Last week, the HB 2722 Advisory Committee met in Tacoma to continue discussion of their proposal on closing the African American achievement gap.
The committee’s Best Practices workgroup came up with five goals to be included in the committee’s proposal to the Legislature.
1. Increase the on-time graduation rates of African American students by 10 percent a year, to achieve 100 percent by 2018.
2. Reduce the dropout rate of African American students by 10 percent a year, to eliminate dropouts by 2012.
3. Increase by 50 percent the number of African American students entering higher education or other post-secondary opportunities, without needing remediation, by 2014.
4. Ensure proportional representation of African American students enrolled in all special programs (including special education and gifted programs) by 2014.
5. Provide all 3- to 5-year-old African American children with high-quality, academically focused early childhood educational opportunities by 2018.
Attached to each goal are strategies for meeting the goals. Committee members discussed the goals and made suggestions for change. Some members wanted to increase the urgency of Goal 1 and 2, changing the rate of increase from 10 percent to 25 percent. There was also a push to include in Goal 1 the idea that students not only graduate from high school, but graduate college and work ready.
After discussion of the goals, Edie Harding and Warren Smith from the State Board of Education made a presentation about the accountability plan being developed by the Board. Committee members provided feedback that they want to see more of a “stick” to get districts to improve, rather than having a plan based on voluntary participation.
Finally, Federal Way Superintendent Tom Murphy and former Clover Park Superintendent Doris McEwen Harris presented on leadership in closing the African American achievement gap. Both spoke pointedly about happenings in their districts and how leadership has and will continue to help close the achievement gap.
The committee’s next meeting is November 20th at City University’s Renton Campus.
