WHERE WE STAND

1. WHERE WE STAND Education Reform and Funding in Washington State

2. Where do we really stand? Today’s focus on improving education is welcome, but sometimes this debate can be misleading. • The truth is student achievement has improvedin recent years, and the graduation rate is improving too. • Washington has made great progress on the major reforms many states are debating. • But our funding levels are inadequate, compared to other states, and fail to meet our constitutional obligation.

3. Current issues in education • Measuring student success: kindergarten readiness, 3rd grade reading, 8th grade math • Mandatory tests as part of graduation requirements • Implementation of Common Core State Standards • Charter schools • Improved evaluations: teachers and principals • State intervention in struggling schools • Funding

4. Measuring student success

5. Testing types • State testing: Measurement of Student Progress, High School Proficiency Exams, End-of-Course tests • Measure progress against the Essential Academic Learning Requirements. • Single point in time. • Also check of system and curriculum. • National Assessment of Educational Progress • AP/SAT/ACT

6. State testing: Reading scores have risen since testing began Percentage of students meeting standard Source: OSPI, School Report Card

7. State testing: Math scores have risen since testing began Percentage of students meeting standard * * 2011 and 2012 scores are for Year 1 of End-of-Course exams Source: OSPI, School Report Card

8. NAEP: 4th-grade readingSlightly above national average Scale score Source: NAEP

9. NAEP: 4th-grade mathSlightly above national average Scale score Source: NAEP

10. SAT results • In 2012, Washington tied for highest in nation for combined average score (1545), in states that test at least 45 percent of students (24 states + D.C.): • Highest in math (528) • Tied for second in writing (500) • Third in reading (517) • Washington has had highest combined average score in the nation for past 10 years, in states that test at least 50 percent of students. Source: College Board

11. SAT participation • Increase of 17.9% from 2002 to 2012 • For Hispanic students, 274% increase • For African-American students, 127% increase Source: College Board Students taking at least one SAT test Year

12. Opportunity Gap: 4th-grade reading Percentage point difference from white students Source: OSPI, School Report Card

13. Opportunity Gap: 4th-grade math Percentage point difference from white students Source: OSPI, School Report Card

14. Graduation rates are increasing Percentage of students graduating Source: OSPI, Graduation and Dropout Statistics, published annually

15. Conclusions • Washington scores better than average, nationally. • Washington’s students are learning. • Test scores are generally rising. • Graduation rates are improving. • But the opportunity gap remains too wide.

16. Progress on accountability and Reform

17. Graduation testing • Washington is one of 24 states that include testing as part of the graduation requirements: • One state (Washington) requires 5 exams to graduate. • Nine states require four. • Four states require three. • Nine states require two. • One state requires one.

18. Graduation testing • Washington students must pass five exams: • Reading and writing High School Proficiency Exams. • End-of-course tests in Algebra, Geometry and Science. • Superintendent Dorn is proposing three tests instead of five. Our state will still have some of the most rigorous graduation requirements in the nation.

19. Common Core State Standards • New standards in math and English language arts • State-led initiative • Developed by experts from all over the country • Emphasize deeper understanding over memorization • Supt. Dorn adopted in July 2011 • Standards rolled out to teachers in 2012-13

20. Smarter Balanced Assessment • Will test Common Core. • Piloting will occur in 2012-13 and 2013-14. • Testing will be entirely online. • All students in grades 3-8 and 11 will be assessed beginning in 2014-15. • 11th-grade tests will show how college and career ready students are.

21. Charter Schools: Initiative 1240 • Will establish up to 40 charter schools during a five-year period. • Requires that charter schools be free and open to all students. • Requires that funding be based on enrollment, just as with existing schools. • Gives Washington Charter School Commission the authority to approve charter schools.

22. Superintendent Dorn’s position • Initiative 1240 creates a governance structure that eliminates any public oversight via elected officials, including SPI. This is unconstitutional. • Superintendent Dorn is willing to work on changes to I-1240 to correct the flaws in governance and create public accountability for these new schools.

23. New legislation will increase accountability for student achievement • Bills passed in 2010 and 2012 change how teachers and principals are evaluated and how schools are held accountable: • 2010: SB 6696, a sweeping education reform bill • 2012: ESSB 5895 adds specificity to regulations outlined in SB 6696

24. SB 6696 • Part of our state’s Race to the Top application: • Revises evaluation criteria (not done in 25 years). • Requires four-tiered evaluations (most districts were doing two: “satisfactory” and “unsatisfactory”). • Increases the length of provisional contracts for new teachers to three years.

25. ESSB 5895 • Requires OSPI to identify up to three frameworks to support new evaluations. • Beginning in 2015–16, evaluations become one factor in personnel decisions. • Requires yearly evaluations. • Student growth data must be a “substantial factor” in evaluation.

26. State intervention in struggling schools • Recent legislation and federal grants have created additional support for struggling schools: • 2009: HB 2261 directed State Board of Education to create an accountability framework. • 2010: SB 6696 required OSPI to identify persistently lowest-achieving schools. • OSPI has provided active assistance to struggling schools.

27. Required Action Districts • Identified as having at least one persistently lowest-achieving school, low math/reading scores and not enough improvement. • Districts to get federal funds to help them implement an improvement model. • Every school identified as “failing” is required to implement a turnaround plan. The status quo does not ensure student success.

28. funding

29. Per-pupil fundingWashington well below the national average Adjusted for regional cost differences 2008 2009 2010 Wyoming $17,114 Vermont 17,050 New Jersey 15,598 Wyoming $18,068 Vermont 17,847 Alaska 16,147 Vermont $18,924 Wyoming 18,814 D.C. 17,020 U.S. Average $11,223 U.S. Average $11,665 U.S. Average $11,824 Colorado $9,541 Mississippi 9,498 Oklahoma 9,137 California 8,852 Washington 8,722 Florida $9,576 Oklahoma 9,369 Washington 9,329 Colorado 9,155 North Carolina 9,024 Florida $9,572 Oklahoma 9,430 Colorado 9,306 Washington 9,145 Texas 8,882 Source: Education Week, Quality Counts, published every January

30. Funding levels are unconstitutional • McCleary v. Washington • Decision released in January 2012. • Held that the State must fully fund basic education without the use of local levies. • Also held that the plans being developed by the Quality Education Council are the remedy. • Gives state until 2018 to come up with adequate funding solution.

31. 2013 Priorities

32. Supt. Dorn’s 2013 legislative priorities • Fund at leastphase 1 of the QEC recommendations: full-day kindergarten, MSOC, transportation, lower class sizes in K–3. • Improve our student assessment system. • Fund OSPI recommendations for graduation success and teacher/principal evaluations. • Implement Common Core by hiring experts to assist teachers in understanding new English language arts standards.

33. Conclusion • We are moving forward on a number of education reform topics. • We know we have a lot of work to do, especially with opportunity gaps. “The key to our success is to fund education – without local funds – so all students have the opportunity for quality education in the 21st century.” – Randy Dorn