My Child My Choice: Literacy First

“ Education is our passport

to the future, for tomorrow

belongs to the people who

prepare for it today.” — Malcolm X

Key Points

• Lagging Performance

• Core Curriculum / RTTT

• Disruptive Learning Environment

• Funding

• Board of Education

Score Nr %

College Readiness 1550 Red Clay 1442 -108 -7% Sussex Tech 1413 -137 -9% Appoquinimink 1369 -181 -12% Polytech 1359 -191 -12% Caesar Rodney 1331 -219 -14% Brandywine 1319 -231 -15% Delmar 1284 -266 -17%

Delaware Average 1282 -268 -17% Cape Henlopen 1264 -286 -18% Capital 1251 -299 -19% Smyrna 1250 -300 -19% Milford 1230 -320 -21% Lake Forest 1226 -324 -21% Woodbridge 1222 -328 -21% Laurel 1213 -337 -22% Christina 1203 -347 -22% Indian River 1203 -347 -22% NCC Vo-Tech 1186 -364 -23% Seaford 1149 -401 -26% Colonial 1128 -422 -27%

SAT SCORES BY DELAWARE DISTRICT (2011-2012)

None are at College Readiness

88%

11%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

19 year old Dropouts by 3rd Grade Reading Scores (Source: Annie E. Casey Foundation Longitudinal Study)

Non-Proficient Readers in third Grade Proficient Readers in Third Grade

Comparison 2010-11 DCAS and NAEP

Percentage pupils scoring proficient or advanced

• DCAS: 3 of 4 Delaware students are proficient in reading and math

• NAEP: places that percentage below 40 percent.

Sources: Rodel Foundation; National Center for Education Statistics (2011); Delaware Department of Education

4th Grade Scores Below 25th percentile

• 33% White, 25% Black, 35% Hispanic, 3% Asian

• 74% eligible for free/reduced-price school lunch

• 24% were English language learners

• 38% read for fun almost every day Above 75th percentile

• 71% White, 7% Black, 11% Hispanic, 8% Asian • 23% eligible for free/reduced-price school lunch • 2% English language learners; and • 60% read for fun almost every day

Trend in 4th-grade NAEP reading average scores and score gaps for White and Black students

Trend in 4th-grade NAEP reading average scores and score gaps for White and Hispanic students

Delaware NAEP Scores Mediocre & Moving Sideways Not Up

4th Grade Reading Proficiency

2011 36%

2009 35%

2007 34%

Black, Hispanic and Low Income

Score 2 grades lower

Delaware NAEP Scores Mediocre & Moving Sideways Not Up

8th Grade Math Proficiency

2011 32%

2009 32%

2007 32%

Black, Hispanic and Low Income

Score 2 – 3 grades lower

Delaware NAEP Scores Mediocre & Moving Sideways Not Up

8th Grade Science Proficiency

2011 27%

2009 25%

2007 N/A

Black, Hispanic and Low Income

Score 2 – 3 grades lower

NAEP scale of state grade 4 reading standards for proficient by state

Delaware

NAEP scale of state grade 8 reading standards for proficient by state

Delaware

Race to The Top Common Core

RTTT: Use of Funds • Adopting challenging academic standards preparing students

for success in college and the workplace;

• Increasing the number of highly effective teachers and principals, especially to serve in low‐performing schools;

• Providing new resources and intensive supports to lowest‐performing schools

• Building a data system that measures student progress during the year, enabling teachers and principals to tailor instruction to meet the unique needs of every child.

• Grant funds cannot be used to reduce state or district deficits.

• Half the dollars will go to local school districts and public charter schools,

• Half will support state‐level initiatives, such as new student assessment and data systems.

Reasons for Standards

• Clear goals for student learning

• Success in advanced education and workplace

• Share experiences

• Best practices

• Accountability

• Common across states

Series of Programs Have Not Made it Better

• Common Core • Race to the Top • No Child Left Behind • Delaware Comprehensive

Assessment Sore • National Assessment of Education

Progress • Goals 2000 • Voluntary State Testing • A Nation at Risk • And more

Common Core Standards

Pros

• Success in global economy

• National rigorous continuity

• Build on best standards

• Tailor: 85 Std, 15% tweak

• Designed by diverse group

• Federal/State cooperation

• Rewards performance

• Lifeline to states

• States can compare

Cons

• Do not guarantee success

• Seeks the middle ground

• Fed push: adopt or no money

• Cannot be tailored to diverse population

• Designed by select experts who have funding

• States bribed to give Fed power

• Earmarks: not open and transparent

• Rushed through, little debate, commit to education monopoly

• Already have comparison test

Common Core Standards Pros

• Reduce state test cost

• Enhance teacher development

• Students better understand expectations

Cons

• Other Cost: compliance, updates and transition

• Thwart creativity, innovation

• Emphasis on performance to standard and latest trends; no accommodation for special needs children

Summary: We’ve been here before “I’m tired of having to explain like why we’re in the middle of the pack. How about we just come out

number one and not have to explain anything anymore.” Thomas Friedman

Deja Vu All Over Again Is Costly

• Adult literacy: Chance for employment? – 14% are legally illiterate – 40% are basic or below in prose & quantitative skills

• Dropouts (25% of incoming freshman will drop out) – 67% of inmates – 8 times more likely to commit crime

• Students are not ready for college – Remedial courses – Longer to complete college – More expensive college education

Disruptive Learning Environment

Does Not Encourage Learning Prime Reasons Students Want Out of

Public Schools

Disruptive Learning Environment

Number of Reported Offenses

Suspension and Expulsions

School Offenses 10,291

Suspensions 57,212 Expulsions 130 Number Students 19,774 Percentage Students 15%

95% Attendance is 1.2 million days NOT present

Yet 100% grade promotion Is not unusual

Funding

Delaware Public Schools Sources of Funds

Does Money Spent Produce Results? In Delaware “The education finance system is simply not organized with the goal of knowing whether how money spent produces results or whether alternate allocations of resources would increase student achievement. Instead, the system is organized around counting kids. District finance personnel focus on managing unit counts (the codified system for counting students in districts and school buildings) in order to maximize revenues.”

Delaware Public Policy Institute Project: “Evaluating the Effectiveness of Financing Delaware’s Public Education”

How is the $351,000 spent? • On average Delaware spends $433,000 per classroom of 25 pupils (average cost

of $17,329 includes direct, administrative and capital expense) • Teacher compensation including benefits averages $82,000 per year.

Board of Education

Union

Regulatory

(DOE) Political System

Powering Today’s Education System

Delaware Public School Performance Across the Board Mediocre to Poor

Source Performance Spending

ALEC State Rank 27 8

Fordham Quality:

History F

English F

Science C

Math B

NIEER Early Education 32 6

SAT Scores 44

Delaware Public School Performance Across the Board Mediocre to Poor

Source Performance Spending

PISA: USA Rank (30 countries) 1

Math 24

Sci 17

StudentsFirst National Report Card

Overall C (-)

Elevate Teaching C +

Empower Parents D (-)

Spend Wisely/Govern Well C

Parent

Principal/ School Board

Teacher

Powering Reformed Education System

School Board Model Instruction Keeps the Child in Focus

• Believes in continuous improvement and total quality management

• Easy to understand measures and reporting • Encourages parents to take an active role as partners,

customers and owners • Finds ways for middle 80% of teachers to excel • Schools are governed by limited rules like charters • Asks for review of effectiveness and cost • Builds working relationships with community leaders • Realize system reform takes time: resist temptation to

adopt silver bullets

Classes Taught by Highly Qualified Teachers 97%

% Highly

Qualified % Not Highly Qualified

English 95.6% 4.4%

Reading/ Language Arts 95.5% 4.5%

Arts 99.8% 0.2%

Foreign Languages 93.6% 6.4%

Science 96.5% 3.5%

Mathematics 96.3% 3.7%

Geography 91.2% 8.8%

Civics & Government 97.6% 2.4%

Economics 99.1% 0.9%

Social Studies 94.4% 5.6%

History 99.2% 0.8%

Elementary General 97.6% 2.4%

Actions • Be firmly invested in child’s education

– Don’t just show up

– Develop strong teacher trust & relationship

– Education Empowerment Savings Accounts

• Elect school board members who understand the role of parents, teachers and principals

• Simplify

– Demand transparency: Easy to understand school rating and reporting

– Focus on literacy not social change

Your Questions & Comments