Washington

League of Education Voters Releases Report Card for Washington Education

maureen — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:14:53 -0600

League of Education Voters gives barely passing grades to Washington’s education system

State going backwards in commitment to kids and public education

SEATTLE – Jan. 11, 2011 – A new report card gives a C- grade to Washington State’s education system.

The League of Education Voters (LEV) Foundation 2011 Citizens’ Report Card on Washington State Education shows our state is doing a mediocre job of preparing students for college and the job market.

“Parents will not be pleased with these barely passing grades,” said Chris Korsmo, chief executive officer of LEV Foundation. “The 2011 Report Card shows that our state is doing a poor job in preparing students for life after high school, especially low-income students and students of color.”

“Our state is going backward in our commitment to kids and public education,” said Lisa Macfarlane, co-founder of LEV Foundation. “Education is our state’s paramount duty, but these mediocre grades show we are not holding ourselves accountable.”

Washington is only one of nine states where the achievement gap is growing. Reading scores have only improved slightly for third graders and our state is near the bottom of national rankings for college-going.

The 2011 Report Card was released to coincide with the beginning of the 2011 legislative session, which convened yesterday. Parents and educators can use the publication to urge lawmakers to prioritize education as they work to close a $4.6 billion shortfall in the 2011-13 biennial budget.

“Our state made recent promises to kids and schools to move education reform forward and provide adequate funding,” Korsmo said. “The future of our kids and economy of our state is at stake. Parents and school advocates need to hold our lawmakers accountable so they keep these promises.”

Grades dropped in two areas of concern for Washington’s economic future. The state’s performance in supporting student achievement in math, science and engineering declined from a C to a C-. In preparing students for college and jobs, grades dropped from a C- to D+.

“The 2011 Report Card highlights indicators that matter most in our kids’ education,” said Heather Cope, senior policy analyst at LEV Foundation. “The data shows the legislation we passed to improve our schools has yet to impact our students. Clearly, we need a stronger commitment from the state to adequately fund and improve the quality of our education system.”

The 2011 Citizens’ Report Card finds that:
•    Out of 100 ninth graders, only 18 receive a college diploma within six years of graduating high school;
•    Washington ranks 38th in on-time high school graduation rates with nearly 72 percent; and
•    Nearly half of all recent high school graduates enrolled in a remedial math course at our community and technical colleges.

LEV Foundation will be distributing electronic copies of the Report Card to more than 15,000 parents, educators and policymakers for use as an education advocacy tool during the first week of the 2011 legislative session.

View the 2011 Citizens’ Report Card on Washington State Education online at www.educationvoters.org/2011-report-card.

Gov. Gregoire Announces Changes to Washington's Education Governance System

maureen — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:00:02 -0600

For Immediate Release: January 5, 2011

OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire today outlined a series of strategies she’s proposing to ensure Washington students receive a seamless, quality education from early learning to career.

“As the first person in my family to go to college, I personally know the value of education,” Gregoire said. “I am one of thousands, even millions of stories of a good education making the difference – in life and career. Of all the duties of the state, none is more important than an education.”

Gregoire today announced her intention to create a single, cabinet-level Department of Education that will unite the state’s multiple education agencies to ensure priorities are aligned, and the focus remains on students. The new department will have full authority to run the entire Washington state education system, and will be led by a secretary who will implement effective evidence-based, student-centered best practices.

“We don’t have an education system in our state today,” Gregoire said. “We have a collection of agencies that deal with education. And those agencies – from the Department of Early Learning to K-12 programs to the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges and the Higher Education Coordinating Board – spend much of their time trying to get their policies to line up with one another. Their focus is not always the same. It should be. And they should have only one priority – educating our kids from early learning to career.”

Gregoire also announced her proposal to offer more options to high school seniors, recommending the 12th grade become a “launch year” to a student’s career – noting that 35 percent of high school seniors carry less than a full class load, and only 25 percent of students capable of taking advanced courses do so.

“We must require our schools to offer more rigorous and relevant courses to seniors – whether they are hands-on classes that bring students closer to a technical certificate, or advanced courses that lead to college credit,” Gregoire said. “By making the last year of high school the first year of career training or college, we can give our seniors an advantage in a competitive world. At the same time, we save students and their parents tuition costs – which saves taxpayers, as well.”

Gregoire added that getting more students to graduate from college is critical to our state’e economic future, given that two-thirds of the jobs created in the next eight years will require college-level education. To meet the demands, Washington state will need 6,000 more bachelor’s degree graduates a year.

“As we face the realities of a financial crisis and a historic budget shortfall, we need to keep the doors of our colleges and universities open, make education accessible and increase graduation rates” Gregoire said. “That’s why I will be following the recommendation by our Higher Education Funding Task Force, and propose that we link state support for our colleges with tuition flexibility.”

Gregoire’s proposal would limit tuition increases when state support grows, but if the state is unable to adequately support higher education in tough times, schools will have the ability to raise tuition, ensuring they keep their doors open and continue to offer a quality education. Under this proposal, if state funding is at or above a set baseline, tuition can’t exceed the 60th percentile of that university’s state peer group.

In addition to tuition flexibility, the task force recommended, and the governor supports:

Creating opportunities for more Washington residents to earn bachelor’s degrees;
Helping low- and middle-income Washington students earn a bachelor’s degree by creating the Washington Pledge Scholarship Program; and
Increasing accountability and performance in higher education

To increase accountability, Gregoire will introduce legislation that would commit the state to adopting and reporting metrics through the National Governors Association’s “Complete to Compete” initiative – Gregoire’s initiative as chair of the NGA. Those schools and universities that can show improvements in student outcomes and student progress would be able to apply and compete for funds included in Gregoire’s new $5 million Baccalaureate Performance Incentive Program. A similar program, the Student Achievement Initiative, invests another $10 million for our community colleges.

“These are performance-driven funds – colleges and universities will compete for them on the outcomes and results they achieve. They must show they are advancing more students toward graduation – like increasing freshmen retention rates and getting them through college-level math courses,” Gregoire said. “We must know what works, so we don’t pay for what doesn’t. Our ultimate goal is to deliver on the promise of education – a rewarding and successful career.”

Additionally, Gregoire announced she will direct the new Department of Education to take the series of studies and reports completed over the last six years, focusing separately on early learning, K-12 and higher education, and combine them into a single set of strategies and measurable outcomes to ensure a seamless education.

“We must create a single Washington education system focused on student learning,” Gregoire said. “We must step up and lead to build and maintain the world-class education system Washington deserves.”

To learn more about Gov. Gregoire's education governance proposal, please read this policy brief.

To read Supt. Randy Dorn's response, please visit OSPI's website.

What's Next for SB 6696?

maureen — Wed, 19 May 2010 11:20:31 -0500

Washington's Race to the Top Legislation Moves Toward Implementation

In March 2010, Governor Gregoire signed Washington's Race to the Top reform legislation, SB 6696, which included key provisions to accelerate student learning, improve teacher and principal performance, and ensure students receive a college-ready education through the development of a robust accountability system and the adoption of common core standards.

But now that this legislation has passed, when will these provisions be fully implemented? How will these reforms be implemented? And, who will be impacted throughout the process? These are important questions. SB 6696 will not only make the state eligible for federal grants in the short term, but will set out an important timeline for key reforms over the next few years.

A timeline developed by Partnership for Learning lays out the implementation of key elements of SB 6696. By monitoring the different phases and pieces of this bill closely, state leaders can help to ensure that these reforms will truly accelerate student performance.

View the timeline.

Help Washington Race to the Top!

maureen — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:25:37 -0500

You can play a role in ensuring Washington submits a bold and innovative Race to the Top application.

Right now, we urge all school districts across the state to participate in Washington’s Race to the Top proposal by signing the application’s Partnership Agreement. Districts must return the Partnership Agreement to the state by May 17.

We also strongly urge districts to participate in the Innovation Clusters featured in the state’s Race to the Top application. These Innovation Clusters are vitally important to Washington’s application because they incentivize the reforms and innovations necessary to make Washington more competitive for federal funding. Designed to provide districts additional assistance to implement targeted reforms, Innovation Clusters are focused on four key areas:

Improving teacher and leader effectiveness
Strengthening STEM education and achievement
Improving college and career readiness and closing the achievement gap
Turning around the lowest-performing schools

The more support we have from school districts, and the more districts participate in the Innovation Clusters’ bold reforms, the better chance we have of increasing student achievement, closing the achievement gap and receiving $250 million from the federal government.

Please help Washington race to the top by calling the Superintendent or school board members in your school district and urging them to participate in Race to the Top and join the Innovation Clusters. It’s the right thing for our students and state. To find the contact information for your district's leadership, please view this list.

Together, we can create real change and build a future for Washington state students. Let’s not miss this important opportunity for accelerating our education reform efforts. For more information about the Washington’s Race to the Top application, visit www.waracetothetop.com.

SB 6696, Washington's Race to the Top Reform bill, Passes Legislature!

maureen — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:33:33 -0600

State lawmakers took a step in the direction of bold education reform by passing SB 6696 last night with a vote of 46-1 in the Senate and 72 – 25 in the House. The bill includes key reforms that will accelerate student learning, improve teacher and principal performance and advance Washington’s Race to the Top application.

Key provisions in SB 6696 include:

Authorization of state intervention in low-performing schools.
Requires districts with schools performing in the bottom five percent to submit an action plan identifying measures that will be taken to turn around schools.

Development of a state accountability index.
Designed to identify high- and low-performing schools.

Extension of teacher provisional status.
Lengthens the time in which a teacher is without tenure from two years to three years.

Development of new evaluation criteria for teachers and principals and establishment of a new four-tiered evaluation rating system.
Creates new evaluation criteria for teachers and principals, and calls on districts to design new evaluation systems using a four-tiered rating system. Measures of student growth data can be used when available and relevant.

Consideration of a single, statewide evaluation model.
Requires the Office of Public Superintendent of Instruction to provide recommendations to the Legislature by July 1, 2011, regarding if a single, statewide evaluation model should be adopted.

Authorization to transfer ineffective principals.
Allows school district superintendents with more than 35,000 students to transfer ineffective principals to a subordinate position within the district.

Authorization to increase salaries of staff that implement innovative programs.
Allows school districts to increase the salaries of teachers and staff involved in implementing innovative activities designed to close the achievement gap, encourage a focus on STEM subjects or provide an arts education.

Expansion of alternative route preparation programs.
Authorizes the Professional Educator Standards Board to accept proposals for teacher preparation programs from community colleges and non-higher education providers.

Authorizes Superintendent of Public Instruction to provisionally adopt the Common Core standards by August 2, 2010.

With the passage of SB 6696, Washington advances to the starting line in the $4.35 billion Race to the Top grant competition. The hard work now begins as the state prepares to develop an application that is bold, innovative and builds upon these reforms to make Washington highly competitive in Race to the Top.

Race to the Top Finalists Announced

maureen — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:56:24 -0600

The End is in Sight for Round One Race to the Top Finalists

Bold Finalist States Represent a Call to Action for Washington

Sixteen of the 41 applicants that applied in Round I of Race to the Top were identified today as finalists for the federal competitive grant program, which will award a total of $4.35 billion in stimulus funds to states that present the most promising education reform plans. The finalists are: Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Applications were evaluated against a 500 point rubric and a nationwide network of 58 peer reviewers that included teachers, principals, superintendents, college professors, scholars, business leaders and education advocates advised education Secretary Arne Duncan in his decision. All finalist states scored over 400 points.

The road ahead for the 16 finalists includes a trip to Washington D.C. to meet with Secretary Duncan and senior staff from the Department of Education to verify and clarify the states’ reform plan to ensure that implementation is possible. The winners in Round I of Race to the Top are scheduled to be announced in April and, following the announcement, the department will publish the scores and comments for each applicant. According to the Department of Education, less than 10 states will likely win in the first round and no more than half of the total grants will be awarded to ensure robust competition in Round II.

Given the decision by Governor Gregoire to apply in Round II of Race to the Top, Washington has a slight advantage in that the state can reference all Round I applications and closely review those of the finalists in the development of the state’s application. Furthermore, the decision to apply in Round II provides the state legislature the opportunity to implement policies that align to those in Race to the Top. To this end, it is critical for Washington to pass crucial education reforms this legislative session that will help Washington’s application shine, including:

Provisions to allow for state intervention and turnaround in low-achieving schools;
Adoption of the Common Core Standards;
Expansion of alternative routes to certification for teachers and leaders;
And, implementation of a new four-tiered teacher and leader evaluation system with student growth as a significant factor.

With Round II applications due on June 1, the state is gearing up to develop an application that allows Washington to demonstrate boldness and innovation against the four assurances: Standards and Assessments, Great Teachers and Leaders, Turnaround Schools and Data Systems to Support Instruction.

View PFL’s spotlight on bold state finalists.

For more information on Washington’s current Race to the Top policy legislation, SB 6696, please read this helpful analysis.

To access the Department of Education’s Race to the Top criteria and guidelines, visit t heir website.

Greater detailed analysis on the Race to the Top Round I finalist applications will be provided shortly. Check back soon!

Improving Teacher Effectiveness in Washington State

admin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:01:28 -0600

The New Teacher Project’s Washington Report Release Proves Well-Timed for Race to the Top
Standing Strong on Math and Science Graduation Requirements

The New Teacher Project’s Washington Report Release Proves Well-Timed for Race to the Top

Last week, Partnership for Learning hosted national leaders from the U.S. Department of Education and The New Teacher Project (TNTP) for the release of our report, “Boosting the Supply and Effectiveness of Washington’s STEM Teachers.” Originally commissioned to inform the work of the Washington STEM Center, the timing of this release could not have been better. Earlier in the week, the governor introduced a series of bills (SB 6696 and HB 3035) geared toward addressing teacher effectiveness policies for Washington’s Race to the Top application. TNTP staff were on hand to answer questions about the legislation and if the proposals would increase Washington’s competitiveness for Race to the Top.

Together, we sent the strong message that, while this legislation represents a step in the right direction, it isn’t nearly as bold or innovative as the reforms other states are enacting. In particular, we are advocating for our state lawmakers to strengthen provisions related to teacher and principal evaluation, compensation and tenure.

Teachers are the most important influence on student learning and voters across the state support revising evaluation and compensation systems to be based on a teacher's ability to drive student achievement. According to the state’s recent diagnostic, Washington is starting behind many states in the Race to the Top and other states--including Illinois and Tennessee--that have implemented these crucial reforms are now better positioned for federal dollars. Reforms improving teacher and principal effectiveness, however, are worth the most in the grant competition and, if passed this legislative session, could bring us to the forefront.

In the report, TNTP offered four key recommendations to boost the supply and effectiveness of Washington's STEM teachers, accelerate student achievement in math and science and close the achievement gap. These recommendations also align with the reforms needed to make Washington more competitive for Race to the Top:

Increase the supply of effective STEM teachers: Enact policies that will raise the number of graduates from both traditional and alternative preparation programs, and hold programs accountable for the effectiveness of the teachers they produce.
Boost the effectiveness of all teachers through rigorous evaluation and targeted professional development: Amend state law to require annual evaluations for all teachers based primarily on their contribution to student academic growth. Provide funding for and require districts to give customized professional development to teachers based on their evaluations. Help districts hold administrators accountable for differentiating the effectiveness of their teachers, providing personalized professional development and career growth opportunities, improving or removing poor performers and retaining top performers.
Retain and reward the most effective teachers and ensure that they teach the highest-need students: Fund programs that give recognition and bonuses to effective teachers in shortage-area subjects, including math and science. Set goals for districts to increase retention of effective STEM teachers and decrease retention of ineffective teachers who do not improve, especially in schools with high-need students.
Improve or remove persistently less effective teachers, and replace them with more effective teachers: Require that non-provisional status be awarded only to teachers who demonstrate and ability to promote student achievement.

States and their unions across the country are forging new ground by tackling tough conversations and committing to make these necessary changes. At the end of the day, these reforms are needed to ensure all Washington students receive a quality education that prepares them to succeed in college and work, and are worth implementing even if Washington did not win a single Race to the Top dollar.

To learn more, please view the following resources:

Standing Strong on Math and Science Graduation Requirements

This week, the legislature is holding hearings on a proposal that would further weaken and delay the math and science high school assessment as graduation requirement (HB 2915 and SB 6553).

In 2007, the legislature delayed the implementation of the math and science high school assessment as a graduation requirement until the class of 2013. This proposal would further delay the requirement to the class of 2015 in math and the class of 2017 in science. Additionally, the proposal allows for a dual track system for fulfilling the graduation requirements. Students scoring “proficient” or above on the exams would pass. Students scoring “basic” on the tests could still graduate if they passed an additional course, which means a fourth course of math or third course of science given current course requirements.

The result of this proposal is clear: More students would be allowed to graduate without the critical math and science skills they will need to succeed in the information-based economy.

Our state has made the commitment to Washington students that attaining a high school diploma means they will be ready to meet the challenges that lie ahead—be it in a job, apprenticeship training or college classroom. Further delay of the math and science assessment as a graduation requirement would renege on this commitment—and hurt our chances for federal Race to the Top funding.

To learn more about why math and science are so important to Race to the Top and our state, please read this summary developed by Partnership for Learning and view this TVW Impact special.

Watch Partnership for Learning and The New Teacher Project in Action!

admin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:52:14 -0600

On Wednesday, Partnership for Learning and The New Teacher Project presented our report, Boosting the Supply and Effectiveness of Washington's STEM Teachers, to Washington's Senate and House Education Committees. Check it out!

Where Washington Stands in the Race to the Top

admin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:51:12 -0600

Ladies and Gentlemen, you heard it here first: Washington has released a diagnostic on just how competitive our state is for Race to the Top. It's long, its meaty and you won't find a better source on where we stand for this unprecedented federal opportunity. We wonder how the governor's legislation will stack up? Washington's Race to the Top Proposal--Detailed Diagnostic Also, curious about how the public feels about Race to the Top reforms? We were too, so we asked! Check out our latest poll on how Washington voters feel about Race to the Top Reforms. Partnership for Learning's 2010 Voter Survey

Washington's New Teacher Project Report Released Today!

admin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:49:40 -0600

Inadequate Teacher Supply, Ineffective Teacher Evaluation and Support Policies in Washington State Contribute to Widening Achievement Gap in Math and Science

To Improve STEM Education, Washington Must Focus on Teacher Effectiveness

SEATTLE, WA – A new study on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in Washington finds that an inadequate supply of STEM teachers and ineffective teacher evaluation and support policies throughout the state are contributing to low student achievement and a widening achievement gap in math and science. Although previous research has shown that teachers have a greater impact on students’ academic success than any other school factor, the study finds that Washington’s schools do not have enough talented candidates to choose from when hiring new STEM teachers and do not provide the support their STEM teachers need to be successful. The study recommends that Washington take advantage of unprecedented levels of funding available through “Race to the Top” and other federal grants to implement bold, comprehensive reforms that will put great teachers in every STEM classroom.

The study was conducted by The New Teacher Project (TNTP), a national non-profit that works to ensure that all students get excellent teachers, and was supported by the Seattle-based Partnership for Learning. TNTP worked with the Spokane, Renton and Nooksack Valley school districts, three districts with the leadership and determination necessary to improve STEM instruction. TNTP’s researchers surveyed nearly 1,500 current teachers, more than 1,000 prospective and former teachers, and more than 100 school administrators in the three districts. Researchers also reviewed relevant laws and collective bargaining agreements and analyzed district data on teacher hiring, evaluation and performance. The full analysis is available on TNTP’s website at www.tntp.org/publications/other_publications.html. Key findings include:

Low achievement and a widening achievement gap in math and science: Only about half of all students in Washington meet state standards in math and science by the time they reach 8th grade. Achievement among low-income and minority students is even lower. Washington is one of fewer than 10 states where the racial achievement gap in math is growing, and the gap in math achievement between Washington’s low-income and higher-income students is the 12th largest in the nation.

Too few STEM teacher candidates and low-quality STEM instruction: Fewer than one-third of school administrators are satisfied with the number of teacher applicants in math and science, compared to an 86 percent satisfaction rate in English. Only 43 percent and 38 percent are satisfied with the quality of their school’s instruction in math and science, respectively, compared to 57 percent who are satisfied with the overall quality of instruction.

Least effective STEM instruction in the highest-need schools: Just 24 percent of administrators in high-poverty schools are satisfied with the quality of math instruction, compared to 61 percent of administrators at low-poverty schools. And just 18 percent of administrators at high-poverty schools are satisfied with the quality of science instruction, compared to 59 percent of administrators at low-poverty schools. Furthermore, administrators at high-poverty schools report having higher percentages of less effective teachers.

Ineffective teacher evaluation and support: Nearly all teachers—100 percent in one district—receive the highest ratings on their evaluations, even though both teachers and administrators say there are significant numbers of ineffective teachers in their schools. These evaluations do not give teachers the feedback they need to improve: only 30 percent of teachers said they received professional development that was based on feedback from their evaluation.

TNTP stressed the seriousness of these problems to state and local education leaders today.

“Washington is facing a crisis in STEM education that could leave a generation of students without the skills they need to succeed in the current job market,” said Daniel Weisberg, TNTP’s Vice President of Policy and General Counsel. “But it’s not too late to for Washington to address this problem, and our report provides a roadmap for getting dramatically better outcomes for students by making teacher effectiveness a top priority. The ideas we’re recommending are good for everyone involved—most importantly teachers and students—so I’m optimistic that the state government, school districts and teachers’ unions can work together to meet this challenge and make Washington a leader in STEM education.”

“Too many students in Washington and across the country are leaving school without the strong math and science skills that will help them—and our country—compete in today’s economy. That’s why improving STEM education is one of President Obama’s and Secretary Duncan’s top priorities,” said Brad Jupp, Senior Program Advisor to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan. “We hope that with the publication of this report, the state of Washington will redouble its efforts to improve STEM education in a way that reflects the President’s and Secretary Duncan’s belief in the power of great teachers. By focusing on attracting and retaining great talent in science and math classrooms, Washington has an opportunity to become a national model, which has been a challenge for our schools for many years.”

The report recommends that the state work towards five goals to ensure that every child learns from excellent STEM teachers:

Increase the supply of effective STEM teachers: Enact policies that will raise the number of graduates from both traditional and alternative preparation programs, and hold programs accountable for the effectiveness of the teachers they produce.
Boost the effectiveness of all teachers through rigorous evaluation and targeted professional development: Amend state law to require annual evaluations for all teachers based primarily on their contribution to student academic growth. Provide funding for and require districts to give customized professional development to teachers based on their evaluations. Help districts hold administrators accountable for differentiating the effectiveness of their teachers, providing personalized professional development and career growth opportunities, improving or removing poor performers and retaining top performers.
Retain and reward the most effective teachers and ensure that they teach the highest-need students: Fund programs that give recognition and bonuses to effective teachers in shortage-area subjects, including math and science. Set goals for districts to increase retention of effective STEM teachers and decrease retention of ineffective teachers who do not improve, especially in schools with high-need students.
Improve or remove persistently less effective teachers, and replace them with more effective teachers: Require that non-provisional status be awarded only to teachers who demonstrate and ability to promote student achievement.

TNTP also noted that in order to implement these recommendations, Washington must take full advantage of the opportunity to earn unprecedented amounts of federal education funding through “Race to the Top” and other grants.

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About The New Teacher Project
The New Teacher Project (TNTP) works to end the injustice of educational inequality by providing excellent teachers to the students who need them most and by advancing policies and practices that ensure effective teaching in every classroom. A national nonprofit organization founded by teachers, TNTP is driven by the knowledge that although great teachers are the best solution to educational inequality, the nation’s education systems do not sufficiently prioritize the goal of effective teachers for all. In response, TNTP develops customized programs and policy interventions that enable education leaders to find, develop and keep great teachers and achieve reforms that promote effective teaching in every classroom. Since its inception in 1997, TNTP has recruited or trained approximately 37,000 teachers—mainly through its highly selective Teaching Fellows™ programs—benefiting an estimated 5.9 million students. TNTP has also released a series of acclaimed studies of the policies and practices that affect the quality of the nation’s teacher workforce, most recently including The Widget Effect: Our National Failure to Acknowledge and Act on Differences in Teacher Effectiveness (2009). Today TNTP is active in more than 40 cities, including Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, New Orleans, New York, and Oakland, among others. For more information, please visit www.tntp.org.