EDUCATION REFORM COMMISSION Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget Susan C. Andrews, Ed. D. Director of Special Projects

EDUCATION REFORM COMMISSION  In January, 2015, Governor Deal appointed a new Education Reform Commission to move Georgia’s reform efforts to a new level.  35 Members of Commission  Sub-committees to address five areas:  Funding  Early Childhood  Teacher Recruitment, Retention, and Compensation  Move on When Ready  Expanding Educational Options

GOVERNOR’S CHARGE TO FULL COMMISSION  My charge to you as a reform commission is to study and make recommendations focused on how our educational system can more effectively prepare today and tomorrow’s students for success in postsecondary programs and the workforce. This kind of preparation will ensure Georgia remains the best place in the nation to live and raise a family.

DEFINITION OF THE DAY  Preliminary Consensus – An interim decision subject to change!

CHARGE TO FUNDING COMMITTEE Develop a formula that is based on student need and where funding truly follows the student. Allow for as much control and flexibility as possible at the school and district level. The leaders who know the students best should be allowed to make decisions about the educational programs that will most effectively meet the needs of those students, and they should have appropriate financial support from the state to do so.

CURRENT SYSTEMS APPROACH QBE 18 Weighted Programs Indirect Costs Categorical Grants State Controls Class Size Requirements Expenditure Controls Position Controls 65% Rule Accountability CCRPI IE2 Contracts Charter Systems Contracts State Charters

PRELIMINARY NEW SYSTEMS APPROACH INPUTS TRANSFORMATION OUTCOMES Student-Based Funding Base Amount Weighted Student Characteristics Grants District Flexibility Accountability CCRPI IE2 Contracts Charter System Contracts State Charters

WHAT IS PROPOSED IN THE BASE?  If the funds had been earned in QBE the following items would be in the base:  Direct and Indirect Instructional dollars minus  T & E  State Health Benefits  TRS Contribution

WHAT STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS MAY BE WEIGHTED?  K-3  9-12  Career Technical Agriculture Education (CTAE)  Students With Disabilities (SWD)  English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)  Economically Disadvantaged  Gifted

PROPOSED NEW CATEGORIES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES  Category A Minutes of Service Per Week  Category B Minutes of Service Per Week  Category C Minutes of Service Per Week  Category D Minutes of Service Per Week  Category E More than 3600 Minutes of Service Per Week

SPECIALIZED GRANT FUNDING  Equalization  No change in current calculation  Average Equalization Over Four Years  Local Five Mill Share  Use same data to calculate Five Mill Share  Sparsity  Change name to Low Enrollment/Low Density Grants  District Enrollment less than 2300  Fewer than 6 students per square mile  If only one criteria is met, district not eligible  If both criteria are met, fund both

PROPOSED COMPENSATION CHANGES  Continue to fund T & E for all current teachers until they phase out of the system;  All districts must develop/adopt new compensation models using effectiveness as one indicator;  Pay districts for salaries based on state average teacher salary for new teachers.

HOLD HARMLESS  Hold Harmless for T & E  Hold Harmless for Earnings below current QBE Earnings  Hold Harmless for Districts currently earning Sparsity Grants that will no longer qualify under new formula

OTHER ISSUES  Charter Systems  State-Commissioned Charter Schools  State-Commissioned Virtual Charter Schools  RESAs  Special Needs Scholarship  State Schools for Blind and Deaf  Residential Treatment Facilities  Preschool Handicapped  Department of Juvenile Justice Schools

CHARTER SYSTEMS GRANT  There are currently 32 approved charter systems  There are an additional 15 in the pipeline.  Current Methodology:  Multiply each charter system’s FTE segments by 3.785% of the base QBE per FTE funding amount (Grades 9-12)  Cap each charter system’s earnings at $4.5 million.  Apply the current austerity percentage to each charter system’s earnings.  Proposed Methodology  Fund each charter system’s enrollment count at 4.033% of the student base funding amount (Grades 4-8).  Cap each charter system’s earnings at $4.5 million.

CONTACT INFORMATION  Susan Andrews, Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget  Director of Special Projects   (office)  (cell)

CHARGE TO EARLY CHILDHOOD COMMITTEE  Study and make recommendations for the expansion of early educational options, including expanding Pre-K in Georgia and increasing access to quality-rated programs for all kids, from birth to age five.  Consider all options, including tax credits.

PROPOSED ENHANCEMENTS TO EARLY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES  Reducing class size to 20;  Increasing salary of lead teacher;  Increasing salary of teaching assistant;  Increasing Pre-K Start-up funds; and  Providing tax credits for providers, parents, and employees in Quality-Rated Pre-Ks

CHARGE TO TEACHER COMMITTEE  We must find a way to help restore the public respect that the teaching profession deserves and to help educators experience the joy of teaching in a supportive and professional working environment.  I charge those of you working on teacher recruitment, retention, and pay to:  Explore innovative, flexible methods.  Make recommendations on the best ways to attain these goals for our teachers.

PROPOSED RECRUITMENT ENHANCEMENTS  Provide Service Cancellable Loans for USG graduates who teach in Georgia;  Replace student teaching with a full year of clinical practice;  Compensate teachers for supervising college interns;  Refund the cost of GACE;  Increase entry level salary of teachers;  Provide signing bonuses for teachers in difficult to place fields; and  Adopt/continue strong induction programs.

PROPOSED IDEAS FOR RETAINING TEACHERS  Implement consistent and continued induction program for new teachers;  Protect teacher planning time;  Return to “normal” on curricula change cycle;  Slowdown/stop “new things” piled onto teachers legislatively or by SBOE rule; and  Repeal burdensome items; place sunset on any new requirements to requires a timely review.

PROPOSED IDEAS AROUND COMPENSATION  Increase beginning teacher pay;  Value teachers through compensation by moving away from T &E model to tiered model with flexibility for districts’  Grandfather in current teachers to T & E model  Allow faster ramp to median salary;  Weight compensation for high needs schools or difficult to fill subject areas; and  Compensate teachers for extra duties and responsibilities

CHARGE TO MOVE ON WHEN READY  It is common knowledge among educators and parents alike that all students do not learn in the same way or on the same schedule.  Georgia’s educational systems need to break new ground in providing as many opportunities as possible for students to “Move on When Ready,” based on demonstrated mastery of skills and required competencies. Explore and make recommendations for the most efficient and effective methods to accomplish this goal.  You have a rare opportunity to think outside the traditional lockstep of graded progression in public education, from kindergarten through postsecondary, and propose a new vision for academic advancement in Georgia.

PROPOSED FIVE GOALS  Reading for All;  Competency Based Learning K-12;  Extend Postsecondary Options;  Add Multiple Graduation Pathways; and  Provide flexible testing calendars

READING FOR ALL PROPOSALS  Cross-grade grouping according to reading level;  Provide more opportunities for students to learn:  Before school  After school  Holidays  Summer

PROPOSED TO EXTEND POSTSECONDARY OPTIONS  More opportunity for students to explore career and college options;  Accelerated opportunity for students to earn advanced credentials and associate degrees in varied settings; and  Identify foundational literacy and math skills students need to be ready for postsecondary education and training programs

PROPOSED FLEXIBLE TESTING MODEL  Tests to assess degree of learning, such as Milestones exams, should be available when students are proficient with competencies, rather than at the end of the year; and  Teachers assess skills or concepts in multiple contexts and ways

CHARGE TO EXPANDING EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS  Finally, but perhaps closest to my heart, is the need to provide students and parents who are trapped in a failing Georgia school with better options for K-12 education.  You may consider expanding public school choice, charter options, tax credits, educational savings accounts, student scholarships, and other innovative approaches to provide choices and support parents in making the best decisions about their children’s education.

PROPOSAL FOR SUPPORTING CHOICE  Recommendations being developed

INPUT SESSIONS  Teacher Input Sessions  GSSA Board of Directors  GSBA Board of Directors  Charter School Foundations  Governor’s Advisory Councils  Public Comments at Every Meeting  GAEL Board of Directors  Early Childhood Stakeholders Committee  Deans of Colleges of Education – both public and private

NEXT MEETING OF FULL COMMISSION  Tuesday September 24, 2015  10:00 – 12:00  Sloppy Floyd Office Building, East Tower  Oak Conference Room, Suite 854

WEB-SITE AND ADDRESS  