EDUCATION OVERSIGHT BOARD MEETING MINUTES January 26, 2005 - 9:00 A.M. Room 412A State Capitol Building Oklahoma City, OK 73105 BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Don McCorkell, Kenneth Bridges, Gerald Dickerson, Ron Dryden, Susan Field, Patrick Gilmore and Representative Odilia Dank BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: Senator Angela Monson OTHER REGULAR ATTENDEES: Office of Accountability Staff: Robert Buswell, Matt Hesser and Jerry Hsieh VISITORS: Mr. Ray Pearcy Call to Order and Roll Call: Mr. McCorkell called the meeting to order at 9:08 a.m. and declared a quorum to be present. Introduction and Welcome for New Board Members: Mr. McCorkell took the opportunity to introduce and welcome Representative Odilia Dank as a new member to the Board. Approval of Minutes: Minutes of the September 15, 2004, October 13, 2004 – 10:00 a.m., October 13, 2004 – 6:30 p.m. and October 14, 2004 board meetings were unanimously approved as submitted. Discussion of Challenges Facing Common Education in Oklahoma: Mr. McCorkell initiated a lengthy discussion revolving around a paper titled "Agenda for Change: The Future of Common Education in Oklahoma." The paper was a compilation of the issues covered at the Education Oversight Board's October retreat. The discussion covered the following areas: The need for Oklahoma to further commit to the training, development, and support of educational leaders throughout education. The need for Oklahoma to dramatically enhance its commitment to the professional development of its teachers. The need for Oklahoma to improve the physical health of its public education students. Interest on the part of the Board in data that suggests that smaller schools may yeild higher student performance. The Board's concern over the reduction of Arts Education for Oklahoma students. An examination of preparation for state mandated testing versus promoting the teaching of in-depth knowledge. The need for Oklahoma's education system to be more sensitive to students' satisfaction with the educational process and outcome. Oklahoma's need to synchronize programs between common and higher education. Enhancement of the Oklahoma School Performance Review program and other school intervention programs. Encouraging Oklahoma's educational system to take a more highly personalized approach to teaching students with the goal of maximizing each individual's achievement. Two additional areas were added to the discussion list, the need for examination of the student counseling process, and the condition of school finances in Oklahoma. Mrs. Field made a motion to recognize and approve the document as a "work in progress," Mr. Dryden seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously. Status Report on the Oklahoma Educational Indicators Program: Mr. Buswell cautioned the board that the Indicators Program was running a few weeks behind schedule relative to previous years but was hopeful that the documents could still be produced on time. Status Report on the Oklahoma School Performance Review Program (OSPR): Mr. Buswell assured the Board that the Stillwater performance review was progressing well, that the Stillwater Superintendent was pleased with the caliber of the selected review team, and that the Office had developed a good working relationship with Stillwater Public Schools and the contractor, WCL Enterprises. Year to Date Expenditures Report for FY-05: Mr. Buswell distributed copies of the year-to-date expenditures to the Board and added that the Office's finances for FY-05 were in good shape. He also relayed that funding for FY-06 looked encouraging. Mr. McCorkell was pleased to hear that the Office seemed to have the support of the Legislature and the Governor's office in the early stages of legislative session. McCorkell also made a motion authorize the staff to begin preliminary work on a "Consumers Guide" for Oklahoma schools. The motion was seconded by Mr. Dickerson and passed unanimously. New Business: None Announcements: None Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 11:12 a.m. The minutes of the January 26, 2005 Meeting of the Education Oversight Board were approved as submitted on February 23, 2005