Transcript Connecticut Education Reform

SB 458, 54: An act concerning educational reform
PA 12-50: an act concerning requirements for early childhood
educators
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Enhance families’ access to high-quality early childhood
education opportunities
Authorize the intensive interventions and enable supports
necessary to turn around Connecticut’s lowest performing
schools and districts
Deliver more resources targeted to the districts with the
greatest need provided they embrace key reforms that
position students for success
Expand the availability of high-quality school models
including traditional, magnet, charter, and others
Unleash innovation by removing red tape and other
barriers to success, especially in high-performing schools
and districts
Ensure that our schools are home to the very best teachers
and principals—working within a fair system that values
skills and effectiveness over seniority and tenure
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As a “competitive district”, TPS will be eligible for
some of the 250 seats (out of 1000 total)
Facilities study for early childhood expansion
Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System
for home, center, and school-based early child
care and learning
Pilot study to promote best practices in early
literacy
New K-3 statewide reading assessment
State-wide reading plan for K-3
Creation of intensive reading instruction program
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All certified employees working in K-3 (i.e.
teachers & administrators) must take and
pass a SBE-approved practice reading
instruction exam annually
State-developed professional development
plan in reading instruction
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Based on reading assessment data
Differentiated to address teacher needs
Identify mentor teachers
Establish a vision for the “model classroom”
Be job-embedded
Inform principals to be better supervisors
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Commissioner's Network of 25 lowestperforming schools
Establish school-based “Turnaround
Committees”; Commissioner may also impose
a plan
Schools can be turned over to outside school
operators to be run in 6 of 25 sites (RESCs,
universities, non-profits, charter
management organizations)
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School Performance Index
Five Categories (1 is best, 5 is worst)
Based on students’ weighted performance on
statewide mastery tests in math, reading,
writing, and science
Weighted by achievement growth, change
over time, graduation and drop-out rates
Some alternative will be used for secondary
schools where data is not available
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Category 3 schools may be required to
provide:
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Early education opportunities
Summer school
Extended day
Weekend classes
Tutors
Targeted PD
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Operational and instructional audits
Required achievement/improvement plans
State direction of the use of state and federal
funds
Incentives to attract high quality staff
Reconstitution or transfer of staff
Required model curriculum
Establishment of school schools or academies
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Inter-district school choice
Possible appointment of superintendent or
special master by commissioner
Ask union to re-open contract to revise
employment conditions
Expedited arbitration to allow for
implementation of improvement plans
Possible school governance councils
Possible reconstituted school boards
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Increase ECS funding by $50M with $39.5 M
targeted to 30 lowest-performing districts
(Alliance districts)
Accountability for funding low-performing
districts: no discretion in how additional
state provided funds are spent
Common Chart of Accounts as a budgetary
template for better transparency of spending
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Increase funding for charters
Expand efforts of charters to serve priority
student populations including ELL, duallanguage, special education, minority, special
needs
Incentives to BOEs including start-up and
operating grants for charters
More funding for Ag-Science, vocationaltechnical, and magnet schools
District must publicize school choice options
on their websites
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CommPACT schools
Social Development model
RESC management or governance
School reorganization model
◦ Themed academies
◦ Required block scheduling for math and literacy
◦ Frequent student assessment
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Low performing schools may offer
employment to top students in state teacher
education programs early in the hiring season
Category 1 & 2 schools may be excused from
completing some data collection for SDE
Reduce the number of data forms collected
by the SDE by one-third
Create a Red Tape Review Task Force
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Annual performance evaluations with growth in
student achievement as a primary factor in
accordance with framework developed by
Performance Evaluation Advisory Council
Four ratings for teacher performance: exemplary,
proficient, developing, below standard
Remediation plans for all developing and below
standard
New evaluation system piloted by 8-10 districts
Elimination of current system of CEUs and
establish new guidelines for PD models which
job-embedded coaching as predominant form of
training
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Tenure based on effective practice not years of
service
“Ineffective” (not incompetent) is standard for
dismissal
Shortened timelines for terminating teachers
deemed ineffective by teacher evaluation plan:
fair, speedy, and manageable, reduced timelines
Utilizes outside “validators” to review
performance of most and least effective teachers
Establishes a “distinguished educator”
designation
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Increase the number of family resource
centers and school-based health clinics in
Alliance districts
Physical exercise requirement for Grades K-5:
20 minutes in a regular school day
Municipal Aid for New Teachers: grants to
hire top graduates
Open Choice program incentive (Sheff
districts)
Study of small district issues
Extension of Minimum Budget Requirement
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Family Resource Centers & School-based health
clinics
Open choice incentives
School performance indices, actions regarding
low-achieving schools, reconstitution of local
BOE
Turnaround plan referees
School governance councils
Approval of new charter schools
Teacher evaluation programs
Teacher evaluation and support pilot program
Intensive reading instruction program
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New school readiness program spaces
Early childhood education facility study
Early childhood quality rating and improvement system
Early literacy pilot extension
New statewide reading assessments
Professional development in reading
Uniform system of accounting and chart of accounts
Study of small district issues
Alliance districts
Changes in professional development for educators
ECS grant increases for some districts
MBR requirement
Grant increases for non-Sheff magnet schools
Per-student grant for Vo-Ag centers
K-3 reading program
Requirement to pass reading instruction test
Pre-literacy course
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Teacher reading exam
Municipal aid for new teachers program
Commissioner’s Network schools
State and local charter funding
Charter school opt-out lottery study
Neag study of pilot program (teacher evaluation)
Evaluation training
SDE audit of evaluation programs
Teacher tenure and termination
Summer school and extended day grant phase
out for former priority school districts
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Expanded classroom experience
requirements for teacher prep programs
Professional educator certificate changes
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Physical exercise requirement for K-5
School district cost saving grants
Exemplary schools
Disseminating information on school options
Collective bargaining and turnaround plans
Non-profit educational management organization requirements
Accountability law and school governance councils
Distinguished educator designation
Ongoing evaluation training
School superintendent certification waivers
Special education payments for children in DMHAS
Changes in technical high school system
SDE website information
Study of disproportionality of minority students in special education
School incentive program to improve reading
Information sharing system