The Delaware State Legislature is gearing up to return to session this week after a two-week break. As always, a host of education-related legislation is on the horizon. Now that we are halfway through the 2016 legislative calendar, here’s what you need to know in order to keep tabs on all things education-related down in Legislative Hall during the remainder of the 148^th General Assembly.

 

What’s happened so far this year?

• Back in January, Governor Jack Markell delivered his final State of the State Address. We’ve decoded what this means for education in the first state.
• Then, the governor introduced his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2017, which included a total investment of $49 million in our classrooms and children. See this overview of the governor’s budget for a summary of this proposed investment.
• In February, the Delaware Department of Education and the Office of Early Learning presented their portion of that budget to the Joint Finance Committee and answered legislators’ questions.
• Meanwhile, both the House and the Senate have begun to work education legislation—check out our Legislative Monitor for a full list.

 

What’s coming next?

• Many task forces and committees that were established in previous session years have been working hard to produce their reports, which may include recommendations that inspire legislative action. Here’s a handful of those education groups:
  • Wilmington Education Improvement Commission: WEIC’s redistricting plan will be debated by the legislature now that it’s been approved by the State Board of Education. Stay tuned for Rodel’s breakdown of all the WEIC details.
  • Educational Technology Task Force: This group just released its final report recommending how to ensure that all Delaware students have access to modern and effective educational technologies that enhance learning and promote college and career readiness.
  • Assessment Inventory Committee: Following the Assessment Inventories process completed by the state and districts, this group is charged with putting forth recommendations regarding the appropriate amount and use of assessment in Delaware schools.
  • Education Funding Improvement Commission: This group is tasked with reviewing and making recommendations to modernize and improve Delaware’s system for funding public education. Their report is currently due by June 30th.
  • Behavioral and Mental Health Task Force: This group was established to examine mental health in the State of Delaware and make recommendations for the improvement of services and the mental healthcare system. Their report is currently due by May 31^st
  • DPAS II Advisory Committee: A subcommittee was established last year to review and make recommendations for changes to the current educator evaluation system.
• In addition to the topics above, issues like school safety, student health, college access, and more could find their way into the legislative process this spring.
• The Joint Finance Committee meets from May 23 and June 2 for budget markup, and the final budget will be voted on later in June.

 

How do I stay informed?

• Check out Rodel’s Legislative Monitor, updated weekly during session, to track all education legislation in the state legislature.
• Attend meetings of the many education-related committees, such as those listed above. You can search for them on the Delaware Public Meeting Calendar.
• Know your legislators! Use this tool to find your legislators and then read about their committee assignments and sponsored legislation to learn more about what issues they care about. This is a crucial first step to being an advocate. The Rodel Teacher Council visited Legislative Hall last month to get know their legislators and share insights on personalized learning from their classroom. Read more about it in Michele Johnson’s blog post, “Do You #KnowYourLegislator?”
• Follow me on Twitter @mthopkins126 for live education updates from Legislative Hall.

On June 30th, the Delaware Legislature concluded the first half of the 148th General Assembly. This year legislators were plagued by a challenging budget cycle with a projected revenue shortfall of $27 million for fiscal year 2016. In terms of education, there were a number of controversial issues considered.

As the federal Race to the Top grant comes to a close, Governor Jack Markell proposed adding $7.5 million to the FY16 education budget to fund a range of initiatives to provide supports to educators and school leaders, and to maintain quality data systems. Given the many pressures on our state budget, the final approved budget includes $3.75 million dollars to sustain initiatives previously funded by the Race to the Top grant that will support:

• Next Generation Science Standards
• College readiness activities
• Common Ground for the Common Core
• Teacher preparation initiatives
• Technology support for the Educator Insight Portal

The most notable education debate this session revolved around parental concerns about standardized testing. Rep. John Kowalko sponsored HB 50 which codifies the right for the parent or guardian of a child to opt out of the state and district assessments. After substantial public feedback, including Paul Herdman’s comments to the Senate Education Committee, and much discussion in both the House and Senate, the bill passed at the end of June. The education community now waits in anticipation to see how Gov. Markell will respond to the bill. In an attempt to address the legitimate concerns around over-testing students, SJR 2 (Sokola) requires the Department of Education to conduct an inventory of district and state assessments and report the results. A group will be assembled to conduct an in-depth review of the inventory results to make recommendations for consolidation or elimination of assessments, to be completed by June 30, 2016.

Less controversial but just as critical, the legislature created the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission as a result of the work of the Wilmington Education Advisory Committee (WEAC). Established in September 2014 by executive order, the WEAC published its final report, “Strengthening Wilmington Education: An Action Agenda” in March 2015. Following its release, five bills were introduced that were aligned with that plan. Some bills received a lot of legislative support, some did not move this session because they had significant financial implications, but all will require continued community input and involvement.

• Rep. Helene Keeley sponsored HB 148 to create the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission to promote and support the implementation of all recommended changes from the Wilmington Education Advisory Committee, particularly school district realignment. It is charged with developing a transition plan and a resource plan by December 31, 2015 that must be submitted first to the State Board of Education and then to the General Assembly and the governor for final approval.
• Sen. Margaret Rose Henry sponsored SB 122 to give the State Board of Education the authority to change school district boundaries in New Castle County once it adopts the plans developed by the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission.
• Rep. Charles Potter sponsored HB 56 w/HA 1, the strategic planning bill that provides a moratorium on all new charter schools in Delaware until June 30, 2018 or until the State Board of Education develops a strategic plan for the number of charter, district, and vocational-technical schools in the state. This bill was signed on May 5th.
• In April, HB 117 w/ HA 1 was introduced by Rep. Heffernan. This legislation would create a funding source for students enrolled in Delaware public schools who are determined as low-income according to federal guidance. A local district contribution would be expected to match appropriations made for units for low-income students, and could be funded with a match tax. The bill was voted out of the House Education Committee but was stalled in the House Appropriations Committee due to a fiscal note that would require $12 million annually from the state, and over $5 million annually from districts.
• Rep. Kim Williams sponsored HB 30, a bill that proposes provided state funding to kindergarten through third grade for basic special education. Due to financial constraints, the bill remains with the House Appropriations Committee.

After thoughtful deliberation and discussion, the General Assembly acted on SB 31, to extend the sunset provision on Teach For America (TFA) – Delaware to 2018. This bill allows the TFA program to continue to recruit and train teachers from Delaware schools and from across the nation to teach in Delaware’s highest needs schools.

One of the most practical bills considered in session was led by Rep. Williams, HB 146, which establishes an application fee for new educator licensure in order to reduce the processing burden on the Department of Education and allow its licensure office to better serve the needs of Delaware’s educators. The licensure reciprocity agreement with other states and the lack of cost allows many to apply for a Delaware educator license without ever intending to teach in the state. A slight application fee will help discourage those who do not intend to teach in Delaware from filling out an application.

Looking to the future and how to address the legitimate concerns relating to our long-term funding concerns, SJR 4 (Sokola) establishes the Education Funding Improvement Commission. This group, which consists of many Delaware education stakeholders, is tasked with making recommendations by March 31, 2016 on transitioning to a student-focused, weighted school funding system, introducing more funding flexibility into the system, and improving the process by which education funding revenues are collected.

Also of note was HJR 7 (Williams), a bill that re-establishes the Committee to Advance Educator Compensation and Careers, and establishes two sub-committees: the Educator Work Group and the Technical Advisory Group. Per this bill, the committee will continue its work in developing a plan for an alternative compensation structure and career pathway for educators aligned with the parameters set forth in SB 254, including providing educators with a meaningful career pathway, including higher starting salaries and recognition for working with high-needs students, and significant leadership opportunities for career advancement that keeps talented educators in the classroom. This bill passed through the Senate on the night of June 30.

Looking back over the last six months, this session seemed fraught with discontent and frustration. While the disagreements might garner the headlines, it’s important to remember that we all share a common trait: We all want what’s best for Delaware students. The General Assembly will face many more challenges next year, including staggering revenue shortfalls, and the political realities of election season. This work certainly won’t get easier, but I hope that despite the challenges, we can focus on our common threads, and come together to do what’s best for students.

The second half of the 147th General Assembly concluded last week. Throughout the session, a number of education initiatives were led by the Markell Administration and the Delaware Department of Education, which will have a positive impact on educators, students, and the system as a whole.

Delaware began progress toward better supporting our educators. SB 254 creates the Committee to Advance Educator Compensation and Careers. The Committee will propose, by November 2014, a system that would establish career pathways for educators, including higher starting salaries, acknowledgement of educators serving high need students, and leadership opportunities that allow educators to remain in classrooms. The work of this committee will be a crucial step toward better valuing Delaware’s many skilled educators. Additionally, SB 168 updates Delaware Code to allow school districts and charter schools to apply for a waiver to implement an alternative evaluation system (DPAS II) for all teachers, including those on an initial license. This legislation supports the development of a more innovative evaluation processes to support educator growth and rigor.

In addition, there were a number of bills introduced to improve the system for our students. As the state continues to transition to Common Core State Standards, and schools adopt curriculum which support these standards, legislation was passed to codify the transition to the Smart Balanced Assessment system (Smarter), which is aligned with Common Core. The summative assessment will be given in the spring of each year to students in grades 3 through 8 and high school, and formative and interim assessments are available to districts to use at their discretion throughout the year. While students will be assessed by Smarter in the 2014-15 academic year, the results will not be used for teacher evaluation purposes during the first year.

To support the transition from high school to college, $1.5 million was allocated to support and expand initiatives run by the Department of Education to include College Application Month, SAT and PSAT exams for students, advanced placement courses and dual enrollment.

To address improvements to our overall system this year we took our first steps toward addressing Delaware’s school funding system, which is currently one of the most restrictive in the country. Through the budget, a working group was formed to develop a pilot program for district funding flexibility. The group will determine criteria for inclusion of up to five districts in the pilot and will establish parameters for the pilot program.

There were a number of other education issues addressed, including:

• Charter schools: SB 209 requires that the meaning and process for consideration of impact in the charter school application review process be defined by the State Board of Education by October 2015. While a charter school application won’t be denied based on its identified impact, conditions could be placed on the school as a result. Charter school supports will also be provided through the Charter Performance Fund, established in 2013. Award recipients will be announced in the coming weeks.
• Supporting students with special needs: A new position has been created within the Department of Education to conduct a comprehensive review of special education services within our public schools and engage stakeholders to create and implement a strategy for serving students with special needs. Additionally, SB 229 created a process by which students with significant cognitive disabilities could opt out of the state’s assessment system and opt into an alternative portfolio option. This option gives the student, parents and the IEP support team options for assessing students and ensuring students are receiving meaningful instruction. Task forces were created to review the Individualized Education Plan process and the ongoing needs of Delawareans who are on the autism spectrum.
• School retention and social promotion: This issue will be addressed through a Task Force to study and provide alternative solutions.

Overall, we are excited about the progress Delaware has made within the last two years, and we look forward to continuing to work to make Delaware one of the finest systems of public education in the world.

At his sixth State of the State, Governor Markell continued his focus on education and investing in a variety of opportunities to help develop and support the potential of Delaware students. The Governor specifically outlined a number of initiatives designed to prepare students for life beyond the classroom.

Delaware schools are their students’ gateway to the world, and during his tenure, Governor Markell has focused on broadening opportunities for students. Last year, he focused on a robust World Language Immersion program, starting our youngest citizens on a path for a future in a global economy. This year, Governor Markell has focused his attention toward supporting students in developing their potential through a variety of initiatives such as college application assistance, encouraging dual enrollment, and training for students directly entering the workforce. These programs will help all students, encouraging their growth in the areas where they are most passionate.

Students have plenty of decisions to make in their final year of high school, as they decide which career or education path they would like to pursue. Unfortunately due to financial constraints, many are not considering college as a serious option. The path to college can be intimidating and the state has partnered with the College Board to alleviate some of the challenges. They’ve created college application supports through College Application Month, waiving application fees for participating schools, and helping to navigate the financial aid process. College Application Week was so successful in schools during the 2012-13 academic year that it has been extended to College Application Month for the 2013-14 academic year.

The college life can prove to be a difficult transition for students, laced with intimidation. Providing students the opportunity to experience college academics while still in high school can spark the desire to continue with a college education. To give students a taste of college life, Governor Markell announced that low income students will have the opportunity to apply for scholarship funds to take credit bearing courses during their senior year of high school. Students can get a realistic preview of college level work and take some of the anxiety and mystery out of higher education all while earning valuable credits toward a degree.

Some students want to enter the workforce directly from high school, and Governor Markell has proposed a plan to offer a training option for students. In the fall of 2014, a new program in manufacturing technologies will launch for high school juniors and seniors. Students will have the opportunity to start training in mechanical, computer, and electrical engineering, resulting in a nationally recognized manufacturing certificate, and interning with companies in Delaware. The component of real world experience in the field of the student’s choosing is invaluable toward planning for a future beyond the walls of the classroom. This innovative approach is a result of collaboration between the Red Clay Consolidated School District and Delaware Technical and Community College.

Exciting options for students beyond the classroom are being created throughout the state. Superintendents are using all of their skills to create robust learning experiences within the schools they know best. As a means for school leaders to serve their student needs directly, Governor Markell and Representative Debra Heffernan have been working on a pilot plan for flexible funding for school districts. Delaware’s current funding formula is unyielding, and providing flexibility on a trial basis would allow leaders to use their funding allocation to provide the services their specific student population needs. Reporting on their utilization of resources will help create a broader program for additional districts. With increased flexibility, districts may be able to support the efforts underway or create new ways to prime students for their future outside of the classroom.

The students currently enrolled in Delaware schools will be our state’s leaders in the not too distant future, and our investment in education will have an impact for decades to come. I continue to be impressed with the positive ways we are preparing students for a global economy. Governor Markell values education and continues to make students’ future beyond the classroom a priority.