Chapter 127 Review Process

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Chapter 127 Review Process

• Patrick Phillips and Pam Rolfe
• Maine Department of Education
• October 27, 2005

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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

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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

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Chapter 127

• The rules 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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Role of MEA/SAT as External Reference for LAS

• Clarifying the Commissioners 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 districts responsibility for reporting LAS
  results to the State

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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?

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The Learning Results Endorsement

• Single endorsement for all the subjects currently
  required by the State, or multiple endorsements
  to reflect a students 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?

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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 Maines Learning
  Results?
• How will 127 relate to other special education
  regulations
• When must decisions be reached in a students
  high school career?

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Maines Accountability System

• Chapter 125 Chapter 127 NCLB Maines
  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

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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?

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Contact Information

• Patrick R. Phillips (patrick.phillips_at_maine.gov)
• Pam Rolfe (pam.rolfe_at_maine.gov)