The race is on again! And this time Washington State is serious contender.

A couple of months back, Congress announced new funding for Race to the Top. In total, Congress appropriated $700 million, of which a whopping $500 million is set aside specifically for early learning – the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC). And for those of you who remember Washington’s dismal performance in the previous RTTT, don’t get yourself too down just yet. This is a  totally new competition with all new requirements, priorities, and selection criteria.

On July 1, the US Departments of Education and Health and Human Services released their draft grant details. According to the feds, the final guidelines are anticipated to be released in mid-August, applications will be due in mid-October (a maddeningly short time frame for an application of this magnitude). Winners will be announced by the end of the year and the grants will run through the end of 2015.  The size of the competitive grant amounts depends on the population of low-income children in the state and Washington is eligible for up to $60 million in funding if we win – the range runs from up to$100 million at the high end to a max of $50 million for state’s with small populations of low-income children.

But before we get into the nitty gritty details, let’s talk about what this thing is and what shot we have. RTT-ELC competition is at its core about the systems, coordination, and quality of early learning at the state level. As DEL director Bette Hyde put it in a recent email to stakeholders:

“We know that Race to the Top is not about implementing a laundry list of services, but rather promoting a cohesive, integrated, and organized system for improving quality and creating lasting outcomes for children.”

Or as our friends at the New America Foundation’s Early Ed Watch have written:

“This is not a funding stream to some new, untested program — this is a pot of money designed to prod states into networking,  leveraging and improving the programs they already have”.

We are still waiting for the final grant guidelines but the draft guidelines show two absolute priorities necessary for a state to win. States must use (1) early learning standards and kindergarten readiness assessments and (2) tiered quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS) to “promote school readiness”. These are the two major areas to garner points on the application. There is one competitive priority that will also be scored: the inclusion of all early learning programs in the state’s QRIS. and Finally, there are two invitational priorities (areas which are not scored but will reflect favorably on the state): (1) sustaining effectiveness in the early grades and (2) private sector support. In addition to the priorities, the feds want applications need to address a number of requirements within four broad selection criteria:

1. Successful State Systems
2. Promoting Early Learning And Development Outcomes
3. High-Quality, Accountable Programs
4. A Great Early Childhood Workforce

So how does Washington fare at first glance  in relation to the draft  priorities and selection criteria? Pretty darn well.

• We are currently in the process of redesigning our early learning benchmarks (now called guidelines and stay tuned because a request for public input will come soon).
• We recently moved from the pilot stage to implementation with the WaKIDS kindergarten transition process – with the addition of private funds WaKIDS will serve nearly 25% of kids statewide in the coming school year.
• And while still in its infancy, our state QRIS framework is moving beyond pilot stage this year.
• We have a statewide Early Learning Plan.
• The Professional Development Consortium issued its recommendations for our early learning workforce.
• We adopted Core Competencies for both Early Learning Professionals and Child and Youth Development Professionals.
• The Early Learning Advisory Council has some new representation, is revising its role, and was awarded $1.7 million from the Federal State Advisory Council grant
• We have a very active and involved public-private partnership Thrive by Five Washington who along with DEL and OSPI have formed a joint early learning partnership.
• And this is just the tip of the iceberg of the early learning work happening all throughout Washington State at the local and state levels.

Clearly, the last two years have been busy ones for early learning planning and piloting in Washington State and now is the time for the funds to put all the thoughtful and comprehensive plans into action.

The Feds requested that states make known their intentions to apply for the grant by the beginning of this week and Washington was one of 36 states (and DC) that threw our hat in the ring. Interestingly, of the four states eligible for the top end of the grant awards only one signaled their interest by the deadline (NY). That does not mean that the other three will not apply but it makes one wonder if there might be more money to go around.

LEV is watching the developments closely and we are serving on the state application advisory team. Watch out for more news and action alerts from us as the grant is formally released, the application is written, and the decisions are announced. This is a huge opportunity for early learning in Washington State and we will need each and every one of you to support writing the best, most winningest application.

President Obama visited turnaround school Miami Central High last week. In the course of two years, Miami Central High went from an F school to a C school. Miami Central received a $784,000 federal grant to get rid of the school’s principal and half of its staff members, which contributed to the school’s significant improvement. Miami Central also held Saturday school for students who needed additional assistance in subjects like math and science.

Here are excerpts of his speech:

Right now, there are about 2,000 high schools in America -– about 12 percent of the total number of high schools in America –- that produce nearly half of the young people who drop out of school. You’ve got 2,000 schools — about half the dropouts come out of those 2,000 schools. And we know these schools are often found in rural areas or in big cities like Miami. Many of these schools have lots of Haitian Americans and African Americans, Latino and other minority students.

Now, turning around these schools isn’t easy. A lot of people used to argue, well, all they need is more money. But money is not alone going to do the job. We also have to reform how things are done. It isn’t easy to turn around an expectation of failure and make that into an expectation of excellence. In fact, it’s one of the hardest things you can do. And there is always plenty of naysayers out there who will say it’s not even possible. Who say that turning around a failing school means just throwing good money after bad. Who say too many of these schools are beyond repair. Who say we ought to give up on those schools and focus on places that have more breaks and have a little more going for them.

Here’s what I say. I say I am not willing to give up on any child in America. I say I’m not willing to give up on any school in America. I do not accept failure here in America. I believe the status quo is unacceptable; it is time to change it. And it’s time we came together — just like Jeb and I are doing today -– coming from different parties but we come together not as Democrats or Republicans, as Americans –- to lift up all of our schools — and to prepare students like you for a 21st century economy. To give every child in America a chance to make the most of their God-given potential.

Now, the good news is we know what works. We can see it in schools and communities across the country every day. We see it in a place like Bruce Randolph School in Denver. This was rated one of the worst schools in Colorado three years ago but last May graduated 97 percent of its seniors. And by the way, most of them are the first in their family to go to college.

We can see it in Mastery Charter School in Philadelphia, where four times as many students are proficient in math, and violence is down 80 percent compared to just a few years ago.

And of course, we can see it right here at Miami Central. A little more than a decade ago, when the state exams started, Miami Central scored a D in each of its first five years. Then it scored an F in each of the five years after that. Halls were literally littered with garbage. One of the buildings here was called the Fish Bowl because it was always flooded. In one survey, only a third of all students said they felt safe at school. Think about that — only a third.

Today, Mrs. Turner, all the outstanding students here, all the students here, you’ve put those days behind you. You’ve put those days behind you. I mean, I know that — I know you still face challenges. I know you still face challenges; things aren’t perfect. But over the past five years, you started to excel academically. Performance has skyrocketed by more than 60 percent in math, about 40 percent in writing. Graduation rates went from 36 percent — now they’re at 63 percent. And I expect them to be at 100 percent.

You are proving the naysayers wrong –- you are proving that progress is possible. It’s possible because of your principal; it’s possible because of all the great teachers that are going above and beyond for their students, including the Teach for America Corps members who are here today. We’re proud of them. To all of the teachers here, I hope you will stay with the Miami Central family as long as you can –- because this community has already benefited so much from your teaching and your mentorship and your dedication.

Every year, Valentine’s Day rolls around and many of us panic for an authentic, non-cheesy way to tell the ones we love just that…that we love them. That we care about whether they are happy and healthy. And that they matter. That we are glad they are in our lives.

Have you ever wanted to tell your community the same thing – maybe give a shout out to all the hard-working parents in your neighborhood or to all the cute little kiddos driving their fire engine shopping carts around Safeway? 

Well, here you go. Our dear friends, the madcap activists at MomsRising.org, have given us all a way to send a “love” note  to the parents and kids across Washington State and the nation – by sending a Valentine to Congress.

Federal funding for important early childhood programs is in serious jeopardy as the stimulus funds begin to dry up. Over 1,000 Washington kids are at risk of losing Head Start and Early Head Start and thousands of working parents could lose the critical support for child care that keeps them working.

If we love our communities and want to keep them healthy and strong, we need to stand up and tell Congress (with love) that our kids need quality early learning and our parents need to keep working.

Here is what is going to happen: MomsRising is going to collect all the Valentines to Congress sent between now and Valentine’s Day and then they’ll personally print and deliver your valentine along with thousands of others in the other Washington.

So get to it! – this will possibly be the easiest (and maybe one of the most important) valentine you’ll ever send.

Love to all.

Today is another national call-in day for early childhood education. Make a “Washington to Washington” call to tell President Obama to prioritize investments in our youngest learners.

We have a new Congress ahead of us, and we must do everything we can to get them started on the right foot for young children and their families. These first few weeks will serve as a critical test of the strength of our community and our allies in the other Washington. As you know, the battles over funding for FY 2011 are still not settled. After several temporary funding measures, Congress will have to act again before March 4, when the last continuing resolution (CR) they passed will expire.

We need you take a moment today, Friday, January 14th, to call the White House at 1-202-456-1111 and urge the administration to protect, sustain, and maintain critical funding for early childhood programs. It’s the new year, time is ticking and we must do everything we can to keep the increases that we won in the Economic Recovery Act for child care, Head Start, and Early Head Start. If this funding is not continued 300,000 children across the country, including many in Washington State, will be eliminated from early learning programs.

Please call 1-202-456-1111 on Friday. In the message you leave, ask them to:

• Protect funding for child care, Head Start, and Early Head Start to help us build a smarter, healthier, and stronger America

• Sustain the $1 billion funding for Head Start/Early Head Start as well as the $1 billion funding for child care during FY 2011, and

• Maintain these levels into FY 2012.

The dye is cast. Agreement under the dome. It’s Saturday morning. I’d rather be home.

The 2nd special session is in motion. HB 3225 lays out the next set of drastic cuts Washington State is making in order to begin to address out $1.1 billion deficit in the current fiscal year, and the $5.5 billion in the next budget cycle.

The $590 million “early action” deal contains significant cuts to education – with more to come since even with the additional $200 million in across- the-board savings that the Governor has already achieved don’t equal the full deficit.

The summary of the cuts to education is below and I have included the huge list of explanations of the cuts even further own below. Looming large: elimination of the K-4 class size enhancement, the clawback from districts of the $208m in federal EduJobs support, and the cuts to our 2-and 4-year colleges and universities.

In our testimony this morning before the House Ways and Means Committee, the League of Education Voters looked at the totality of the budget, cradle to career, and the current crisis – but mostly we looked to the future and what is to come in the next session

The education community is reeling from the breadth and depth of cuts that have come out of early learning, K-12, and higher education already this biennium – over $2.2 billion to date.

We have heard from our friends out there in the districts that these cuts though bad can be absorbed, but only just. But not next year, not next biennium and especially not if we want to make any progress on making real change for our children. Lower class size in the early grades is a cornerstone of the new definition of basic education – and an effective strategy for dealing with our pervasive opportunity gap. The elimination of the K-4 enhancement is a clear step backwards – but what is the next step forwards?

As members of the Early Learning Action Alliance we appreciate the care you [the Legislature] has taken to limit the impacts on our youngest and most vulnerable students.

Most troubling is the continued erosion of support for our institutions of higher education. These cuts will not only deeply hurt the institutions and the students, but most importantly they will compromise our ability to compete in the global market place and our economic recovery.

We are not naive enough to believe these cuts aren’t happening. But our big question is: What next? We want to work with you on answering that question.

Detail of reductions:

Public Schools
OSPI & Statewide Programs
122. REDUCE OSPI STATE OFFICE STAFFING – The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) operating budget is reduced by 6.287 percent for FY 2011.
123. FINANCE REFORM UNDERSPENDS – OSPI’s administrative budget contains funding to research, develop, and to implement a new K 12 funding system. The budget reduction reflects anticipated under expenditures in this area.
124. ELIMINATE OSPI SKILLS CTR DIRECTOR – Funding for the position of Skills Center Director is eliminated, effective March 1, 2011.
125. COLLEGE BOUND OUTREACH – OSPI contracts for outreach services to inform students of the College Bound Scholarship. The budget eliminates the remaining funding for Fiscal Year 2011, a reduction of 50 percent.
126. ELIMINATE PROJECT CITIZEN – OSPI provides funding for Project Citizen, a program presented by the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Center for Civic Education to promote participation in government by middle school students. The budget assumes elimination of remaining funding for Fiscal Year 2011, a reduction of 50 percent.
127. REDUCE HB 3026 STAFFING – Agency staffing was increased in the 2010 Supplemental Budget for added activities of monitoring, training, and school-district compliance reviews with civil rights laws associated with Chapter 240, Laws of 2010 regarding Civil Rights Enforcement. This funding is eliminated, effective March 1, 2011.
128. ELIMINATE PLAN FOR EARLY LEARNING – OSPI’s administrative budget includes funding for Early Learning Plan legislation that directed OSPI and the Department of Early Learning to convene a technical working group and develop a comprehensive plan for a voluntary program of early learning. The Office of Financial Management did not approve the exemption request associated with this item and the budget reduction reflects anticipated under expenditures by OSPI.
129. PESB REDUCTION – The Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) operations budget is reduced by 6.287 percent for Fiscal Year 2011.
130. PRO CERT REDUCTION – Funding for the administration of the state’s Professional Certification program is reduced by 6.287 percent for Fiscal Year 2011.
131. TEACHER RECRUITING REDUCTION – Funding for various programs that support attainment of teacher certification or specialized endorsement is reduced by 6.287 percent for Fiscal Year 2011. The programs included are: Recruiting of Diverse Teachers; Alternative Certification Routes, which are teacher training programs that serve as alternatives to traditional teacher preparation programs; the Para Educator Pipeline program, which provides support for para educators earning their teacher certifications; and the Re-Tooling to Teach Math program, which assists current teachers returning to school to earn a math endorsement.
132. ACHIEVEMENT GAP CMTE REDUCTION – Funding to support the work of the Achievement Gap Committee is reduced by 6.287 percent in Fiscal Year 2011.
133. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION REDUCTION – The State Board of Education’s operating budget is reduced by 6.287 percent for Fiscal Year 2011.
134. REDUCE TRAINING (NON-VIOLENCE) – OSPI funding for non violence leadership training is reduced by 6.287 percent for Fiscal Year 2011.
135. NURSING CORPS REDUCTION – OSPI provides funding for nurses stationed at Educational Service Districts to travel to schools to provide staff training and direct care to students. Fiscal Year 2011 program funding is reduced by 6.287 percent.
136. SAFETY CENTER REDUCTION – OSPI’s Safety Center reviews and approves district safety plans, serves as a resource for schools and district when incidents occur, and provides additional technical assistance to districts. Fiscal Year 2011 program funding is reduced by 6.287 percent.
137. SCHOOL SAFETY TRAINING REDUCTION – OSPI contracts with the state’s Criminal Justice Training Commission to provide safety training for school district personnel. Fiscal Year 2011 program funding is reduced by 6.287 percent.
138. K-20 NETWORK REDUCTION – OSPI’s administrative budget includes funding for the K 12 portion of the K 20 network that provides internet, data processing, and video conferencing capacity to school districts and state offices. Fiscal Year 2011 program funding is reduced by 6.287 percent.
139. REDUCE NAVIGATION 101 – Navigation 101 provides implementation grants to districts for guidance and career counseling programs in secondary schools. The budget is reduced by 6.287 percent in Fiscal Year 2011.
140. ELIMINATE SUPP OF CTE ORGANIZATIONS – OSPI provides financial support to assist student Career and Technical Education (CTE) organizations. The budget assumes elimination of the remaining funding for Fiscal Year 2011, a reduction of 50 percent.
141. ELIMINATE SPECIAL SERVICES PILOTS – Seven districts participate in the Special Services Pilot Program. The program emphasizes early intervention activities towards the goal of reducing the number of children identified for special education services. The program, by statute, is to end during the 2010-11 school year. The budget assumes the program is ended effective March 1, 2011.
142. ELIMINATE BUILDING BRIDGES STAFFING – OSPI staffing for the implementation of a comprehensive dropout
prevention, intervention, and retrieval program is eliminated, effective March 1, 2011.
143. ELIMINATE DYSLEXIA PILOT PROGRAM – The Dyslexia Pilot Program provides regional training (through the Educational Service Districts) for classroom teachers and reading specialists to improve reading skills of students diagnosed with dyslexia. The budget assumes elimination of remaining funding for Fiscal Year 2011, a reduction of 50 percent.
144. SUSPEND PRE-APPRENTICESHIP GRANTS – Running Start for the Trades, or Pre Apprenticeship Grants, offer incentive awards of up to $10,000 to districts to develop pre apprenticeship trade and craft programs and recruit students into the programs. The budget assumes suspension of remaining funding for Fiscal Year 2011, a reduction of 50 percent.
145. TEACHING AS A PROFESSION PILOT – OSPI contracts with the Latino/a Educational Achievement Project (LEAP) to identify and mentor bilingual students to become interested in the teaching profession. The budget reduction reflects anticipated under expenditures by OSPI in this area.
146. ELIMINATE JOBS FOR AMERICA PROGRAM – Jobs for America’s Graduates is a dropout prevention program at OSPI, started in Fiscal Year 2011. Funding for program staff is eliminated, effective March 1, 2011.
General Apportionment
147. EDUCATION JOBS FEDERAL GRANT – The FY 2011 supplemental budget incorporates funding from the Education Jobs Federal Grant as part of the general apportionment payment to school districts for the 2010-11 school year.
148. ELIMINATE K-4 CLASS SIZE REDUCTION – Funding for class size reduction in grades K-4 is discontinued as of February, 2011 and for the remainder of the 2010-11 school year. The adjusted ratio of certificated instructional staff person to full-time equivalent students is now 49 per 1,000 for grades K-3 and 46 per 1,000 for grade 4. This is reduced from the 2010-11 ratios provided in the 2010 enacted supplemental budget, which were 53.2 per 1,000 for grades K-3 and 47.43 per 1,000 for grade 4. These enhancements have previously been provided outside the program of basic education.

Education Reform
149. SUSPEND DEVELOPMENT DIAG. ASSESSMEN – Funding for the development of diagnostic assessments is suspended for the remaining funding appropriated during the 2009 11 biennium. (Education Legacy Account State)
150. ASSESSMENT FISCAL YEAR 2011 SAVINGS – Funding for the OSPI assessment system is reduced through the use of one time federal funds to off-set state general fund costs, a reduction in assessment program staff, and a reduction to the rate paid to districts for collection of evidence submissions. (General Fund State, General Fund Federal)
151. ELIMINATE B.E.S.T. PROGRAM – The Beginning Educator Support Team (B.E.S.T) program provides early career educators with mentorship and support. The budget assumes elimination of remaining funding for Fiscal Year 2011, a reduction of 50 percent.
152. ELIM. SUPT./PRINCIPAL INTERNSHIPS – Funding for internships for principals, superintendents, and program administrators completing certification programs is eliminated for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011, a reduction of 50 percent.
153. ELIM. STAFF FOR MID/HI APPLIED MATH – OSPI currently staffs coordination and promotion of integrated science, technology, engineering, and math programs. Funding for staffing is eliminated effective March 1, 2011.
154. REDUCE LASER/PACIFIC SCIENCE CENTER – The Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform (LASER) program is a statewide project to implement hands on science curriculum through regional school district alliances. Funding for this program is reduced by 50 percent.
155. ELIMINATE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY – The Leadership Academy supports professional development and training for school administrators. The budget assumes elimination of remaining funding for Fiscal Year 2011, a reduction of 50 percent.
156. ELIMINATE FOCUSED ASSISTANCE – The Focused Assistance Program provides technical assistance to schools and school districts struggling to meet adequate yearly progress benchmarks established by the federal government. The budget assumes elimination of remaining funding for Fiscal Year 2011, a reduction of 50 percent.
157. ELIMINATE CISL – The Center for the Improvement of Student Learning (CISL) provides outreach to districts and communities to improve student outcomes, by serving as a clearinghouse for best practices and identifying strategies for closing the achievement gap. The budget assumes elimination of funding for program staff, effective March 1, 2011.
158. ELIMINATE STEM LIGHTHOUSES – The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Lighthouses are three best practice, or “lighthouse” districts that provide technical assistance to help replicate best practices in other districts. The budget assumes elimination of remaining funding for Fiscal Year 2011, a reduction of 50 percent.
159. ELIMINATE CTE START-UP GRANTS – Career and Technical Education (CTE) Start Up grants provide funding to middle schools, high schools, or skill centers to upgrade high demand career and technical education programs. The budget assumes elimination of remaining funding for Fiscal Year 2011, a reduction of 50 percent.
160. ELIMINATE READING CORPS – The Reading Corps program provides grants to schools with low reading scores to provide student tutoring through the use of AmeriCorps and VISTA members. The budget assumes elimination of remaining funding for  Fiscal Year 2011, a reduction of 50 percent.
161. REDUCE ED. TECH. SUPPORT CENTERS – Education Technology Support Centers are funds directed to the Educational Service Districts to provide school districts with assistance in technology planning, network  development, cost benefit analysis, and professional development. The budget assumes a funding reduction of 6.287 percent in Fiscal Year 2011.
162. REDUCE OSPI ED REFORM STAFFING – OSPI staffing to support programs funded in the Education Reform budget is reduced by 6.287 percent.

Higher Education
University of Washington
163. HIGHER EDUCATION SERVICE REDUCTION – The University of Washington’s General Fund-State appropriation is reduced by 4.2 percent.
Washington State University
164. HIGHER EDUCATION SERVICE REDUCTION – Washington State University’s general fund-state appropriation is reduced by 4.2 percent.
Eastern Washington University
165. HIGHER EDUCATION SERVICE REDUCTION – Eastern Washington University’s General Fund-State appropriation is reduced by 4.2 percent.
Central Washington University
166. HIGHER EDUCATION SERVICE REDUCTION – Central Washington University’s General Fund-State appropriation is reduced by 4.2 percent.
The Evergreen State College
167. HIGHER EDUCATION SERVICE REDUCTION – The Evergreen State College’s General Fund-State appropriation is
reduced by 4.2 percent.
Western Washington University
168. HIGHER EDUCATION SERVICE REDUCTION – Western Washington University’s General Fund-State appropriation is reduced by 4.2 percent.

Community & Technical College System
169. HIGHER EDUCATION SERVICE REDUCTION – The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges’ General Fund- State appropriation is reduced by 4.2 percent.

A report from Bellweather Education Partners takes a look at the impact federal stimulus funds have had on education.

Remember the stimulus? It provided more than $800 billion in federal spending and tax cuts to stimulate the economy. Of that, more than $100 billion was dedicated to education. According to the report, this spending boost was larger than the entire annual budget of the U.S. Department of Education.

So what did it accomplish? The report outlines several “themes” from states and districts that tried to use the funds:

• Districts used ARRA funds primarily to maintain spending levels in the face of state and local budget cuts. But some districts also used ARRA funds concurrently to move forward with reforms, particularly in the area of human resources.
• Mixed messages from senior officials at the Department of Education, multiple competing priorities, and delays in receiving official guidance from the Department of Education and states created confusion at the district level about the purpose of ARRA funds and how they should be used to preserve jobs and advance reform.
• In many districts, inertia and existing processes, rather than reform priorities, drove allocation and distribution of ARRA resources.
• In districts that did use ARRA for a more strategic end, local leadership, greater capacity, and idiosyncratic local factors, rather than federal policy decisions, were the causes.
• Budget pressures on states and districts are proving to be even greater and longer-lasting than initially expected and are a long-term and systemic problem rather than a temporary one.

Read the whole report.

There’s a lot of talk lately about how we need to improve our schools and what needs to be done to accomplish that. Now the U.S. Department of Education wants to hear from those directly impacted by ed reform: students.

President Obama challenged America to have the highest proportion of college graduates – whether from one-year, two-year, or four-year programs – in the world by 2020. The Ed Department is leading a National Youth Listening Tour to engage high school students on the President’s 2020 goal.

Youngstown Cultural Arts Center/DNDA in West Seattle will host the event, which brings youth voice to the highest levels of government. Students from 8th grade -12th grades are encouraged to attend to share their voices and perspectives. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

To RSVP for your youth team, or for more information contact please send an email to Greg Williamson, OSPI Director of Learning and Teaching Support at 360-725-6050 or email: greg.williamson@k12.wa.us.

October 12, 2010
3:30pm-6pm
Youngtown Cultural Arts Center
4408 Delridge Way SW
Seattle, WA (directions)

“How can our children race to the top when they are already behind at the starting line?

This is the question host Matt Lauer (AKA: peanut butter) poses at the beginning of a segment on PreK on the Today Show’s week long-special on education across the nation, Education Nation – this segment aired on Monday.

The video is cute, funny, short, and has some great graphics of some good statistics:

“In various national studies, students who attended preK were:

• 36% less likely to be held back in kindergarten,
• pass the literacy test at a 24% higher rate, and
• 30% less likely to repeat a grade later on.”

As someone who has been using data like these for years to help Washington state policymakers see the benefits of investing early, it is really wonderful to see a national network like NBC showcase PreK in their contribution to our burgeoning national discussion on education and education reform.

Associated Press via Education Week:

Is it the family and community supports that have made the children successful? Their parents? The school?

That’s the question countless studies have tried to nail down in determining how best to help students in distressed communities with perpetually failing schools. The Education Department is trying a multi-prong approach: Billion-dollar programs to turn around failing schools, reform education and, now, whole communities.

The community element seems logical—students in urban, poor communities consistently have lower test scores and high school and college completion rates than those in wealthier, resource-rich neighborhoods.

But two recent reports on the Harlem Children’s Zone concluded that community supports alone aren’t enough: They must be coupled with strong schools—a finding with which Canada agrees.

“In the end, if you do all of these other things and the schools are just horrid, you are not going to be able to accomplish the goals,” Canada said. “And part of the strategy has to be focused on improving what happens in the schools. Schools you run and the other public schools.”

In Canada’s mind, that includes a longer school day and year, weekend sessions along with the innovative practices states are now considering — using data to measure teacher quality, with rewards based on performance—as part of the government’s Race to the Top competition.

The first planning grants for the Ed Department’s new “Promise Neighborhoods” are to be announced today.

Read more…

Welcome to Washington!*

Well, I suppose for you it’s “the other Washington,” although with temperatures like these, you might be hard pressed to tell the difference. I know you’ve also taken your fair share of heat from non-weather related events in the past week. Seems some folks aren’t very happy with Race to the Top. They even referred to your boss as “anti-child.” Which is weird, since he has a couple of kids himself.

In the state of Washington, Race to the Top has driven some pretty important changes to our education system; we will soon have a new four-tiered teacher evaluation system, tenure is a three year process rather than two, and we’ve expanded the ways folks can enter the teaching profession. We’ve finally given the state some authority to intervene in low-performing schools, erasing the legislative barrier to accountability. Hopefully your trip to Washington will give you a chance to learn more about our work here to improve student achievement and close the achievement gap. We’ve submitted a Race to the Top application, so you’ll get more familiar with us one way or another.

Here are a few things you may want to ask about:

• What is the next step in the state’s reform agenda? And how will it specifically address the state’s chronic – and growing – achievement gap?
• What is being done to ensure college-readiness for our high school graduates? Currently our remediation rates are well above the Mariner’s winning percentage.
• When will parents have more options for their kids in underperforming schools?
• How does Washington incentivize schools and districts to improve student outcomes?

There’s more. But this should be plenty to get the conversation going. Thank you for your leadership. Try the salmon. Maybe you’ll stay.

Chris Korsmo
Executive Director
League of Education Voters

* Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will be speaking at Aviation High School in Des Moines today at 2pm.

President Obama today shared with the nation’s governors his plan to include college- and career-ready standards in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (aka No Child Left Behind).

Here are the bulleted policiesObama and his educrew would like to see integrated into ESEA:

• “Require all states to adopt and certify that they have college- and career-ready standards in reading and mathematics, which may include common standards developed by a state-led consortium, as a condition of qualifying for Title I funding.
• Include new funding priorities for states with college- and career-ready standards in place, as they compete for federal funds to improve teaching and learning and upgrade curriculum in reading and math. This priority applies to  the President’s FY2011 budget request for new Effective Teaching and Learning programs in literacy ($450 million) and STEM ($300 million).
• Encourage states, schools districts, and other institutions to better align teacher preparation practices and programs to teaching of college and career-ready standards.  This priority supports the President’s FY2011 budget request for a new Teacher and Leaders Pathways program ($405 million).
• Assist states in implementing assessments aligned with college- and career-ready standards, under a new Assessing Achievement program. The President’s FY2011 budget supports $400 million in state grants under this program.
• Support the expansion of the Race to the Top, beyond funding in the Recovery Act, to dedicate $1.35 billion in awards to states and school districts that have college- and career-ready standards in place as a condition of funding.
• Support professional development for teachers, leaders and other school instructional staff to better align instruction to college and career-ready standards.  This supports the President’s FY2011 budget request for the Effective Teacher and Leaders state grant program ($2.5 billion).”

The big thing to note is the potential linkage of Title I funds to the adoption of college- and career-ready standards. For reference, Washington received $388.1 million in Title I funds in FY 2009(or roughly $776 million a biennium). This gels with previous statements and sentiments shared by the Obama adminstration that Race to the Top components will start to bleed into ESEA.

Over a hundred young people gathered to watch the State of the Union at Olympia in a Can. Later, Maggie (left) participated in a panel discussion about higher education.

1) Obama stated his commitment to making community colleges across the country more affordable

2) the Bus held Olympia in a Can (part 1 of 3)!

The first three weeks of the legislative session have been a whirlwind of topics: the budget, pre-kindergarten, the budget, race to the top, umm the budget, new revenue sources, and did I mention that people are concerned about Washington’s budget? Not so much a ‘whirlwind of topics’ … maybe more of a black hole, actually.

Amidst the furor over our 2.6 billion dollar deficit, Washington students must know one thing.  State need-grants and work study money for two and four year students are on the chopping block.

This was the hot topic last night at Grey Gallery and Lounge, where over 100 young people convened with the Bus, LEV, WSA, and UAW Local 4121 to hear and discuss how this session will affect campuses across Washington.

A few, key facts:

Washington State has over 83,000 college students receiving some form of need-based grant or work study money.

83,000 is more than a sold out Seahawks game at Qwest Field and roughly 2/3rds of all students across the state!

Cutting the state-need grant would entirely eliminate funding for 12,300 students and reduce (by more than half) the awards for 57,000 other students.

Nobody likes the idea of students taking out private loans to pay for their education-except the banks.

Check out Washington Student Association’s calendar for days of action in February and stay posted to League of Education Voters’ student Facebook page for updates on how young people can stay involved in this year’s legislative session.

The State Board of Education adopted legislation related to its accountability framework today in a special meeting in Olympia.

The approved legislation now goes to the Legislature for its approval during the 2010 session beginning next week. If passed by the Legislature the SBE will implement a system of identifying and assisting low-performing schools and districts, and gain intervention authority. The new system would also identify and reward the state’s top-performing schools and districts.

This work is the much-anticipated result of the many, many months of work by the SBE’s System Performance Accountability workgroup, as well as the Board itself. The U.S. Department of Education deserves a mention, as the intervention models in the plan are required for School Improvement Grants (as well as future receipt of Title I funds).

George Scarola testified on behalf of Excellent Schools Now, along with Caroline King. They spoke to the merits of the framework and the need for accountability at all levels.

Hooray!

Thanks to your hard work, the House of Representatives has passed the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act by a vote of 253-171!

Struggling to come up with the cash for college? House leadership, with the Obama administration’s support, wants to cut out the middle man from federal student loan programs and give students the chance to borrow directly from the federal government. Middlemen are ex$pensive – so the bill creates $92 BILLION in cost savings! Part of the savings would be spent on an Early Learning Challenge Fund to make sure all children have a quality education from the very start!

College student? Here’s how the SAFRA will help you:

For the past 35 years, the federal government has subsidized loans made by private banks to students through the Federal Family Education Loan program, guaranteeing loans up to 97 percent and allowing lenders to reap the profits. The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act – touted as the largest investment in higher education ever – shuts down that program, replacing it with a direct loan program run by the Education Department. The income-based payment plan eases the strain for graduates paying off loans.

Smartypants early learner (who can already read)? Here is how the SAFRA will help you:

Ensure young children enter kindergarten ready to succeed by creating an Early Learning Challenge Fund to provide states with $8 billion in competitive grants over 8 years. This investment would improve outcomes for all children and especially at-risk children-resulting in higher graduation rates, higher rates of college attendance, and higher earnings at work.

Everyone else?

This bill creates $92 billion in cost savings that will be spent on programs we know will save money and promote economic growth.  That’s a big hooray for everyone.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today after the House voted 253 to 171 this afternoon to pass the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act:

“Education is the best investment individuals can make in themselves, it is the best investment parents can make in their children, and it is the best investment a nation can make in their citizens. With that in mind, today the House passed the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, the single largest investment in making college more affordable in the history of our nation.

“This legislation means that more students will enter college; that they will graduate with less debt; that the federal loan initiatives that they and their families depend upon are strengthened for decades to come; and that taxpayers will save money. It is fiscally responsible, following the strict standards of pay-as-you-go spending.

“This legislation seizes the opportunity to strengthen our nation by making a historic commitment to our students and a landmark investment in our future.”

Visit Speaker.gov

If you are reading our blog, chances are you know that we support our state applying for a federal  Race to the Top (RTT) grant.  Call us fanboys if you want – but we have a historic opportunity to use federal ARRA funds and expertise to accelerate and expand state reforms. The 2009 education reform legislation, ESHB 2261, launches a series of bold and critical initiatives, but they come with significant fiscal and design challenges. The federal government stands ready to assist with with resources and expertise. That’s not a bad thing.

Last month we released a report that makes the case for our eligibility and also highlights preliminary ideas to include in our RTT application, Using Stimulus to Drive Change: Opportunities for Washington State.

Another thing you might know about us – we’re big fans of early learning. Kindergarten should be the next step in education, not the first step. So, can we use our RTT application to bolster P-20 education reform efforts? Last month some of the most well-known early learning funders nationwide sent a letter to Sec. Arne Duncan asking the Obama Administration to think even bigger.

Race to the Top does tip it’s proverbial hat to P-20, but it could do more. They argue that the Race to the Top Fund is  missing a key link to pre-kindergarten. Here is their argument in a nutshell:

Given the power of the research and the scale of the Race to the Top’s ambition to make a difference, The Buffett Early Childhood Fund, The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and The Pew Charitable Trusts urge, in addition to the specific modifications outlined below, the Department of Education to elevate the level of priority given to “P-20 Coordination and Vertical alignment” from an “invitational priority” to a “competitive priority.” In doing so, the Race to the Top Fund will motivate states to design and implement their reforms starting with high-quality pre-kindergarten, assuring a much greater likelihood of success for America’s children and schools.

So, what would including early learning in RTT mean in terms of the four assurances?

1. Standards and Assessments: Voluntary, national standards should begin at pre-k, be grounded in child development principles, and be aligned with national assessments of kindergarten readiness and third grade performance.
2. Data Systems to Support Instruction: Longitudinal data systems should begin at pre-k, be designed so that data eventually can be captured at birth, and feed into Quality Rating Improvement Systems for pre-k linked to K-3.
3. Great Teachers and Leaders: Create a Pre-k – 3 Teaching Credential and Career Pathways for Early Educators.
4. Turning Around Struggling Schools: Implement early learning reform strategies in struggling schools and districts.

While the work isn’t complete, it is important to keep in mind that Washington State is making significant progress on every idea listed above. Race to the Top could seal the deal.

Today, the Wall Street Journal published an article stating that student loan borrowing grew 25% in the last year (and has been steadily rising for some time now). “Today, two-thirds of college students borrow to pay for college, and their average debt load is $23,186 by the time they graduate.” For many of us, this is no surprise.

The article goes on to talk about the consequences of a young generation amassing such measurable amounts of debt at such an early age-the effects of which I have been feeling myself! Graduated 20 somethings are postponing important life steps such as buying a home or starting a family due to debt.

This sucks. Walking around with $20,000 worth of debt on your shoulders doesn’t do much for one’s moral. But what upsets me most is who is BENEFITING from student debt. Private lenders!

The House of Representatives is slated to weigh in on this issue very soon. The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) breezed through the House Committee on Education and Labor, but it’s going to need a lot of support.  I’m urging all students out there to contact your House Rep and tell them we’re tired. Tired of debt and tired of private companies making money off our debt.  While you’re at it, send that very message to Senator Murray. We need a companion senate bill to support SAFRA and she can do it!

Education is hot, debt is not. Private lenders collecting interest off my federal loans? Definitely not hot. Let’s change this.

We hosted a conference call about the current education landscape Tuesday night. Many thanks to those of you who joined us. For those that missed it, we now have a recording of the call. Since it’s a 4MB file, we recommend you email the link rather than the actual file.

Also, to help you follow along, this is the agenda we followed:

• Education Reform Bill HB2661 (George Scarola)
  • What is in the bill
  • What are the next steps to implement the bill
  • Possible reconvening of legislature on 1776
• Overview of School Districts (George Scarola)
  • Budget cuts
  • Stimulus Funds run out 2010/2011
• National (Lisa Macfarlane)
  • Stabilization/Race to the Top Funds
• State wide ballot issues (George Scarola)
  • Initiative 1033
  • Income Tax – Nov 2010
• Court Cases (Lisa Macfarlane)
  • Federal Way equity lawsuit
  • NEWS trial Sept
• Early Learning/Higher Education (Frank Ordway)
• Q&A

Listen to the entire conversation here.

Can you think of a win-win for both young and older kids?

We can. It’s the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, which would make a landmark investment in our nation’s future by preparing young children for success in school and young adults for the workforce.

Washington State’s delegation in the House of Representatives will play a key role in moving this legislation forward. They will vote on this legislation this week. That’s why we need you to take action today!

Contact your House member’s office and urge them to support the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (HR 3221).

This legislation is critical to our state and nation’s future. It would:

• Ensure young children enter kindergarten ready to succeed by creating an Early Learning Challenge Fund to provide states with $8 billion in competitive grants over 8 years. Economists, business leaders and scientific researchers agree that quality early childhood services stand among the smartest public investments available. This investment would improve outcomes for all children and especially at-risk children—resulting in higher graduation rates, higher rates of college attendance, and higher earnings at work.

• Prepare more students for the workforce by improving access and affordability to higher education through expansion of loan and grant programs, strengthening our nation’s community college system, and keeping interest rates low for students receiving need-based federal loans.

Contact your House member’s office and urge them to vote YES on the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (HR 3221).

This is potentially a historical step forward in the education of America’s children—including thousands in Washington State.

Check out our Executive Director Chris Korsmo in the Seattle Times yesterday on this legislation. “We know that what happens in the first five years of a child’s life has a lot to do with how the rest turns out.”

In addition to Race to the Top, the following guidelines are also out today:

Second round of State Fiscal Stabilization Fund grants

Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems grants

Guidelines for the Investing in Innovation Fund, Teacher Incentive Fund, Title I School Improvement Grants and State Educational Technology Grants will be released in the coming weeks, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Hot off the federal edu-news presses. This morning, Rep. George Miller (CA), Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, introduced the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act. Here are two reasons why this legislation had me at hello:

1) Tackling the Student Loan Problem

If you ask me, students these days are way too familiar with Sallie Mae. She’s like the house guest who will never leave. Sadly there are very few ways to fund higher education – other than to go in debt. Deeply in debt. And, guess who’s making money off this? Our forever-friend (whether we like it or not), Sallie Mae.

This legislation would eliminate wasteful subsidies to student loan companies and use the $87 billion in savings on a bold policy package to make college more affordable and accessible for low and middle income families. The legislation closely follows a proposal by President Obama, despite fierce opposition from the student loan industry, and represents the largest ever investment in higher education.

As Politico puts it, ‘Our choice is clear: we can continue funneling taxpayer dollars through boardrooms, or we can start sending them directly to dorm rooms.’ My vote is for the dorm. Check out the full Politico article here.

2) Investing in Innovative Early Education Programs.

Solve the problem before it starts. Makes sense, huh? This is why I’m such a huge fan of early education programs. I’m not alone.  So is President Obama. Now we see Rep. George Miller is as well. Hooray for kids and common sense.

To ensure more kids reach kindergarten ready to succeed, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act includes an Early Learning Challenge Fund to increase the number of low-income children in high quality early learning settings. If passed this legislation would invest $10 billion over 10 years in competitive grants to challenge states to build a comprehensive, high quality early learning system for children birth to age 5 that includes:

• Early learning standards reform.
• Evidence-based program quality standards.
• Enhanced program review and monitoring of program quality.
• Comprehensive professional development.
• Coordinated system for facilitating screenings for disability, health, and mental health needs.
• Improved support to parents.
• Process for assessing children’s school readiness.
• Use data to improve child outcomes.

Transform early learning programs by insisting upon real change in state standards and practices:

• Build an effective, qualified, and well-compensated early childhood workforce by supporting more effective providers with degrees in early education and providing sustained, intensive, classroom-focused professional development to improve the knowledge and skills of early childhood providers
• Best practices in the classroom by implementing research-based early learning standards aligned with academic content standards for grades K-3.
• Promote parent and family involvement by developing outreach strategies to parents to improve their understanding of their children’s development.
• Fund quality initiatives that improve instructional practices, programmatic practices, and classroom environment that promote school readiness.
• Quality standards reform that moves toward pre-service training requirements for early learning providers, and adopting best practices for teacher-child ratios and group size.

Here is a link to a short summary on the House Education and Labor Committee  website.

President Obama redefined reform this morning,  outlining his plan for a major overhaul of the country’s education system “from the cradle up through a career.”

He called for:

• Investment in early learning innovation
• Extra pay for teachers based on many factors including student achievement
• Tougher, clearer standards
• A longer school year
• Increased access to college though extra funding for Pell Grants

Click here to check out his full speech.

Click here to check out some CNN video clips.