Thursday, October 20, 2016

#NASBE16: Morning Sessions

NCSBEE and NCOSEA are running their conference in tandem with NASBE's:
  • NCSBEE's (State Board of Education Executives) Morning Session is all about State Board of Ed Policies and Practices. The Presentation is to include discussion on development of Board agenda, interaction with Department staff, Board Governance policies, and new board member orientation. Resources gathered from states will be provided and rountable discussion will assist members in sharing information and gaining knowledge from other state practices and resources.
  • Affiliates in the NCOSEA (State Education Attorneys) Session will engage in Round 1 of State Roundtable Discussions. Former NCOSEA President, Thomas Mayes of Iowa will moderate. Each member will be given an opportunity to briefly identify a legal issue of concern in his or her state. Identification of the issue to the group may lead to informal discussions with members throughout the remainder of the conference, with follow-up at the end of the conference.
NASBE concurrent sessions: A Well-Rounded Education Through Computer Science and ESSA and Early Learning: New Opportunities Ahead. (As I understand it, the decision to feature early learning is a direct outcome of the survey to State Board of Education members last time around).

ESSA calls computer science part of a "well-rounded" education, yet most states lack qualified teachers or content standards (MA voted unanimously to support digital literacy and computer science standards in June 2016). Maryland and Arkansas share how they are preparing computer science teachers as they adopt computer sciene standards. Panelists: Jay Barth, Arkansas State Board of Education and President-elect of NASBE (moderator); Anthony Owen, Arkansas Department of Eduaction; Marquita Friday, Maryland Department of Education; Kirsten Sundell, Southern Regional Education Board (SREB); Katie Hendrickson, code.org.

Two experts on early learning provide actionable data to help states take advantage of opportunities in ESSA to provide high-quality education for early learners. Panelists: Harriet Dichter, consultant; Jacqueline Jones, Foundation for Child Development. See NASBE's excellent publication, Education Leaders Report: Opportunities in ESSA for Improving Early Education, written by Harriet Dichter, which takes a detailed look at ESSA provisions pertaining to early childhood ed, suggesting ways SBEs can turn those opportunities into action.