1. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Improving No Child Left Behind Tom Luna Superintendent of Public Instruction www.sde.idaho.gov

2. Obama Administration and Education Driving change through federal dollars. Alignment between goals in all federal programs. Want more and more education programs to be competitive. Offer money for States and LEAs to do things voluntarily and then will require it for all later.

3. FY 2012 Federal Budget Feds have money, state doesn’t. Driving policy changes like Race to the Top President Obama’s budget maintains Title One and Special Ed funding and consolidates many grants and makes them competitive. Rural states could be at a HUGE disadvantage

4. FY2012 Federal Budget Changes Programs frozen: Title I Migrant Education Neglected/Delinquent students Education for Homeless Impact Aid Rural Education Indian Education 21st Century Community Learning Centers

5. FY 2012 Federal Budget Changes Proposes to consolidate 38 existing programs into nine new funding streams All but one would be competitive grants Education Technology State Grant is eliminated but ED Tech infused throughout new programs Consolidations contingent on ESEA reauthorization

6. The Law Formerly Known as “No Child Left Behind” Now referred to as Elementary Secondary Education Act (original name from 1965) Served on the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) taskforce on reauthorization. Asked for more flexibility for greater accountability Growth model for assessments Continued disaggregation of data Coordinate and single data points within the US DOE

7. The Administration’s Blueprint Released a 40-page blueprint in March Rewards/Consequences for the top five and the bottom five percent of schools Adds more flexibility, but strict consequences for bottom 5 percent. Superintendent and/or principal fired if school is in the bottom five percent. Competitive grants if you do what feds want

8. The Administration’s Blueprint Continued focus on enhancing teacher compensation through pay for performance. Unclear what Adequate Yearly Progress will look like Questions on how schools will be measured. However, administration makes it clear that they want multiple measures focusing on student academic growth. More emphasis on closing achievement gap with English language learners.

9. The Administration’s Blueprint Teacher quality: State defines “effective teacher,” but the definition must include student growth. Effective teachers must be distributed equitably throughout Idaho. Continued emphasis on “high-need districts and schools.”

10. What We Like about the Blueprint Measuring school and district progress on student growth Improving the rigor of teacher evaluations Focus from highly qualified to highly effective teachers Emphasis on college and career ready

11. Congress is Struggling Idea of the bottom five percent, because there will always be a bottom five percent. How is it measured and how often? Do you lose resources once you are out of the bottom five percent? Trying to articulate goals and requirements without being prescriptive

12. The Reality: Congress Will Do What it Wants Visited Congressional Committee Staff in June who are writing the bill: Kara Marchione, Education Policy Advisor, Chairman George Miller (D-CA) James Bergeron, Deputy Director Minority Staff, (R- Kline) Maria Worthen, Education Advisor, Chairman Harkin (D- IA) Lindsay Hunsicker, Senior Policy Advisor, Enzi (R-WY)

13. What Congressional Staff Said No longer using blueprint as guide Very interested in solutions and examples for school improvement Struggling with putting some of the administration’s ideas into practice. We sent them information on Idaho’s Statewide System of Support.

14. What We Told Them Idaho’s story: Idaho’s system of support would not qualify under the Administration’s plan. Concerned about prescribing specific solutions to low-achieving schools. Fine with consolidating grants, but making them competitive puts rural states at a disadvantage Congressional staff suggested formula to state, competitive to district

15. What’s Next? Going slow Outcome of elections Doubt there will be a bill this session How does Congress’ inaction affect the march toward 2013-2014?