1 Leading the Next Generation of Education Reform in New York State New York State Education Department James A. Kadamus September 22, 2005

2 Regents Goals for PreK-12 Education Raise student achievement for all Close gaps in student performance

3 NYS Education Reform Strategy Set high standards/expectations –What students need to know and be able to do Create an assessment and accountability system –To validate that students are meeting standards –To publicly report on progress of schools in meeting standards Build capacity of system to implement changes in instructional practices to meet standards

4 Impact of NCLB on NYS Education Reform Strategy Reinforced need for clear, consistent standards Extended State assessment system to all grades 3-8 Expanded accountability system to include subgroups of students Emphasized State role in school improvement Highlighted need to have highly qualified teachers

5 What Have We Learned From the First Generation of NYS Education Reform? The Good News: Standards work: when curriculum, instruction and assessments are aligned Nearly all students now take Regents exams: and the pass rate is the same as when only 50-60% of students took the exams

6 What Have We Learned (cont’d) The majority of students now pass eight Regents exams and the coursework needed to obtain a Regents diploma Fewer students score 55-65, making the move to a 65 standard for all students possible Students with disabilities are now taking and passing Regents exams

7 What Have We Learned (cont’d) Students who are enrolled in Career- Technical Education programs with integrated academics pass Regents exams and graduate at high rates Students scoring below basic proficiency (Level 1) are declining at every level (grades 4 and 8) in all subject areas

8 What Have We Learned (cont’d) Minority students have gained the most in ELA and Math over the last six years Good research-based reading programs have resulted in high percentage of students being proficient by grade 4

9 What Are the Warning Signs From the First Generation of NYS Education Reform? Students who do not read well by grade 3 or 4 struggle in the middle grades Students who score Level 1 on any of the 8 th grade assessments do poorly in high school coursework and on Regents exams

10 Warning Signs (cont’d) Students who fail their courses in grade 9 are at a high risk of not graduating and will likely drop out Catching up is hard to do – once students fall behind, the system does not have effective interventions to bring them back to grade level

11 Next Generation of NYS Education Reform Standards will remain and may even need to be revised to match international competition (e.g., math standards) Assessment and accountability will continue to be important elements to validate achievement and meet Federal mandates Capacity building efforts will need to expand at State, regional and local levels

12 Next Generation (cont’d) Capacity building will require involvement of more than just PreK-12 system Strategies will be needed to engage the public and build support for education changes

13 Regents Policy Priorities in Support of Next Generation of Reform Early childhood education – getting kids a good start and reading by grade 2 Middle level education – giving students the foundation so they will be successful in high school and beyond High school – getting all students to graduate with world class knowledge and skills and be ready for college and careers

14 Early Childhood Education Regents policy paper proposes: 1.Change compulsory education age from 6- to 5-years old 2.Require full-day kindergarten for all 5-year- olds 3.Expand Pre-K opportunities in order to make the opportunity universal 4.Expand research-based reading programs (e.g., Reading First) to all schools

15 Regents Middle-Level Policy Paper Gives permission for schools to implement more flexible and integrated educational programs in middle grades For high-performing schools – permits flexibility in units of study as long as all learning standards are being met For low-performing schools – permits flexibility in exploring course units of study as long as courses can be shown to strengthen core academics

16 High Schools Regents have already: Adopted a four-year phase-in for all students to achieve 65 on five required Regents exams Established an appeals process for students scoring within three points of 65 Directed SED staff to support those high schools with less than 70% completion rate by creating a learning community of those high schools focused on capacity building

17 High School Learning Community SED will set a clear agenda for the learning community to include: 1.Transition from middle grades to high school 2.Extra help for students to recover when they are failing 3.Expansion of Regents career-technical education model

18 Learning Community (cont’d) 4. Content-literacy skills in all subjects 5. Improve achievement of students with disabilities and English language learners 6. Transition from high school to college and careers

19 Other High School Priorities Make sure high schools are safe and support student attendance and learning Develop strong high school principals and teacher leaders Work with school boards to take steps to improve low-performing high schools Develop models to engage citizens, parents and students on purpose and structure of high school

20 SED Role in Capacity Building 1. Sharpen school improvement strategies – especially using regional networks and DS/BOCES 2. Convene learning communities around practice issues -- High school initiative -- Middle school liaisons 3. Conduct USNY Summit – November 2 – to mobilize resources of USNY to meet Regents goals, with regional follow-up 4. Advocate for resolution of CFE court case – implement foundation aid system

21 SED Role (cont’d) 5. Build 3-8 testing system that informs instruction 6. Implement new student information system that permits longitudinal analysis 7. Develop on-line instructional resources through Virtual Learning System (VLS) 8. Develop statewide strategy for public engagement on key issues

22 Systems Integration Makes Strategies More Powerful Connecting 3-8 testing with new student information system provides more detailed information on student performance over time Connecting 3-8 score reporting (Grow Net) with VLS and PBS resources gives schools ability to see instructional strengths and weaknesses and access best instructional practice strategies on-line

23 Local District Role in Capacity Building Full participation in State assessment system including field testing, 95% participation and timely scoring Supplement State assessments with local assessments aligned to State standards Train staff on use of score reports and on- line instructional resources

24 Local District Role (cont’d) Restructure professional development – data- driven, use on-line resources, time for teacher discussion, reflection and decisions – use the 175 hours wisely Use the data system to get an accurate count of students who don’t pass courses and get to the test Form and participate in learning communities and share instructional practices and effective interventions for students falling behind

25 Local District Role (cont’d) Partner with Higher Education institutions that are preparing teachers to make sure new teachers are up-to-date on best instructional practices Develop relationships with community-based and government agencies to support children in need Find ways to make administrative functions more efficient to free up resources to support instruction

26 This presentation is accessible at: uments/jakpresentations.htm