Quick Survey from National PTA on Education Issues

National PTA President Laura Bay requests your participation in a Department of Education online survey (it’s only 5 questions!) on the most pressing educational issues (as you see them) and how the US Department of Education’s Comprehensive Centers can provide assistance to address those issues.  

The Comprehensive Centers program is authorized by Title II of the Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 (ETAA), Education Sciences Reform Act (ESRA) of 2002. The Department of Education funds these Centers to provide technical assistance to State education agencies (SEAs) that builds SEA capacity to: support local educational agencies (LEAs or districts) and schools, especially low-performing districts and schools; improve educational outcomes for all students; close achievement gaps; and improve the quality of instruction. 

Please complete the online survey at your earliest convenience. The survey closes on Thursday, August 18.

SBE Community Forum at ESD 112 in Vancouver

The State Board of Education will hold a board meeting November 4-5 in Vancouver. Public comment is scheduled during the board meeting, but the Board recognizes that those times may not be convenient for working community leaders, so we're holding an additional open forum to gather feedback from members of the community. 

Please join board members for an open discussion about important topics such as strategies for closing the achievement gap, standards, and assessment. The community forum will be November 3 at ESD 112. 

If you are unable to attend the public comment or community meeting, we are happy to respond to any written questions you may have about the board and its work. Currently, the Board is working on important issues impacting the achievement index, school accountability, graduation requirements, and student discipline.

Board members appreciate the opportunity the community forum provides for close conversations with members of the community and educators. We hope you'll be able to attend. Register here.

Contact 

Stefanie Randolph

Communications Manager

Washington State Board of Education

stephanie.randolph@k12.wa.us

(360) 725-6501

59th Day of Legislative Session E-Wire - Sine Die Tomorrow!!!

Hi folks,

The E-Wire has had a rough week trying to keep priority PTA Bills in play down in Olympia. Veteran lobbyist, Nick Federici, described the situation concerning several of these bills as “Schroedinger’s Cat” Bills.  Dead, yet alive at the same time.  For the most part, we consider most of these priorities very much alive and their ability to remain so at the waning hours of the session depend on PTA members burning up the wires telling their legislators to keep moving ahead on these issues.

This is where we are at so far:

CTE - Alive, and not subject to Cut-off.  The House Bill is in the Senate, but is not likely to move anywhere.  The Senate Bill is part of SB 6552.

Breakfast – now likely dead, but it is still in the House Budget.  It is not subject to cut-off, but unless there is agreement in the Majority Caucus, it will not be passed this session.   

Rural Schools - Endangered, but still alive and not likely subject to today's cut-off being that it is in the House Budget.

Omnibus Education - Endangered, but still alive.  It is rumored that the legislature has embraced an amendment offered by Representative Sam Hunt.  Information from the striker is listed below.

Foster Care Expansion - in Senate - Alive, and currently in the Senate. It is a budget item, so not likely subject to cut-off.

Capital Budget - Funding School Construction – there are competing bills to address some of the needs this year.  Their likelihood of passage is unclear at this writing.  We report on them below.

If you are reading this – and have not contacted your legislator this year – you need to – we’re close to hitting the mark on most of the bills we prioritized this year and, hey, we’re greedy for kids – let’s get them all out!

Some of the Key Bills PTA was following that have been or may be scheduled for hearings this week...

Here is the list of bills we have been following that are still alive as of this writing.  There are other  bills that we have worked with over the session, but these are the ones that are looking most likely to survive the latest cut-off.  Some of these bills have already had a hearing and others are either calendered or hopefully to be scheduled soon.  All policy bills must pass by Friday to survive the cut-off.

Steps to success for every student

Did your school meet its targets? Annual Measurable Objective Summary

 

In gauging learning challenges, the realities for many children go unnoticed. Overall, most kids in Washington are meeting expectations in math and reading. Most students are also white and not low-income. When you start looking at subgroups, you see a disturbing trend. Statewide, American Indian, Pacific Islander, black, Hispanic, limited English, low income and special education students are not only not meeting proficiency standards, they aren’t meeting the intermediate “target” steps to proficiency.

Gauging school success

State effort will look at growth gaps and ability to meet the needs of all subgroups

The State Board of Education and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction are developing a new accountability and achievement system that will incorporate student growth and establish a unified system for evaluating school and district performance. The agencies are doing so in collaboration with state and local policy makers, educators, parents and citizens.

Washington State PTA advocates for necessary funding, policies and practices to ensure all children are able to graduate ready for college or career. The association is participating in an accountability workgroup established by the state board and schools superintendent, and President Novella Fraser has nominated Sebrena Burr to represent the association. Ms. Burr is a local and council PTSA leader in Seattle and is active in efforts to increase access to quality early education and close the state’s pervasive achievement gaps.

Do you agree? Funding, gaps are big K-12 worries

Americans weigh in on public education in 44th Annual PDK/Gallup Poll

• Americans not so sure high school grads are ready for work (more than 4 out of 10 say no)
• They feel good about teachers (7 out of 10)
• They are split about using students' state standardized test results in teacher evaluations

• Press release
• Full report

Washington treading water in science

• Washington has slight edge in science scores, but gaps continue
• Not much movement since 2009 ... 29 percent not basic; 36 percent basic; 34 percent proficient; 2 percent advanced (numbers are rounded)
• Details: Nation’s Report Card: 2011 Science
• In our state: Washington’s 2011 snapshot report

Washington’s eighth-graders scored a little better than the national average on the science portion of the Nation’s Report Card, but the state’s gaps among subgroups remained entrenched.

Nationally, score gaps between black and white students and between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white students narrowed between 2009 and 2011. In Washington, the score gap widened for black students and narrowed for Hispanic students, but the changes were not significantly different. (Details below)