March 4, 2009

Markell Education Reform Agenda Supports Educators, Fosters Innovation, Demands Accountability

Lt. Governor Denn and Secretary Lowery launch "Back to School Briefings" across the state to get citizen input, advice and recommendations to impact the reform plan

DOVER – Governor Jack Markell today unveiled his education reform agenda for his first year in office. If enacted, his plan would give school districts more flexibility to innovate, offer teachers additional rewards for excellence and introduce greater accountability by replacing the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP) with a system that more accurately measures student progress.

"We have the ability to make our state's education system one of the best in the world but that kind of progress demands that we think differently about how we measure and achieve success. It demands that we do more with the limited resources we have and encourage innovation," Markell said. "This reform agenda gives districts room to innovate, instills greater accountability and rewards results for success."

In a break with tradition, after announcing the agenda but before releasing draft legislation for it, the Governor has asked Lt. Governor Matt Denn and Secretary of Education Lillian Lowery to hold a series of "Back to School" briefings with citizens across the state to elicit honest feedback, record suggestions on how the agenda might be improved and discuss the details with the people who will need to implement the policies if enacted.

"The decisions we make today will be felt for generations. Our economic growth and prosperity for the future depend largely on the quality education we offer now. It will take everyone working together to make this a reality. The Governor asked us to hold these meetings across the state to get an honest assessment of how to make this plan as strong as possible," Denn said.

Lowery, who was previously Superintendent of the Christina School District, said "the additional flexibility is what school districts have asked for and need in order to meet the challenge of improving individual performance at a time when budgets are so tight."

To make the discussion even more open and accessible, Lieutenant Governor Denn is creating a webpage where Delawareans can participate in the discussion from home. Citizens will be able to see the meeting schedule, listen to podcasts of the meetings, and submit feedback. The webpage will be activated on Wednesday, and will be hosted on the Lieutenant Governor's website: http://ltgov.delaware.gov/BackToSchool

"For our state to have the future we all want it to have, we need to make our strong education system even stronger," Markell said. "This agenda will help deliver the kind of change our system needs to prepare students to become active citizens and succeed in an increasingly competitive economy."

The reform agenda's four major aspects are:

A. Replacing the DSTP with a better system for measuring performance.

This agenda requires that a replacement for the DSTP be in place by the 2010-2011 school year. It would offer as a replacement an assessment that actually measures the progress of each child during each school year. The requirements for the new test would correspond to the specifications that the state assessment task force has developed for the new test.

B. Rewarding great teachers and those who volunteer to serve in at-risk districts.

The state already provides salary enhancements for teachers who seek professional development opportunities and achieve advanced degrees. The agenda would build the framework so that when the budget situation improves, the state can add financial rewards for high-performing teachers who teach in 'high-risk' schools (schools under NCLB review and high-poverty schools), and offer salary supplements for teachers whose students show objective improvement based upon our new state assessment over the course of a school year. We will seek to establish the formula for this new salary structure this year and put it into action when funds become available.

C. Cutting cumbersome regulations to give districts the chance to innovate and allow them more decision-making discretion.

This enhances local decision-making in two ways. First, it eliminates state mandates with respect to many subjects outside of traditional ones such as math, reading, writing, and social studies. Districts and schools could still include these other subjects in their curriculum, but they would have greater flexibility in how they were offered so resources could be reprogrammed to meet needs like math and reading. Second, it provides a mechanism by which individual schools and individual districts can promptly seek relief from regulations, procedures, or policies that impede their ability to meet the needs of their students.

D. Allowing Districts and Schools More Funding Discretion.

The agenda moves decisions about what is best for students out to the people closest to the students - individual schools and districts - by giving greater flexibility on how state dollars are spent in schools. This flexibility is balanced by three new provisions of law to ensure great accountability. First, the state Department of Education must approve district budgets, and is assigned to do so with an eye to two criteria: compliance with state and federal law, and appropriate use of funds for instruction-related purposes. Second, it requires a heightened level of financial transparency by districts. And third, it requires each district to set up a standing civilian financial review committee.

The plan was met with enthusiastic support from Senator David Sokola, Chair of the Senate Education Committee, and Representative Terry Schooley, Chair of the House Education Committee.

"The Governor deserves credit for remaining focused on these issues during these difficult times and for having these open meetings to discuss Delaware's education future. Education largely lost its place in the forefront of the national debate the last few years but education is the most critical factor in determining the course of our next several years as a state and a nation," Sokola said.

"Governor Markell's reform agenda gets all the big things right and is willing to listen to make sure the small things get done right, too. It takes seriously problems like the achievement gap that have plagued our state for too long," Schooley said. "Education is the straightest path out of child poverty, which the KIDS Count data shows is a major hurdle to the next generation's success."

Back to School Briefings

Week of March 9

Monday, March 9th 1-3pm (Dover, Tatnall Building) Topic: Rewarding great teachers and those who volunteer to serve in at-risk districts

Tuesday, March 10th 1-3pm (Wilmington, Carvel Building) Topic: Rewarding great teachers and those who volunteer to serve in at-risk districts

Wednesday, March 11th 7pm-9pm (Dover, Tatnall Building) Topic: Replacing the DSTP with a better system for measuring performance

Thursday, March 12th 7pm-9pm (Wilmington, Carvel Building) Topic: Replacing the DSTP with a better system for measuring performance

Friday, March 13th 1-3pm (2 The Circle, Georgetown - Sussex County Administrative Office Building -Council Chambers) Topic: Cutting cumbersome regulations to give districts the chance to innovate and allow them more decision-making discretion

Week of March 16

Monday, March 16th 11am-1pm (Wilmington, Carvel Building) Topic: Cutting cumbersome regulations to give districts the chance to innovate and allow them more decision-making discretion

Tuesday, March 17th 11am-1pm (Dover, Tatnall Building) Topic: Allowing Districts and Schools More Funding Discretion

Wednesday, March 18th 11am-1pm (Wilmington, Carvel Building) Topic: Allowing Districts and Schools More Funding Discretion

Thursday, March 19th 11am-1pm (Dover, Tatnall Building) Topic: Suggestions for Additions

Friday, March 20th 11am-1pm (2 The Circle, Georgetown - Sussex County Administrative Office Building -Council Chambers) Topic: Suggestions for Additions