Glad/Jealous - Second
annual report from Washington, D.C.
Priorities for our next governor?
“The Democratic field of Colorado gubernatorial
hopefuls is firming up — and education promises to play an outsized role in the
race.” (Chalkbeat Colorado, April 11, 2017)[i]
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1.
Our
lowest-performing schools
2.
The
teaching profession
3.
Students’
reading skills
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This week the Colorado Education Policy Fellowship Program
(EPFP) is here in Washington, D.C., attending the annual national conference of
the 15 states with EPFP chapters. Over
300 Fellows, including our 8 Colorado Fellows (see Addendum A) in this year’s program, take part in the Washington
Policy Seminar, April 23-26. (http://epfp.iel.org/page/2017_WPS)
It is a
privilege to be part of a national conference where we can listen to and learn
from other states—our “laboratories of democracy,”[1]
as Louis Brandeis called them (see Addendum
B)—facing similar challenges for their K-12 education system.
So again, to
offer my fellow Coloradans a similar opportunity, I use these pages to create
my own “cross-country tour.” As I did
last year, I look to the recent state of the state addresses from the nation’s
governors in order to see what they hope to tackle to improve their schools.
This year, less: Why
I’m glad we’re not …. I’ll just say
I am grateful we’re not … Oregon!
Gov. Kate Brown’s address included this critique: "Our schools
continue to be among the nation's leaders in all the wrong categories—the
largest class size, the shortest school year, and the highest drop-out rate.”
As a man inclined,
unfortunately, to jealousy, what follows is more: Darn, I wish we could hear our state leader say that! Especially on three fundamental topics: our lowest-performing schools; the state of the teaching profession; and students’
reading skills.
**
Caveat #1: Regular readers of Another View should not be surprised by this Independent voter’s
distress over our Governor’s perfunctory remarks on K-12 education in his state
of the state. (See Addendum C for Education Week’s
summary of Gov. John Hickenlooper’s speech – all about broadband and internet access. I add an excerpt—his passage about Colorado as
“a national model for matching education with skills based training.” (If you
too find that less than inspiring, see my satirical AV#155 – on schools as “training centers for the workplace.” Are we
redefining the very purpose of public education?)
I have come to accept that Gov. Hickenlooper has other
priorities than improving our schools. At
least we have a decent man representing our state, a person who can articulate
our fear and grief after the Waldo Canyon Wildfire, or after the killing spree in
an Aurora theater. Decency… highly
prized in 2017….
But for
those of you who wish to succeed Hickenlooper in 2019, take note of the
attention to specific K-12 issues we hear from other governors. I am not
always jealous of the specific positions they take. I hope to avoid revealing my bias on the positions
advocated here. My emphasis is on the
degree to which, as the highest elected officer in their state, their speeches
focused on K-12 issues. True, mere words. But an indication—is it not?—of interest, perhaps even commitment. And leadership.
Caveat #2: Another
View is merely one individual’s perspective; it is not intended to reflect
the views of Colorado EPFP, which I coordinate. EPFP is a non-partisan
organization; in its own words, it “does not engage in advocacy (and) does not
take positions on education and/or policy issues on any level.”
Governors’ State of
the State Addresses – Education – 2017
[All taken
from Education Week’s summaries of
state-of-the-state addresses given by governors this winter. Found in Education
Week’s issues of Jan. 11, 18, 25, and Feb 8, 15, March 1.]
1. I am jealous when other governors … focus
on their lowest-performing schools.
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The
Colorado Department of Education lists 104 schools/programs (roughly 5% of
our 1,900 schools) eligible in 2017 for federal TIG funds “to support schools
identified as chronically low performing schools as indicated by state
assessments.”[ii]
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If the state
believes it has on obligation to provide an equitable education to all its students,
it is necessary (both No Child Left Behind and the new federal law, Every Student
Succeeds Act, concur) to make an extra commitment to address its
lowest-performing
schools, those in the
bottom 5% on
state ratings.
Hence my jealousy when the governor speaks of the state’s
responsibility to confront the sad truth that far too many low-performing schools
fail to make significant improvement, in spite of large grants and innumerable
efforts. In our “laboratories,” we have pursued a wide range of strategies to
turn these schools around. Given the
poor results—so far—in most states, how sad that we do not do more to learn
from each other on what is and is not working.
At least these governors assert: we
must tackle this problem. The state will act.
Georgia - Gov. Nathan
Deal (R) – “… said he would work with leaders of Georgia's GOP-controlled
statehouse to craft legislation to address ‘chronically
failing schools,’ particularly at the elementary school level. The vast
majority of Georgia's lowest-performing
schools serve those grades, he said. The importance of helping those
schools should be clear, including to ‘those in the education community who so
staunchly support the status quo,’ the governor said.”
Idaho - Gov. C.L.
"Butch" Otter (R) – “Other funding would go toward leadership
training of principals in low-performing
schools….”
Massachusetts – Gov.
Charlie Baker (R) - “encouraged
the state’s board of education to use its power to take over ‘struggling districts.’ Existing takeovers of three districts have
demonstrated that state takeovers can offer significant benefits to students,
parents, and teachers in schools that need our support.’”
Illinois – Gov. Bruce
Rauner (R) - “Education was a significant piece of the governor's annual
address to legislators, in which he outlined 10 long-term goals including
expanding school choice for children attending academically struggling schools….”
Maryland – Gov. Larry
Hogan (R) - “He also advocated passage of a bill that would facilitate
charter school approvals in Maryland, and pushed to add $2 million to a $5
million voucher program that lets low-income students attend private schools.
That investment would help children who are ‘trapped in persistently failing schools,’ Hogan said.”
(Voucher opponents will
protest, but I would ask: how well is your state addressing its chronic
low-performing schools? Where we see
little attention to this issue, and almost no progress, one of the policy options
to help poorly served students might well be vouchers. Who is to blame when that happens?)
2.
I am
jealous to hear so many governors focus on … teachers and the teaching
profession.
|
“America has a teacher shortage, and a new study
says it’s getting worse” Washington
Post, 9/14/16
“State’s teacher shortage affecting Aurora-area
school districts, too” Aurora Sentinel,
12/9/16
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Arizona – Gov. Doug Ducey (D) -
“Signaling that schools will be a top priority during the upcoming legislative
session, Ducey outlined plans for an education-heavy agenda, including statewide teacher pay raises, … and a $1,000 signing bonus for new teachers who
take jobs in low-income districts…. To ease a teacher shortage, Ducey wants state universities to provide free
tuition for prospective educators as part of a program that
would also guarantee jobs for graduates....”
Georgia - Deal (R) – “The governor told
lawmakers in his in his annual speech that he will propose granting teachers a 2 percent pay increase, in addition to merit-pay
raise.”
Idaho - Otter (R)
- “The governor called for an increase in spending on public education of more
than 6 percent … as he made education the cornerstone of his address…. The
largest share would be an ongoing $58 million to continue implementing the career ladder pay model for public school
teachers. That would be added to the $75 million invested over the past two
years in this area, he said.”
Kansas - Gov. Sam
Brownback (R) – “Brownback also proposed reforming the state's teacher
certification requirements to ‘create a
pathway bringing more teachers to Kansas,’ as well as creating a scholarship program for Kansas students who
want to become teachers ….”
Missouri - Gov. Eric
Greitens (R) – “Missouri also ranks 47th in starting teacher pay, he said,
and ‘our great teachers deserve to be
paid more.’”
South Carolina - Gov.
Nikki Haley (R) – “The governor pointed to updating the state's school
funding formula …, as well as an initiative to boost education technology in
rural districts and give bonuses to
teachers who committed to go to high-needs schools.”
West Virginia - Gov. Jim Justice (D) – “Justice proposed a 2 percent raise for teachers and said
he was ‘ashamed’ that it couldn't be more.”
3. As I wrote last year, I am jealous when other governors focus on ... our youngest students, especially their reading skills.
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UNITED STATES – READING SKILLS 2015, “36% of 4th grade students and 34% of 8th
grade students perform at or above the Proficient level in NAEP reading.” [iii]
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New Mexico – Gov.
Susana Martinez (R) – “… the
governor used her 45-minute address to resume her push to hold back struggling 3rd
graders who are not reading at grade
level.”
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COLORADO
– READING SKILLS
In 2016, after the 3nd year of
full implementation of the READ Act, 39,014 (nearly 15%) of our K-3 students were
identified as significantly deficient readers.[iv]
In 2016, only 37.4% of the 63,385 3rd
graders met or exceeded expectations on the PARCC assessment in English.
For 9th graders, much the same: 37.2%[v].
NAEP
In 2015, on the National Assessment of
Progress, only 39% of Colorado 4th graders performed at or above
proficient in reading.[vi]
The Readiness Report from Colorado Succeeds
notes that since 2007, “4th grade proficiency rates have been stagnant….”[vii]
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So. Carolina – Haley (R)
– “She also noted that the state now requires students to read on grade level to be promoted beyond 3rd grade.”
But that’s it - for any comments on reading
- from the highlights of
speeches by 34 of the nation’s governors. Why focus on
something as old hat as reading (Isn’t
“Why Johnny Can’t Read?” a headline from the Eisenhower Administration?), when
we can be so much more in vogue and placate the business community and
emphasize the critical need for … are you ready? … computer science.
Yes, reading is now a
distant second to computer science. Although
only briefly reflected in Education Week’s
summaries (Gov. Gina Raimondo “garnered applause from the legislature” by
announcing that “Rhode Island will be the first state to offer computer science
classes in every public school.”), computer science appears to be all the rage
in governors’ offices. (See Addendum D,
a summary from the Education Commission of the States - Computer Science, STEM Gain Traction in 2017 State of the State
Addresses.) Hop on the bandw ...idth!
I would simply ask:
but what if today’s Johnny, Jaime, and Jakaya can’t read?
Are you running for
Governor? See Addendum E, from KIDS COUNT IN COLORADO 2016 - Colorado
Child Well-Being Index: Fourth-Graders Not Proficient in Reading. If I had one page to hand every
gubernatorial candidate for 2019, here it is.
Leadership - Keep our eye on the ball
Of course computers matter.
All I learn about the many unmet needs to provide equity for our rural
schools makes me sympathetic to all the plans from governors—including from our
governor (again, Addendum C)—to
expand broadband to rural schools (examples from state of the states, Addendum F). And yet I am skeptical when state leaders can
say nothing about reading or writing skills but exhibit remarkable enthusiasm
for career tech-programs, training for jobs—and all things technological. As Addendum G shows, we saw plenty of that
in the governors’ speeches this winter.
Good schools try to do so much, but they are clear that they
cannot do it all. It is why having a
clear mission and staying true to their central purpose and chief values matters
(see my next newsletter).
Policymakers
do not help when they, too, react to the latest buzz and take our attention
away from the most critical issues.
Governors can help their states focus, even (especially?)
when they were last year’s key policy
issues.
What is the best strategy to turn around low-performing
schools?
How can we recruit, support, and keep good teachers?
How to ensure more kids read at grade level?
Three priorities … for Colorado’s next governor?
Addendum A
Colorado Education Policy Fellowship
Program – 2016-17
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Name
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Job
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Organization
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Alyssa Rafa
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Policy Researcher
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Education Commission of the
States
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Heather Furman
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Investment Management Analyst
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Charter School Growth Fund
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Andrea Helaine
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Instructional Designer,
Project Manager
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CSU-University’s Global Campus
and Walden University
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Joellen Kralik
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Policy Associate,
Education
Program
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National Conference
of State Legislatures
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MaryGrace Longoria
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Education Organizer, Family
& Community Engagement
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Stand for Children
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Riley McIntyre
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Program Director
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Colorado I Have a Dream
Foundation,
Ruby Hill Site
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Carol Schneider
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Community
Partnership Program Manager
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Department
of Extended Learning and Community Schools, Denver Public Schools
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Marita Whalen
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Math Teacher
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West Leadership Academy,
Denver Public Schools
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Addendum B
“The
individual states in the United States are sometimes called ‘laboratories
of democracy’ because they can experiment with innovative policy ideas. This
allows other states and the nation as a whole to see if the new ideas work or
not before they adopt them.”
Addendum C
From Gov.
Hickenlooper’s State of the State
Education Week’s summary of the points
made on K-12 schools in his address on Jan. 12, 2017:
The governor introduced a goal of giving 100 percent of Colorado access
to high-speed internet by 2020. Every school, hospital, clinic, and home should
have high-speed internet, Hickenlooper said. Currently, 70 percent of
households have access, and he hopes the creation of a broadband office will
lift that figure to 85 percent before he leaves office.
"Tonight, somewhere in one of these communities, a high school
student will sit in a parked car outside her town library. She'll huddle over
her laptop, face glowing from the screen as she tries to finish her paper,
because it's the only place she can get Wi-Fi," he said. "This isn't
right." http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/01/25/state-of-the-states.html?qs=state+of+states+inmeta:Cover_year%3D2017
Additional
excerpts from Hickenlooper’s State of the State Address:
And quality of life starts with a good job.
From high school students wanting to work as
apprentices--to the many Coloradans who want a new career--either from passion
or necessity--these jobs should be available for everyone.
If we do this right, there should be an
opportunity for thousands of Coloradans to acquire skills either in classrooms
or on the job that are career-focused and transferrable to different industries
in the future. …
Today, we are a national model for matching education with skills based
training.
Sean Wybrant is Colorado’s Teacher of the Year. He has been teaching for
11 years at Palmer High in Colorado Springs, as he said, to “change the world.”
And he’s changing it by focusing on the one-third of our kids who won’t go on
to four year or two year colleges. He’s preparing the next generation for the
career and technical jobs of tomorrow.
Tim Kistler is the Superintendent of the Peyton School District in El
Paso County, where he helped open the Woods Manufacturing Program in an empty
middle school. It teaches students cutting edge skills needed in the
woodworking industry.
We thank both Sean and Tim for helping to close the skills gap, and for
making sure all students realize their potential.
Closing the gap means giving students a solid foundation for success at
every step of their education, as they move from preschool through K-12, toward
college, certificate, or apprenticeship and onto a good job.
Addendum D
From the Education
Commission of the States –
Computer Science,
STEM Gain Traction in 2017 State of the State Addresses
So far in 2017,
STEM and computer science continue to capture governors’ attention as they look
for ways to better align education with projected workforce demands.
Here’s a quick look at governors’ computer science and STEM proposals in 2017
State of the State addresses:
·
Arizona: Gov. Ducey
proposed a statewide computer science
and coding initiative, coupled with an effort to connect rural schools to
high-speed internet. His State of the State also proposes loan forgiveness for
STEM teachers.
·
Idaho: Gov. Otter
urges continued support for the STEM Action Center and
its groundbreaking Computer Science Initiative.
He also notes that some of his higher education budget priorities focus on
workforce development and expanding programs at public four-year institutions
and community colleges that support such in-demand career fields as computer science.
·
Indiana: Recently
inaugurated Gov. Holcomb announced his intent to invest $1 million each year to
lead a statewide effort to better coordinate K-12 STEM education throughout
Indiana.
·
Iowa: Gov. Branstad
declared that he and Lt. Gov. Reynolds are launching a comprehensive computer
science initiative. They’re encouraging every high school to offer at least one
high-quality computer science
course, every middle school to provide exploratory computer science, and every
elementary school to include an introduction to computer science. Program
initiatives prioritized for the 2017 session also include:
-Establish
high-quality computer science
standards.
-Create a computer science professional
development incentive fund to train teachers.
-Convene an
advisory group to recommend how to count computer
science as a math credit toward high school graduation.
·
Michigan: Gov. Snyder
expressed his desire for the state’s schools to improve in computer science, computer education and cyber security.
·
And New York’s Gov. Cuomo has unveiled a number of
proposals at a series of regional State of the State addresses. A set of
proposals specific to the 21st century workforce includes:
-An additional
$5.3 million to expand early college high school programs, such as the nationally
recognized Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program to
include pathways to education and employment in the tech sector, with an
emphasis on computer science
education.
-$2 million to
create a new cohort of 115 K-12 teachers in the NYS Master Teacher
Program, specifically in
computer science. Current master
teachers will help mentor the new cohort to ensure the most innovative teacher
practices in the STEM fields are shared across all grades and regions.
-Launching a
public-private partnership to help train educators across the state to teach computer science. The state will offer
professional development opportunities for teachers, and modernize the
curriculum to advance computer science education across the state.
Addendum E
FROM THE COLORADO
CHILDREN’ CAMPAIGN KIDS COUNT IN COLORADO 2016 from pages 84 and
85
Fourth-grade reading proficiency is a crucial marker in a
child’s educational development and a strong predictor of future academic
success. By fourth grade, children must use reading skills to learn other
subjects, making mastery of reading critical to their ability to keep up
academically. Children who are not reading at grade level by the end of third
grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school than children who
are reading proficiently.
Data Highlights
·
In Colorado, 58 percent of all fourth-graders
were reading below grade level in 2015, according to the CMAS English language arts
assessment.
·
The percent of fourth-graders not reading at
grade level varies across the state. Among Colorado’s largest counties,
Montezuma County had the highest percentage of fourth-graders not reading at
grade level (76 percent). Routt County had the lowest, with 43 percent of
fourth graders not reading at grade level.
National Achievement
Gaps in Fourth Grade Reading
While states use their own assessments to measure
proficiency in core subjects, the National Assessment of Educational Progress
(NAEP) is currently the only standardized assessment that allows for
comparisons of student proficiency across states. Often called “the nation’s
report card,” the NAEP assesses randomly selected students in grades 4, 8 and
12 from across the nation to help provide a picture of nationwide student
achievement over time. Like the CMAS, the NAEP also illustrates the achievement
gap between low-income students and higher-income students, as well as between
white students and students of color.
Data Highlights
·
In 2015, Colorado had the 12th-largest fourth
grade reading achievement gap in the nation; only 21 percent of low-income
students scored proficient or above in reading on the NAEP, compared to 54
percent of higher-income students.
·
The income-based achievement gap in Colorado is
widening over time. Between 2003 and 2015, the gap in reading proficiency
levels between low-income and higher-income students grew by 27 percent.
·
While fourth-graders in Colorado scored slightly
higher than the U.S. average, not all students fared equally. Only 20 percent
of Colorado’s Hispanic students and 27 percent of black students were reading
at grade level in 2015, compared to 51 percent of white students.
Addendum
F
Broadband
and rural schools
Arizona - Ducey (D) - “on his to-do
list… connecting rural and tribal school
to high-speed broadband.”
Montana -Bullock (D) – “asked the legislature … to invest $2 million toward internet connectivity in schools.”
Nevada – Sandavol (R) – “Sandoval also
proposed $2 million to establish a … Nevada Connect Kids Initiative, to expand high-speed-broadband internet access
in schools, particularly in rural areas.”
So. Carolina- Haley (R) - “pointed to …
an initiative to boost education
technology in rural districts.”
Wisconsin - Walker (R) - “… pledged to
boost support for improved internet
connectivity for schools … The
governor called for $36 million in new spending …to upgrade broadband technology, which will also support tech training for teachers from small and
rural districts.” (1/10)
Addendum G
Technology, Training, and Virtual Classes
Idaho –
Otter ( R) – “Classroom technology
also would receive a boost of $10 million a year, starting in fiscal 2018.”
Indiana- Holcomb (x)
– “He called … streamlining state funds
for science, technology, engineering, and math programs; and creating a
skilled workforce to replace retiring baby boomers and to prepare for new jobs
that will be created.”
Missouri -Gov. Eric
Greitens (R) - “We need to expand course-access programs, so that every
child in Missouri can use technology
to get the education they need," he said.
North Dakota - Burgum
(R) – “Education is one of the areas that ‘demands change,’ Burgum said in
his first State of the State speech after being elected last year. ‘We can't
prepare our kids for the 21st century using a 19th-century model.’ “To illustrate the old vs. new contrast, the
governor cited a couple of examples in his speech. Burgum, who sold a software
company to Microsoft and was an executive there, noted that he did an internet
search for ‘online courses for free’ and received 51.6 million responses.
Oregon- Brown (D)
- “She also highlighted investments in technical
and career training and said she would continue to support that work. (Jan
9)
Virginia - McAuliffe
(x) - “He said he aims to provide full-time virtual instruction to every Virginia student in 2017.”
ENDNOTES
[1] COMMENT:
Don’t we all wish the idea of “laboratories of democracy” were not the
exception to the rule? What prevents us
from studying and learning from good efforts in other states? Or from avoiding miss-steps by seeing what is
not working elsewhere? Another reason
for conferences like the Washington Policy Seminar - and this issue of Another View.
[ii]
CDE, Tiered Intervention Grant- RFP – http://www.cde.state.co.us/fedprograms/tieredinterventiongrant_rfp.
[iii]
The Nation’s Report Card, https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/reading_math_2015/#reading?grade=4.
[iv] Figure
came from CDE in an email to me, April 4, 2017.
Full report on 2016 results will be made public. CDE explained that the numbers have climbed
from 2015 in part because “the reporting
requirements changed between 2015
and 2016.” On example: “the 2016 data includes students with disabilities who
were exempt from taking a READ assessment in 2015 and in prior years because
tests were not accessible.”
[v] CMA PARCC
Spring 2016 Achievement Results, http://www.cde.state.co.us/assessment/cmasparccstatesummary2016.
