Kansas State Board Connection
I am excited Kansas is participating in the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) newsletter project as Ken Willard, Kansas State Board of Education member, is the president-elect of NASBE.
Well respected in the education community and in the states for the quality and integrity of its work, the mission of the National Association of State Boards of Education is to strengthen State Boards as educational policymaking bodies for students and citizens.
The Kansas State Board of Education can readily relate to NASBE’s five primary goals which will be implemented over the next five years. The goals include building strategic partnerships to provide service and support to State Boards, expanding NASBE’s role as a primary resource for policy information, raising awareness of service on a State Board as an essential element in governing public education, building a technology infrastructure to serve state boards of education, and planning and implementing a smooth transition in NASBE leadership and management.
We, in Kansas, look forward to assisting NASBE in implementing these goals. NASBE’s challenges, opportunities and action plan were highlighted in the Kansas State Board of Education’s August podcast. To access the complete podcast, go to http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=167
-- Bill Wagnon, Chairman of the Kansas State Board of Education
State Board Briefs
The State Board received the list of districts and public schools not making adequate yearly progress for the 2007-08 assessment cycle.
Adequate yearly progress is based on meeting targets on the state reading and mathematics assessments, participation in the assessments, attendance rate and graduation rate. Title I schools and districts not making AYP for two years in the same area are identified for improvement. (The Title I list was presented to the Board in August.) The good news is that 90% of public schools (1226 out of 1365) made AYP and 92% of all districts also made AYP. This compares to 89% of schools and districts last year. To read the news release and access the list, please go to http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=95 and select 2008 AYP Results.The Board heard from representatives of 3 Title I schools that came off the improvement list this year: Junction City Middle School, USD 475 Geary County; Bernadine Sitts Intermediate Center and Charles Stones Intermediate Center, USD 457 Garden City.
Information was shared with the State Board of Education about:
Jumpstart Read for the Record, a campaign to encourage hundreds of thousands of children and adults nationwide to read the same book, Corduroy, on October 2, 2008 to bring national attention to the importance of early childhood education. It is hoped that the national event will be the largest shared reading experience ever. The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is participating in the campaign. Employees have been encouraged to arrange with schools to share this book with children. One book. One day. For children everywhere. Dr. Posny invited the State Board’s participation on October 2nd, 2008. Go to the following website for further information about the national campaign http://www.jstart.org/index.phpThe Kansas All Book Connect (KS ABC) initiative. KSDE, in partnership with Renaissance Learning, is launching a web-based book-searching tool this fall to assist students in finding interesting and appropriate books. The KS ABC initiative consists of tools and services to help educators and parents match books to kids to promote successful reading practices. The website http://www.kansas.bookconnect.com will be unveiled later this fall.
The multiple and varying graduation rate formulas. The formula used by the report Diplomas Count was discussed, as were the cohort rate formula, the leaver rate formula (used most often by states), the persistence rate formula, the composite rate formula, the National Governor’s Rate formula, the cumulative promotion rate formula and the NCLB rate formula. The National Governors’ Rate formula is being promoted as a way for all states to be fairly compared. In order to use this formula, states must be able to track all students. In Kansas, we will have sufficient data to use this formula in two years.
The Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) Symposium, held September 4th and 5th in Wichita. Over 800 interested parties participated. Christi Whitter, principal of Madison Elementary School, USD 231 Gardner-Edgerton, described the implementation and success of the MTSS program at Madison. For further information about implementation of MTSS in Kansas go to http://www.kansasmtss.org
The progress of the Teaching in Kansas Commission (TKC), the Kansas Educational Leadership Commission (KELC) and the action plan for the nine initiatives for integration of academics and career and technical education.
Background on the three Board initiatives:
The Teaching in Kansas Commission (TKC) was formed to articulate recommendations from the input collected from the 200 participants at the Recruitment & Retention Summit in November 2007. Topics from the summit addressed the main issues impacting teacher preparation, teacher recruitment, including recruitment in hard to staff areas, and teacher retention. The Commission’s recommendations: working conditions; teacher preparation; salary and benefits; image and promotion; and regulations. The Commission was able to reduce summit comments to short, intermediate and long term goals to address the target areas. The Commission shared the goals with the Board as well as a framework that placed the goals across the continuum of the education profession, from pre-service educator to accomplished educator. The Commission’s recommendations for next steps included maintaining the Commission with a broadened membership and five committees charged with developing action plans for the goals in the target areas. This was approved by the State Board of Education in April, 2008. Additional information about the ongoing activity of the Commission can be accessed at the bottom of the page at http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=123.
The purpose of the Kansas Educational Leadership Commission, or KELC, is to improve student performance. KELC was charged to focus on educational research and evidence-based practices that point to the critical role leadership plays in the success of student learning. The goal is to develop a set of policy recommendations for the design, implementation and improvement over time of a system of leadership for learning in Kansas. The Commission developed twelve recommendations and strongly encourages policymakers at every level to implement these recommendations. KELC has developed five design teams comprised of 10-15 individuals to begin work on implementation of policy recommendations. Further information about KELC and its recommendations may be found at http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1988.
Initiatives for integration of academics and career and technical education:
In February, the Board approved nine initiatives that were designed to encourage student engagement in their own career planning while gaining 21st century skills. In June, 2008 the Board received an update on implementing the action plan for these policy statements. Even though much remains to be done on this long-term and wide-ranging initiative, agency staff, educators from the field, and representatives from various constituencies have already begun developing a process and building a support for system change. The policy initiatives adopted were:
- Create Gold Standard assessments (industry-recognized credentials/certifications) for each of the Career Clusters that support high expectations.
- Integrate core content standards with technical program standards utilizing the 16 career clusters as the organizing principle.
- Support implementation of Individual Career Plans of Study for all students in 8th grade and above.
- Improve Access to Career and Technical Education by removing barriers and promoting partnerships.
- Recommend the Kansas Board of Regents update Qualified Admissions.
- Create 21st Century School Standards to help guide reform and/or redesign of public schools.
- Support Professional Development for teachers (e.g. mentor-mentee model) to help guide students in planning for future careers.
- Revise Teacher Preparation Program Standards to reflect the integration of content standards.
- Support the creation of dynamic funding systems that respond to the changing workforce and economic development needs.
For additional information see http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=249.
Math and Science Teaching Excellence
The Board recognized the national finalists for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching - Carrie Newdigger, a science teacher at Macksville High School, USD 351; and Steven Obenhaus, a mathematics teacher at Olathe North High School, USD 233 Olathe.Kansas Blue Ribbon Schools
Five Kansas schools were among the 320 schools in the United States named by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings as 2008 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools. The Kansas schools being recognized include Beeson Elementary School, USD 443, Dodge City; Lincoln Elementary School, USD 298, Lincoln; Syracuse High School, USD 494 Syracuse; Blue Valley North High School, USD 229 Blue Valley; and Ellsworth Elementary School, USD 327 Ellsworth. Those selected will be honored at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on October 20-21, 2008.State Teacher of the Year Finalists
During four regional awards banquets held throughout the state on September 13-14, eight teachers were named finalists for 2009 Kansas Teacher of the Year. They are: Mary Bradshaw, a middle school English Language Learners teacher at Chisholm Middle School in Newton (Newton USD 373); Walter (Walt) L. Cochran, a high school social studies teacher at Gardner Edgerton High School (Gardner Edgerton USD 231); Cynthia (Cindy) J. Couchman, a high school math teacher at Buhler High School (Buhler USD 313); Marilyn B. Fox, an eighth-grade science teacher at Susan B. Anthony Middle School in Manhattan (Manhattan-Ogden USD 383); Mary Martha Good, a kindergarten teacher at Skelly Elementary School in El Dorado (El Dorado USD 490); Jennifer Hartman, an elementary music teacher at Clear Creek Elementary School in Shawnee (De Soto USD 232); Julie C. Miller, a kindergarten science and music teacher at Cottonwood Elementary School in Paola (Paola USD 368); and Cynthia (Cindy) L. Venard, a fifth-grade teacher at Soule Intermediate Center in Dodge City (Dodge City USD 443). Statewide, 97 educators were nominated for the Kansas Teacher of the Year distinction. The Kansas Teacher of the Year will be selected from among the regional finalists and announced during a ceremony November 22 in Wichita.21st Century Skills
The Kansas State Board of Education received the 21st Century Skills Practice of the Year Award for the State Board’s policies promoting comprehensive redesign with integration and partnerships from the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, the nation’s leading advocacy organization focused on infusing 21st century skills into education. The Board was awarded this honor because of its adoption of the nine initiatives that are designed to encourage student engagement in their own career planning while gaining 21st century skills.
State and National News Roundup
Teacher Vacancies Decline Across State
Teacher vacancies at the start of the school year across Kansas have declined to the lowest level in nine years, though small and rural communities still have trouble filling all of their open positions. State education leaders credit the decline to streamlining the process for out-of-state teachers to earn a Kansas license, aggressive and earlier recruiting efforts by districts, new incentives to retiring teachers to give more advanced notice of their plans. Source: Capital-Journal, 9/12/08State Scholarship Contest for School Safety Advertisements Announced
A state scholarship contest to promote school safety has been created by the state department of education. Any high school student graduating from an accredited Kansas high school in the 2008-09 school year is eligible to enter to highlight the state’s school safety hotline. The top three winners in three categories—a television public service announcement, radio psa, and an advertisement poster—will win scholarships of between $500 and $1,250. Source: Capital-Journal, 9/17/08Pennsylvania State Board Adds Student Members
Two Pennsylvania high school students were named non-voting representatives to the State Board of Education. Elizabeth Williams, a senior from Pocono Mountain West High School, will serve a one-year term as the high school student member, while Gardiner Kreglow, a junior from Bethlehem Area School District, will serve as the high school member-elect. “This is a tremendous opportunity for the students to impact the policies that directly affect what happens in their classrooms and those of their fellow classmates,” State Board of Education Chairman Joseph Torsella said. “I have no doubt that their participation will add valuable perspective to the board’s deliberations and the views of the other board members.” Source: State Board of Education Press Release (9/9/08)South Dakota’s Districts Cannot Use District Money to Fund School Finance Lawsuit
Local school districts that are funding a challenge to the state’s education finance system do not have the right to spend district money on the lawsuit, according to the judge hearing the case. Circuit Court Judge Lori Wilbur also decided that the districts lack the standing to challenge the funding formula’s constitutionality in court. According to Wilbur, a state Supreme Court case that allowed local boards to pay legal fees to uphold board interests in a suit does not necessarily give that same authority to pay for other litigants’ lawyer fees. The lawsuit, which is backed by the South Dakota Coalition of Schools, alleges that the state legislature’s funding of K-12 education is insufficient and violates the state’s constitution and its guarantee for public education. Source: Argus Leader (8/22/08)Florida High Court Nixes Three Education Funding and Voucher Ballot Questions
The Florida Supreme Court has unanimously struck three referendums dealing with education funding and vouchers from the November ballot because the language describing the initiatives is misleading and the process by which the initiatives were put forward was flawed. The three ballot questions have been controversial ever since they were proposed by the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, a state panel that meets every 20 years to review the state’s budget system. The ballot initiatives were whether to cut property taxes by 25 percent, repeal the prohibition in the state constitution to fund religious institutions, and overturn the court’s 2006 ruling that found private school vouchers unconstitutional.The court ruled the language concerning the proposed property tax cut misleading because the initiative explains that the state legislature must offset the property tax cut for school budgets in 2009-10, but does not indicate that there is no further budget obligation to continue to offset the difference after that. The justices also found that the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission exceeded its authority by placing an unrelated budget issue like vouchers on the ballot. The ruling came less than 12 hours after oral arguments and one day before the deadline for finalizing the state election ballot. Source: Miami Herald (9/4/08); Daytona Beach News Journal (9/2/08)
