Source: https://www.scribd.com/document/1326751/description-tags-md
Timestamp: 2018-06-24 07:19:29
Document Index: 667180880

Matched Legal Cases: ['§9304', '§9302', '§9101', '§1111', '§9101', '§9101', '§9101', '§9101', '§9101', '§1119', '§1111', '§1111', '§9101', '§1111', '§2121', '§2122', '§2122', '§2141', '§9101', '§9101', '§9101', '§9101', '§1111', '§9101', '§1111', '§1111', '§2122']

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Maryland State Department of Education December 13-15, 2005
U.S. Department of Education Monitoring Team Julie Coplin Elizabeth Witt Tamara Azar (Westat) Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Nancy Grasmick, State Superintendent of Schools Ronald Peiffer, Deputy State Superintendent for Academic Policy A. Skipp Sanders, Deputy State Superintendent for Administration Richard Steinke, Deputy State Superintendent for Instruction and Academic Acceleration Gary Heath, Assistant State Superintendent for Accountability and Assessment Colleen Seremet, Assistant State Superintendent for Instruction John Smeallie, Assistant State Superintendent for Certification and Accreditation Nancy Carey, Coordinator of Professional Development Ann Chafin, Director of Program Improvement and Family Support Branch Robert Crawford, Chief, Audit office Joann Ericson, Chief, Certification Mary Gable, Director of Instructional Programs Ann Glazer, Director of Assessment and Teacher Professional Development Debra Greenberg-Lichter, Federal Legislative Office LaTanya McEachin, Fiscal Services Officer Donna Pennewill, Fiscal Services Officer Virginia Pilato, Director, Certification and Accreditation Fred Prumo, Coordinator of Secondary Professional Development State Agency for Higher Education (SAHE) Paula Fitzwater, Director, Office of Grants Candace Caraco, Associate Director, Office of Grants Overview of Maryland: Number of Districts: 24 Number of Schools: 1,419 Number of Teachers: 55,223
Page 2 – Maryland Monitoring Report
State Allocation (FY 20041) LEA Allocation (FY 2004) “State Activities” (FY 2004) SAHE Allocation (FY 2004) SEA Administration (FY 2004) SAHE Administration (FY 2004) $41,811,034 $39,323,278 $1,034,823 $1,034,823 $364,222 $53,888 State Allocation (FY 2005) LEA Allocation (FY 2005) “State Activities” (FY 2005) SAHE Allocation (FY 2005) SEA Administration (FY 2005) SAHE Administration (FY 2005) $41,625,985 $39,149,240 $1,030,243 $1,030,243 $362,371 $53,888
Scope of Review: Like all State educational agencies (SEAs), the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), as a condition of receiving funds under Title I, Part A and Title II, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), provided an assurance to the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) that it would administer these programs in accordance with all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, including those in Title I, Part A that concern “Highly Qualified Teachers” (HQT) and those that govern the use of Title II, Part A funds. See §9304(a)(1) of the ESEA. One of the specific requirements the Department established for an SEA’s receipt of program funds under its consolidated state application (§9302(b)) was submission to the Department of annual data on how well the State has been meeting its performance target for Performance Indicator 3.1: “The percentage of classes being taught by ‘highly qualified’ teachers (as the term is defined in §9101(23) of the ESEA), in the aggregate and in ‘high-poverty’ schools (as the term is defined in §1111(h)(1)(C)(viii) of the ESEA).” The Department’s monitoring visit to Maryland had two purposes. One was to review the progress of the State in meeting the ESEA’s HQT requirements. The second was to review the use of ESEA Title II, Part A funds by the SEA, selected LEAs and the State agency for higher education (SAHE), to ensure that the funds are being used to prepare, retain and recruit high-quality teachers and principals so that all children will achieve to a high academic achievement standard and to their full potential. The monitoring review was conducted from December 13-15, 2005, at the offices of the MSDE. In addition to meeting with the MSDE staff noted above, as part of the review the Department monitoring team met with Paula Fitzwater and Candace Caraco who administer the SAHE grants. The monitoring team conducted conference calls with representatives of Prince George’s County and Queen Anne’s County local educational agencies and conducted a site visit to Montgomery County Public Schools.
Page 3 – Maryland Monitoring Report
Element Number Critical Element Has the State developed and implemented 1.1 procedures, consistent with the statutory definition of highly qualified, to determine whether all teachers of core academic subjects are highly qualified (§9101(23))? Critical Element Are all new elementary school teachers 1.2 (including special education teachers, as appropriate) required to pass a rigorous State test in reading, writing, mathematics, and the other areas of the elementary school curriculum to demonstrate subject-matter competency (§9101(23)(B)(II))? Critical Element Are all new middle and secondary school 1.3 teachers (including special education teachers, as appropriate) required to demonstrate subjectmatter competency, in each core academic subject they teach (§9101(23)(B)(II)(ii))? Critical Element Are all veteran (i.e., those who are not new to 1.4 the profession) elementary school teachers (including special education teachers, as appropriate) required to demonstrate subjectmatter competency by passing a rigorous State test or by completing the State’s “High Objective Uniform State Standard of Evaluation” (HOUSSE) procedures (§9101(23)(C))? Critical Element Are all veteran middle and secondary teachers 1.5 (including special education teachers, as appropriate) required to demonstrate subjectmatter competency in each core academic subject they teach? Critical Element For each set of HOUSSE procedures the State 1.6 has developed, please describe how it meets each of the statutory requirements of §9101(23)(C)(ii). Critical Element How does the SEA ensure that, since the 1.7 beginning of the 2002-03 school year, districts hire only highly qualified teachers (including special education teachers, as appropriate) to teach in Title I programs? Monitoring Area 1: Highly Qualified Teacher Systems and Procedures Description Status Recommendations Commendation Page 7
Page 4 – Maryland Monitoring Report Critical Element How has the SEA ensured, since the beginning 1.8 of the 2002-03 school year, that districts that use ESEA Title II funds to reduce class size hire only highly qualified teachers for such positions? Critical Element Does the SEA’s plan establish annual 1.9 measurable objectives for each LEA and school to ensure that annual increases occur: • in the percentage of highly qualified teachers at each LEA and school; and • in the percentage of teachers who are receiving high-quality professional development to enable them to become highly qualified and successful classroom teachers (§1119(a)(2)(A))? Critical Element Does the SEA also have a plan with specific 1.10 steps to ensure that poor and minority children are not taught at higher rates than other children by inexperienced, unqualified, and/or out-offield teachers? Does the plan include measures to evaluate and publicly report the progress of such steps (§1111(b)(8)(C))? Critical Element Has the State reported to the Secretary in its 1.11 Consolidated State Performance Report (CSPR) the number and percentage of core academic classes taught by highly qualified teachers, in the aggregate and in high-poverty schools, consistent with the statutory definition of highly qualified (§1111(h)(4)(G); §9101(23))? Critical Element Does the State prepare and disseminate to the 1.12 public an Annual State Report Card (§1111(h)(1)(C)(viii))? If so, how is it disseminated? Met Requirement NA
Monitoring Area 2: Administration of ESEA Title II, Part A Description Status Does the SEA allocate funds according to the statute, using the most recent Census Bureau data as described in the Non-Regulatory Guidance (§2121(a))? Met Requirement
Page 5 – Maryland Monitoring Report Critical Element 2.2 Does the SEA require an application from each LEA before providing Title II, Part A funding? If yes, what information does the SEA require in the LEA application (§2122(b))? In particular, does the SEA require each LEA to describe how the activities to be carried out are based on the required local needs assessment (§2122(b))? Does the SEA have a procedure to determine the amount of funds each LEA expended during the period of availability? Does the SEA have a procedure to regularly review the drawdowns of the LEAs? Does the SEA have a written policy on allowable carryover funds? If an LEA cannot obligate funds within the 27 months of availability (which includes the extra year of availability permitted under the Tydings amendment), does the SEA have a procedure for reallocating these funds to other LEAs? Does the SEA have records to show that each LEA meets the maintenance of effort requirements? Does the SEA conduct regular, systematic reviews of LEAs to monitor for compliance with Federal statutes and regulations, applicable State rules and policies, and the approved subgrant application? Does the SEA ensure that it and its component LEAs are audited annually, if required, and that all corrective actions required through this process are fully implemented? Has the SEA identified and provided technical assistance to LEAs that are not making progress toward meeting their annual measurable objectives in meeting the highly qualified teacher challenge (§2141)? Has the SEA provided guidance to the LEAs on initiating consultation with nonpublic school officials for equitable services? Commendation 9
Page 6 – Maryland Monitoring Report Monitoring Area 3: State Activities Description Does the State use its State Activities funds to promote the recruitment, hiring, training, and retention of highly qualified teachers and principals? Does the State support activities that focus on increasing the subject-matter knowledge of teachers and that assist teachers to become highly qualified?
Monitoring Area 4: State Agency for Higher Education (SAHE) Activities Description Status Did the SAHE manage a competition for eligible partnerships? Does the SAHE have procedures to ensure that eligible partnerships include the required members, i.e., an institution of higher education and the division of the institution that prepares teachers and principals, a school of arts and sciences, and a high-need LEA? Commendations Met Requirement
Page 10 NA
Page 7 – Maryland Monitoring Report
Critical Element 1.1: Has the State developed and implemented procedures, consistent with the statutory definition of highly qualified, to determine whether all teachers of core academic subjects are highly qualified (§9101(23))? Recommendation: Maryland issues a conditional license that is valid for 2 years with two renewals. This license does not satisfy the requirement for full State certification, and teachers holding this certificate are not considered highly qualified. The Department encourages the State to eliminate its dependency on emergency and temporary certification to meet shortages. By the end of the 2005-06 academic year, all teachers of core academic subjects must meet the definition of highly qualified, which includes holding full State certification. Full State certification means that the teacher must not have had certification or licensure requirements waived on an emergency, temporary or provisional basis. Recommendation: Teachers who have demonstrated subject-matter competency but have not met the State’s pedagogical requirements are given a conditional license. The review team recommends that the State consider creating a high-quality alternative route to certification for these candidates. Commendation: Maryland is committed to comprehensive and accurate data reporting. The SEA is working to create a versatile reporting system that complements the existing certification and personnel databases. Critical Element 1.3: Are all new middle and secondary school teachers (including special education teachers, as appropriate) required to demonstrate subject-matter competency in each core academic subject they teach (§9101(23)(B)(II)(ii))? Finding: Maryland certifies new middle and secondary level social studies teachers using a broad-field assessment. As a demonstration of social studies content knowledge, the assessment may not provide adequate subject-matter preparation for each of the core academic subjects explicitly noted in the statute. Citation: Section 9101(11) of the ESEA identifies history, geography, civics/government and economics as individual core academic subjects. Section 9101(23)(B)(ii) of the ESEA requires new teachers of core academic subjects to demonstrate subject-matter competency in each core academic subject they teach. (Section 9101(23)(C) does the same for teachers not new to the profession.) Further Action Required: The MSDE must ensure that all history, geography, civics/government and economics teachers demonstrate subject-matter competency in each of those subjects they teach no later than the end of the 2005-06 school year. Critical Element 1.5: Are all veteran middle and secondary school teachers (including special education teachers, as appropriate) required to demonstrate subject-matter competency in each core academic subject they teach?
Page 8 – Maryland Monitoring Report
Finding: Maryland certifies veteran middle and secondary level social studies teachers using a broad-field assessment. As a demonstration of social studies content knowledge, the assessment may not provide adequate subject-matter preparation for each of the core academic subjects explicitly noted in the statute. Citation: Section 9101(23)(C) of the ESEA requires middle or secondary school teachers not new to the profession to demonstrate subject-matter competency in each of the core academic subjects they teach by passing a content test; successfully completing an academic major, coursework equivalent to a major, advanced certification or a graduate degree; or by satisfying the State’s High Objective Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE) requirements. Further Action Required: The State must ensure that all history, geography, civics/government and economics teachers demonstrate subject-matter competency in each of those subjects they teach no later than the end of the 2005-06 school year. Critical Element 1.6: For each set of HOUSSE procedures the State has developed, please describe how it meets each of the statutory requirements of §9101(23)(C)(ii). Finding: Maryland's procedures for determining the HQT status of veteran middle and secondary special education teachers may not meet statutory requirements. The Maryland HOUSSE for veteran middle and secondary school special education teachers allows a special education teacher to demonstrate subject-matter competency by holding National Board Certification in special education. While the requirements for the Early Childhood through Young Adult/Exceptional Needs Specialist certificates appear to require teachers to demonstrate familiarity with core content at the elementary school level, it does not appear sufficient as a demonstration of adequate core knowledge in any single subject area at the secondary level. Citation: Section 9101(23)(C)(ii) permits a State to establish HOUSSE procedures to determine the subject-matter knowledge of an “elementary, middle, or secondary school teacher who is not new to the profession.” Section 9101(23)(C)(ii)(III) requires that a HOUSSE provide objective, coherent information about the teacher’s attainment of core content knowledge in the academic subjects in which the teacher teaches. Further Action Required: The MSDE must ensure that all middle and secondary school special education teachers who are not new to the profession demonstrate subject-matter competency in each core academic subject they teach, in accordance with the options available in §9101(23)(C)(ii) of the ESEA, no later than the end of the 2005-06 school year.
Page 9 – Maryland Monitoring Report Critical Element 1.11: Has the State reported to the Secretary in its Consolidated State Performance Report (CSPR) the number and percentage of core academic classes taught by highly qualified teachers, in the aggregate and in high-poverty schools, consistent with the statutory definition of highly qualified (§1111(h)(4)(G); §9101(23))? Finding: The State may not have reported data in its CSPR that are consistent with the statute. Due to the problem outlined in critical element 1.6, some classes taught by veteran middle and secondary special education teachers may have been counted as classes taught by a highly qualified teacher when in fact those teachers may not have sufficient knowledge in the core academic areas they teach. Citation: Section 1111(h)(4)(G) of the ESEA requires each SEA annually to report to the U.S. Secretary of Education on the percentage of classes (in core academic subjects) taught by highly qualified teachers in the State, local educational agency and school2 (a summary of which §1111(h)(5) requires the Secretary annually to report to Congress). Further Action Required: The MSDE must submit a written plan with specific procedures and a timeline for reporting to the Secretary through the CSPR in a manner consistent with the statutory requirements, as required by §1111(h).
Critical Element 2.2: Does the SEA require an application from each LEA before providing Title II, Part A funding? If yes, what information does the SEA require in the LEA application (§2122(b))? Commendation: Maryland’s comprehensive LEA application for federal funding, called the Master Plan, requires LEAs to submit 5-year plans with annual updates. The process closely ties local needs together with federal and State funding sources.
Critical Element 3.1: Does the State use its State Activities funds to promote the recruitment, hiring, training, and retention of highly qualified teachers and principals? Commendation: The MSDE has committed extensive resources to develop standards for high-quality professional development and recommendations for implementation and improvement.
Page 10 – Maryland Monitoring Report Commendation: The State data collection system is comprehensive and versatile and is widely used by LEAs for reporting.
Critical Element 4.1: Did the SAHE manage a competition for eligible partnerships? Commendation: The SAHE has a collaborative, effective partnership with the SEA. In the most recent RFP, the SAHE incorporated the State standards for high-quality professional development and included SEA staff on the proposal review panel. Commendation: The SAHE provides excellent technical assistance to applicants and grantees and offers workshops twice a year to provide outreach to the grant programs.