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State board hears AEA strategic‑plan first read and year‑one accreditation follow‑ups from multiple AEAs
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Summary
At a long board session, AEAs presented a first read of a collaborative strategic plan (mission, CARES values, three goals) and multiple AEAs reported on accreditation follow‑ups (child‑find training, assistive technology, program evaluation and staffing changes). Department and AEA leaders emphasized data‑driven implementation and ongoing coaching.
The State Board received a first presentation on a proposed statewide Area Education Agency (AEA) strategic plan and then heard progress reports from multiple AEAs about follow‑up work from last year’s accreditation and performance reviews.
The strategic plan presentation described a collaborative effort among all nine AEAs to align mission and core values (the CARES acronym: collaborative, accountable, relationships, excellence, sustainability) and to focus initial efforts on three goals: promoting safe, orderly and welcoming learning environments; closing achievement gaps; and ensuring consistent, high‑quality AEA services. The plan’s proponents said the aim is to produce shared metrics and annual progress reports across AEAs while allowing local variation in service models.
AEAs then spoke in sequence about the practical work they have carried out since accreditation visits, including required actions and recommended continuous‑improvement steps. Common themes across the reports included:
- Child find and early‑childhood evaluation improvements: several AEAs described statewide training, pre/post assessments, peer reviews and new coaching to strengthen early identification of children with disabilities and transitions from Part C to Part B.
- Implementation coaching and professional learning: AEAs reported training consultants in implementation science and piloting sustained coaching (multi‑session) rather than single‑event PD, and said districts purchasing longer‑term consultant days reported larger measurable gains.
- Assistive technology and accessibility: multiple AEAs expanded assistive technology teams, developed AT expos and accessibility toolkits, and required procurement/PD practices to address equity of access to digital resources.
- Program evaluation and data alignment: AEAs are piloting district profiles and program evaluation templates to link services to student outcomes and to prove impact in areas such as literacy and MTSS.
Several AEAs noted that the new accreditation scoring process emphasized submitted evidence and artifacts; a number of AEA leaders said their self‑ratings were higher than the desk review scores because of differences in artifacts submitted, and asked for clarity about submission guidance for future cycles. Department staff agreed to consider process refinements and to provide artifact guidance for the next review cycle.
Board members asked about timelines and staffing capacity; AEA leaders acknowledged workforce challenges in some regions and described targeted hiring and reorganization to deliver services equitably across districts.
