on governance issues. Contact LuAnn Bird at 800/562-0601. 

Share Your Success with NSBA Conference Attendees

If you want to share your school board’s success stories at the National School Boards Association’s annual conference April 10-13, 2010, in Chicago, there is no time to delay. Proposals for high-quality, 75-minute breakout sessions that focus on topics of critical interest to school board members must be submitted online by 5 p.m. Eastern Time Monday, June 1. For details, click here or call 703/838-6722.

— Denise L. Berkhalter
publicrelations@alabamaschoolboards.org

Alabama Association of School Boards:
Celebrating 60 years of helping local education leaders improve student achievement.