- State Business, Education and Nonprofit Leaders Call for Reforms Necessary for Stimulus Funds
- Basic Education Finance Bill Passes in the House and Senate
- What's Happenning in Washington Education
State Business, Education and Nonprofit Leaders Call for Reforms Necessary for Stimulus Funds
Last week, a coalition of business, education and nonprofit leaders sent a letter to the governor and legislature calling for the education reforms necessary for Washington to receive it's full share of nearly a billion dollars in education stabilization funds and compete for more than $5 billion in competitive grants from the federal stimulus.
The coalition asked the governor and legislature to pass legislation, as part of their redefinition of basic education, that:
- Defines basic education based on college and work ready standards;
- Authorizes the state to take action related to chronically low-performing schools;
- Enables a data system to track student learning and success across the P-20 education spectrum; and
- Expands performance-based teacher certification and evaluation.
The coalition’s message is clear: This one-time opportunity for funding may be lost for Washington students if lawmakers do not pass basic education legislation aligned with the reform principles of the ARRA.
Unless the legislature acts, the letter states, two streams of money are at risk:
- Approximately $330 million that our state anticipates receiving this fall from the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) to help school districts plug deficits and avoid layoffs.
- Hundreds of millions in additional dollars that Washington can compete for from the $4.35 billion “Race to the Top Fund,” the $650 million “Invest in What Works and Innovation Fund” and over $550 million in other competitive grants to help school districts and the state accelerate student performance.
The first round of SFSF funds—roughly $670 million—will be released soon based on Governor Gregoire’s assurance that the state will act in four areas: Making progress towards college and work ready standards and assessments; providing effective interventions to improve achievement in low-performing schools; gathering data to improve student and teacher performance; and making improvements in teacher effectiveness to ensure that all schools have highly qualified teachers.
The federal government will not release the second round of SFSF funds—the extra $330 million—unless Washington “demonstrates that it collects the required data [related to the four reforms], and that it will make the data easily accessible to the public.” But, without legislative action this session, Washington will not be eligible for additional funding, at a time when the state’s budget deficit nears $9 billion.
Click the image to read the letter.
Basic Education Finance Bill Passes in the House and Senate
Last week, the Senate passed ESHB 2261, moving Washington one step closer to a new definition of basic education. And, on Monday, the House followed suit. Now, all that stands between our students and a meaningful, college and work ready diploma is the signature of the Governor, who is expected to sign the bill into law soon.
What will change when this new definition of basic education is enacted? Most importantly, Washington’s definition of basic education will be updated to “the opportunity for students to graduate with a meaningful high school diploma.” This means that all Washington schools are expected to graduate students who are prepared for the world of college and work.
The bill also begins the implementation of the State Board of Education’s CORE 24 proposal, which will raise minimum high school graduation requirements from 19 to 24 credits and align them with minimum four-year college entry requirements. Additional provisions called for in the bill include:
- Early learning support for low-income students;
- Continued roll out of all-day Kindergarten;
- Programs for highly capable students;
- A data system that ties teacher performance to student performance; and
- An accountability system with state authority to intervene in the lowest performing schools and districts.
The legislation also creates a number of work groups that will continue to expand this effort—one of which will look specifically at educator certification and compensation, including performance pay for teachers. The remaining work to be done will continue over the next several years with the goal of fully implementing the new definition of basic education no later than 2018.
Many of the elements of ESHB 2261 have long been called for by education advocates and for those who have fought hard to ensure all our students graduate ready for college and work—no matter what path they choose—this is a huge step forward.
For a helpful synthesis of the bill, read this summary prepared by the House Office of Program Research.
What's Happening in Washington Education
College Bound Scholarship Deadline Approaches
Washington currently ranks 32nd nationally in the percentage of low-income students who participate in postsecondary education, at a time when the state's need for highly educated and highly skilled workers is growing rapidly. But the Higher Education Coordinating Board's (HECB) College Bound Scholarship hopes to turn this trend around in Washington state.
The scholarship will cover the cost of college tuition, fees and books for those who sign a pledge in 7th or 8th grade promising to graduate from high school with at least a 2.0 grade point average and demonstrate good citizenship. Their family income must also remain at 65 percent or less of the state's median income by the time of high school graduation to permit a scholarship award.
There are more than 56,000 Washington students potentially eligible for this scholarship. Are you one of them or do you know someone who is? Large sign-up events are planned in Seattle (May 9), Vancouver (May 2), Spokane, and Tri-Cities. The deadline for application is June 30, 2009. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity! Visit the HECB website for more information.
Get Involved in Arts Education Month
Everyone can be a part of Arts Education Month this May. The question is: How will you participate?
Visit ArtsEd Washington to discover a host of resources available for you to make the most of the month in your school and community, including tips and templates to request a city proclamation and invite local leaders and press to your Arts Education Month event. Don't forget to let ArtsEd Washington know your plans. They will send out a post-event report to Governor Gregoire, state and regional decision-makers, and statewide media to demonstrate the deep and wide impact of Arts Education Month.
Help kick off Arts Education Month on Monday, May 4, 5:30 p.m., at the Seattle Center. Be inspired by author, speaker, and State Board of Education member Eric Liu; then collaborate and create new strategies to advance arts learning in your school and community. Visit www.ArtsEdWashington.org for details.