Dr. Terry Bergeson

1
Update on Washingtons K-12 Public Education
System

• Dr. Terry Bergeson
• Superintendent of Public Instruction
• WSSDA Legislative Assembly September 26, 2008

2
THANK YOU for all the critical work that you
do on behalf of the students, parents, and
educators of our state!
3
School districts are annually subsidizing state
funding

• Utilities, insurance, supplies, textbooks by 500
  M
• Classified staff by 325 M
• Salaries for principals and administrators by
  172 M
• Pupil transportation by 100 M
• Teacher salaries/days, special education,
  remediation and help for English language
  learners
• 42 of facilities maintenance

4
School districts are on brink of financial crisis

• After levies subsidize state funding shortfalls,
  no room left to pay for compensation cost
  increases of local staff
• 2008-09 ending fund balances steady, but too many
  districts are on the financial edge
• No budget cushion for 2009-10
• 3 billion state deficit
• 2009-11 budget request is a bridge between
  current and new system

5
2009-11 budget top priority Compensation
increases must be paired with foundational support

• Foundational support transportation, NERC,
  classified staffing ratio, salary allocation
  equalization
• 2008 session, OSPI fought for 60 ratio
• For each 100 million the state funded in
  compensation increases (state costs), the state
  should fund 60 million for foundational support
• Will recalculate to project 2009-10 and 2010-11
  once 2007-08 books closed

6
Other 2009-11 budget priorities

• Professional Certification bonus (55 M)
• State pays cost for all staff
• Math curriculum and professional development (33
  M)
• 33 million does not count toward foundational
  support
• Fuel price increases for current biennium (22 M)
• Fund State Board of Health facilities rules if
  enacted (85 M in 2011)
• Restore School Nurse Corps and extend Navigation
  101 grants (13 M)

7
Math and science budget request

• Mathematics instructional materials
• Requested 15 million/year to reimburse school
  districts for new mathematics instructional
  materials purchases
• 50/student to purchase core and/or supplemental
  material
• Professional development
• Requested 20/student to continue math and
  science professional development
• Would be available to provide professional
  development for elementary and math/science
  teachers on revised standards, new textbook
  adoptions, revised assessments

8
Basic Education Finance Task Force 6 most
important issues to address

• Redefine certificated and classified staffing
  ratios
• Restructure salary policy and funding
• Redefine funding level for non-employee-related
  costs, with common sense adjustments for
  inflation
• Redefine LAP funding
• Redefine ELL funding
• Redefine adequate funding for pupil
  transportation
• Restructure special education funding

9
Math update

• Standards
• Curricula reviews and survey
• Assessment
• Graduation requirements

10
K-5 recommendations

• Math Connects
• Bridges in Mathematics
• Rationale
• Most closely aligned with state standards
• Math Connects fully available online
• Highest scoring programs overall
• Both exceeded the minimum content threshold

11
6-8 recommendations

• Holt Mathematics
• Math Connects
• Rationale
• Holt is clear leader, based on analysis
• Selection of Math Connects from pool of tied
  programs gives districts a K-8 system
• Both programs are fully available online

12
Instructional materials review Process overview
13
Instructional materials review Process overview
(cont.)
14
Science update

• Spring 2008 SBE report on science standards
  completed
• Summer/Fall 2008 New science standards developed
• December 2008 Submitted to SBE and Legislature
• April 2009 New science standards adopted,
  training and curricula reviews commence

15
Fix NCLB Regain decisionmaking for our state

• Frustration level yours and mine at an
  all-time high
• NCLB has required too much testing
• OLD grades 4,7,10
• NEW grades 3,4,5,6,7,8, 10
• Goal is great but accountability system too
  punitive does not recognize or reward
  improvement
• English language learners and some students with
  disabilities tested inappropriately

16
Fixing NCLB

• New President, new Dept. of Education, new law!
• Create workable Washington model and get federal
  government to agree to
• Recognize improvement
• Reduce testing burden
• Ensure fairness for students with disabilities
  and English language learners
• Deal with dropout/graduation issues that penalize
  schools
• Increase funding

17
Call to action

• Let your legislators know
• Great work you have accomplished
• The personal and societal value of a strong,
  vibrant, financially healthy K-12 education
  system
• Cuts in K-12 funding will hurt our kids and
  jeopardize our states financial future

18
Weve faced big challenges, but weve already
accomplished miracles . . .
19
THE PAYOFF 92 of 2008 12th-graders metstate
reading and writing graduation requirements
June 2008 numbers
92
70.96 earned Certificate of Academic Achievement
or Certificate of Individual Achievement
8
20
Class of 2008 The best-prepared class in
Washington state history

• Top SAT and near top ACT performance in the
  nation
• Advanced Placement participation has quadrupled
  over past 10 years and scores up substantially
  this year
• More than 14,000 students earned 90,000 college
  credits through participation in CTE programs (6
  million saved)
• Record numbers of students with record test
  scoresare applying to state universities
• All graduates have a plan for post-secondary
  success
• Students completed incredible projects in their
  areas of passion

21
Supplemental slides
22
Math standards update

• Revised K-8 and high school standards approved
• More than 13,000 teachers trained to date
• Math curricula reviews
• K-8 core curriculum review completed
• High school core curriculum review November 2008
• K-12 supplemental materials review December 2008
• School districts surveyed on core curricula,
  textbook purchasing cycles
• Report due to Legislature November 15, 2008

23
Math standards update

• OSPI will provide in January 2009
• Ranking and recommendations of up to 3 core
  programs at each level (K-5, 6-8, 9-12)
• Detailed analysis of ALL programs reviewed
• Adoption supports for each program
• Use of supplemental materials
• Remediation/resequencing opportunities
• Focused professional development
• Transition strategies for districts (case
  examples)
• Guidelines, not mandates

24
Math and science budget request

• Mathematics instructional materials
• Requested 15 million/year to reimburse school
  districts for new mathematics instructional
  materials purchases
• 50/student to purchase core and/or supplemental
  material
• Professional development
• Requested 20/student to continue math and
  science professional development
• Would be available to provide professional
  development for elementary and math/science
  teachers on revised standards, new textbook
  adoptions, revised assessments

25
Improving and streamlining the WASL 2009

• Less time required for grades 3-8 testing
• Shorter tests in grades 3-8
• Average testing time in grades 3-8 reduced by
  one-third
• New translation options for English language
  learners in mathematics and science
• New accommodations for students with disabilities
• Post-2009 Explore moving testing window for
  grades 3-8 to earlier or later in year

26
Grade 3-8 math assessments

• May - November 2008
• Write/revise WASL items to align to revised
  standards
• Create shorter tests
• Spring 2009
• Administer shorter tests
• Last year of current grade 3-8 math WASL
• Pilot new and rewritten items
• Spring 2010
• First administration of new grade 3-8 math WASL

27
Grade 3-8 math assessments

• August 2008 November 2009
• Create new tests that align with revised
  standards
• Spring 2010
• Last year for current form of high school math
  WASL
• Pilot new items
• Spring 2011
• First administration of new high school math WASL
  and end-of-course tests

28
Graduation requirements

• Mathematics
• Class of 2013 required to meet the math standard
  on the WASL or end-of-course assessments
• Class of 2014 required to meet the standards on
  the mathematics end-of-course assessments
• Science
• Class of 2013 required to meet the science
  standard on the WASL
• Class of 2013 enters 9th grade in fall 2009!