EDUCATION OVERSIGHT BOARD MEETING MINUTES October 18, 2000 - 8:00 A.M. Oklahoma State Capitol Building Conference Room 412A Oklahoma City, OK 73105 BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: John Rex, Pete Churchwell, Karen Yarbrough, Ed Long, Ron Dryden, Rep. Larry Roberts BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: Sen. Penny Williams, Grant Hall, Kenneth Bridges OTHER REGULAR ATTENDEES: Secretary of Education Dr. Floyd Coppedge Office of Accountability Staff: Robert Buswell, Matt Hesser, Jerry Hsieh, Janet Johnson VISITORS: Ernie Diamond and Terri Hamilton, Secretary of Ed. Staff Call to Order and Roll Call: Mr. Rex called the meeting to order and declared a quorum present. Approval of Minutes: Minutes of the September 20, 2000 meeting were approved as submitted. Announcement of New Board Member: Mr. Rex announced that Speaker Benson had appointed Mr. Kenneth Bridges of Lawton to replace Doyle Burns. Mr. Buswell reported that introductory information regarding the Education Oversight Board and Office of Accountability has been sent to Mr. Bridges, but no other contact has been made at this time. Report of FY 2001 Year-to-Date Expenditures: Report distributed to board members. Report on Office of Accountability Summer Activities: Report distributed to board members. Mr. Hesser continued the discussion of Oklahoma ACT and AP 2000 results from the previous meeting. Low math scores and minority performance were areas addressed as concerns. Progress Report on Profiles 2000 Project: Data Requests Mr. Buswell reported that State Regents and Career-Tech have provided the requested materials. Information from the Office of Juvenile Affairs has been delayed, but the Office of Accountability is working to get a meeting scheduled to expedite the transaction. Data flow from State Dept. of Education (SDE) Mr. Buswell reported that delivery dates of the data have been provided in a response letter from State Superintendent Sandy Garrett. However, the staff was hoping to move the deadlines of several items up, which was not reflected in Ms. Garrett's response. Dr. Coppedge said he had met with Ms. Garrett to discuss several issues regarding the Office of Accountability. She relayed to him that every effort would be made to provide information earlier than previous years. Also, the request regarding teacher certification files was misunderstood and not addressed in the response letter. Mr. Buswell noted that he clarified and resubmitted the request to SDE, but reported that no further response had been received. 2000 Oklahoma Core Curriculum Tests Survey The board was provided a copy of the letter from Deputy State Superintendent Sharon Lease, which explained flaws in the gathering and assembling of the survey data. Mr. Buswell explained that the data has previously been used to determine percent of students tested. Mr. Rex motioned for a letter to be drafted to SDE requesting participation in the initial contract negotiations with the testing company as they pertained to what information will be provided. Mr. Buswell recommended that the letter be signed by Dr. Coppedge and Mr. Rex. The motion was seconded by Mr. Churchwell and approved by the board. Office of Accountability Administrator Survey Mr. Buswell explained that the Office of Accountability is working with the State Regents to formulate questions regarding community support and parental involvement. Mobility, early childhood education, and non-mandated tests purchased locally were noted as additional topics the Office of Accountability will be considering. Changes to the Profiles Reports Report distributed to board members. Mr. Buswell explained that due to significant testing program changes, some information previously available in the "Profiles" reports will be limited. The Office of Accountability is considering providing alternative data. A discussion followed. Discussion of Oklahoma Business and Education Coalition (OBEC) Activities: Mr. Rex read the mission and goals statements from OBEC and said that this group should be a strong ally for the Board and the Office of Accountability. Mr. Churchwell agreed that OBEC shares many of the same objectives. New Business: Regular Meeting Schedule for 2001 The board was given preliminary dates for the 2001 regular meetings. Mr. Buswell asked that any conflicts be reported to the Office of Accountability before the next meeting. Media Request Mr. Buswell announced that a local broadcast reporter has contacted the Office of Accountability regarding the release of the 2000 test scores. Current plans are to release the information incorporating the board's "70% Performance Benchmark." HB 1759 Mr. Buswell read excerpts from the new legislation which mandates charter schools to submit annual reports to the Office of Accountability. Announcements: None Adjournment: Mr. Rex adjourned the meeting at 9:15 a.m. The Minutes of the October 18, 2000 Meeting of the Education Oversight Board were approved (as submitted) or (with corrections) on November 15, 2000.