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.

Early Issues Survey returns

Will the current No. 1 make the new Top 5?

Washington State PTA’s 2012 Issues Survey has been out a week, and the budgeting strategy of Fund Education First is in the clear lead – bumping out reforms to improve basic education and surging past calls to advocate for more money. In all, 18 proposals will go before delegates October 19-20 at the 2012 Legislative Assembly. Each of them came from members; and each cleared a committee review to ensure they aligned with our mission and vision and advanced PTA work underway. 

Take five for kids:
What should be on WSPTA’s 2013 platform?

What will help kids reach their potential? What should we take on this year? Take the WSPTA 2012 Issues Survey and let us know.

Are we doing enough for special education students? What can we do about racial and income equity when it comes to the opportunity gaps? Should we prioritize bonuses for National Board certified teachers? What should we do about funding shortfalls? (Raise revenue? Fund education first in the budgeting process?)

18 proposals advance to Legislative Assembly

Issues touch on budgeting and funding; equity and access; instructional support; safety; positive learning environments; and system changes for Pre-K to grade 12

View all issues here
Direct links to each issue are posted below

DELEGATES TO WEIGH IN OCT. 19-20 AT LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY.
Register, get information here Plan to be there both days. Voting starts early Friday.

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.

Students show progress in state math, science assessments; reading up and down

EXCERPT FROM PRESS RESLEASE:

“Scores on statewide testing continue to show improvement, State Superintendent Randy Dorn said today.

“Specifically, Dorn cited a 10.4 percent jump in fifth-grade science scores, from 55.7 percent of students passing in 2011 to 66.1 percent in 2012, as well as a 4.7 percent jump in eighth-grade scores, from 61.6 percent in 2011 to 66.3 percent in 2012. “

Find your district or school results

Statewide results for 2011-2012:

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

National PTA updates charter school position

 Affirms support of charter schools as one of many avenues to improve student achievement. Calls for accountability, transparency and meaningful parent engagement in authorizing, review and decision-making processes
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WSPTA opposes charter school initiative

“We need local oversight”
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August 11, 2012

Bellingham, WA – Washington State PTA will oppose I-1240, the initiative that would authorize charter public schools in Washington. Nationally, PTA has conditional support for these independent schools, and the state association has twice backed the concept in the past year. But ultimately the board decided this initiative didn’t meet its criteria for local oversight.

“This wasn’t a decision about the value of charter schools. This was a decision about whether this initiative met our criteria,” said Washington State PTA president Novella Fraser.  The decision was made during a board meeting preceding the association’s annual Leadership Conference, being held this weekend at Western Washington University.

Gubernatorial candidates discuss education plans

Speeches posted on TVW

• Jay Inslee, education discussion
• Rob McKenna, education discussion

Both candidates for governor recently shared their visions for education at forums hosted by Excellent Schools Now, a statewide coalition of education advocacy groups, and Our Schools Now, a similar Seattle-based coalition. TVW taped the forums and has posted them on their website. The speeches are similar to those shared with members at the Washington State PTA convention.

Charter public schools initiative under review

NEW BOARD HAS NOT YET TAKEN A POSITION
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Proponents of charter public schools have filed an initiative bid with the Secretary of State, and Washington State PTA members may ask whether the association supports the effort. (See 11th hour filing)

Nationally, PTA has qualified support for charter public schools. And Washington State PTA is actively looking for ways to close our state's entrenched achievement gaps. We are supportive of choice and innovative schools – including charter public schools when they reflect the positions and principles of PTA.

At this point, staff is reviewing the initiative to see if it aligns with WSPTA criteria. The charter proponents who filed the initiative have told us it improves upon on a bill introduced to the legislature this past session. We had concerns with that bill and could not fully support it.  (Key points noted below. See also, Grassroots Connection: Feedback on SB 6202)

2012 PTA Votes Election Guide Now Available

 The 2012 PTA Votes Election Guide is available online at the PTA Votes webpage.  The printable guide gives tips to PTAs ranging from voter registration drives, questions for candidates, ballot initiatives, and the “cans” and “cannots” for PTAs around election time. 

The PTA Votes website also provides an interactive tool that allows members to register to vote and identify local elections by entering an address.   

• PTA how-to's (including what to ask candidates)
• Elections and candidates
• Register to vote

$70M for "community transformation" available

Goal: Healthy, safe communities
Non-government organizations -- including neighborhood groups -- welcome to apply.
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On May 29, 2012 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced available funding of $70 million aimed at improving the health of small communities across the nation. The Community Transformation Grant program is a comprehensive prevention and wellness initiative launched in 2011 by Health and Human Services and administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Grants will be awarded to governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations across a variety of sectors, including education. The targeted communities can be specific counties, cities, towns and villages with populations up to 500,000 or neighborhoods, sections, or subgroups of the population (e.g., children or seniors) within a metropolitan area.

 

Advocacy proposals due Friday

Help decide our legislative priorities. Proposals are due JUNE 1

State board of education needs your feedback on waivers (survey)

2 new tools: Legislative highlights and an FAQ on WSPTA funding and advocacy

What Every Parent Needs Know – Find Your Voice training comes to Renton on June 9

Final countdown … Help decide WSPTA's Top 5

2012-13 Platform: Information & Proposal Form

Proposals for Washington State PTA’s short-term legislative platform are due June 1. Only PTA/PTSA members may turn in proposals. These will be voted on at our legislative assembly in October. Forms may be emailed, faxed, snail-mailed or hand-delivered, but MUST be in before midnight June 1.

New Race, this one focused on learners

District-Level Race to the Top to Focus on the Classroom, Provide Tools to Enhance Learning and Serve the Needs of Every Student
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2012 Competition Proposal Available for Public Comment Until June 8
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Who can apply:
“The proposed 2012 program criteria invites applications from districts or groups of districts serving at least 2,500 students with 40 percent or more qualifying for free or reduced price lunch. Districts will choose to apply for funding to support learning strategies that personalize education in all or a set of schools, within specific grade levels, or select subjects.

Got a teen? Get them to vote

High-schoolers should register NOW to vote this summer and fall.
Register online

If you (or your child) will be 18 by Election Day, you should register.

• Election Day/August 7 primary ... Register online by July 9, or in-person by July 30
• Election Day/November 6 General election  ... Register online by October 8, or in person by October 29

PTA flier to share with members - Help get the word out. Share with your high school PTSAs!

Encouraging civic engagement supports Standard 5 of PTA’s National Standards for Family-School Partnerships.  Sharing power and other standards for success

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)

What will be our new Top 5?

Help decide Washington State PTA’s legislative priorities

·         2012-13 Platform: Information & Proposal Form

Reminder: ALL short-term legislative issues expire this October when delegates vote in a new platform. (This includes the current TOP 6 and the “also supported” issues – including ones voted on last October)

Any PTA/PTSA member or group of members can submit an issue for consideration. I am available to assist as needed.

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Ramona Hattendorf, Government Relations Coordinator

Washington State PTA

rhattendorf@wastatepta.org

Subscribe to Washington State PTA’s Action E-List

Resolutions all pass, as written

Subsidizing staff salaries ... Equitable educational opportunities ... Aligning sleep requirements to school start times ... Arts education

Voting delegates to the 99th Annual Washington State Convention voted to adopt three new resolutions and amend a fourth. All passed as written, though delegates considered several amendments.

The resolutions and supporting documents can be found here.

Highlights of the 2012 legislative session

Washington State PTA advocates for the well-being and education of all children. We went into the December 2011 special session with a simple message: Don’t cut Apple Health for Kids and don’t cut basic education. Our focus stayed on the basics through that session, the regular 2012 session and the follow-up special sessions.

Legislators faced tough budgeting decisions; they needed to figure out efficiencies and forge consensus around spending priorities. We asked them to prioritize kids, and in the end they did. Both parties, both chambers. The problem is that designated revenue doesn’t cover what the kids need. It’s short about $2 billion when it comes to funding basic education. Legislators did not address that, though some tried.

For a breakdown of the budget, see an earlier blog post, Cuts stopped; long road ahead for K-12.