MINUTES
EDUCATION REFORM COMMISSION MEETING
June 23, 2015 --- 10:00 A.M.
DECAL Oak Conference Room
Atlanta, Georgia
The following Commission Members were in attendance:
Madelyn Adams, Matt Arthur, Brad Bryant, Brooks Coleman, Mike Dudgeon, Kent Edwards, Terry England, Tina Fernandez, Mike Glanton, Tyler Harper, Hannah Heck, Bonnie Holliday, Amy Jacobs, Audrey King, Chuck Knapp, Chairman; Cynthia Kuhlman, Fran Millar, Nels Peterson, Freddie Powell Simms, Noris Price, Elizabeth Rhodes, Will Schofield, Lindsey Tippins, Tony Townsend, Alvin Wilbanks, Pam Williams and Dick Yarbrough.
The following Commission Members were absent:
Greg Beadles, Tom Dickson, Barbara Hampton, Jack Hill, Kylie Holley, Hunter Pierson, and Valencia Stovall.
The Meeting was called to order by Dr. Chuck Knapp, Chairman.
Welcome by Dr. Charles Knapp
Dr. Knapp welcomed commission members and guests.
Approval of Minutes from May 20, 2015
The minutes from the May 20, 2015 Commission meeting were disseminated. A Motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes as presented. The motion was unanimously approved.
Dr. Knapp reminded the members that in the near future they will be asked to vote on the recommendations that will ultimately be sent to the Governor. He also encouraged them to get engaged in questions, not just those related to their respective subcommittee, but all the committees. Additionally, he challenged the group to be bold and to reflect on why the group was formed, reiterating the Governor’s charge.
Report from Sub-Committees
Funding Formula Sub-Committee – Dr. Charles Knapp
Dr. Knapp provided a briefing on recent events which included a letter sent to the Governor by the legislative members of the Funding Committee requesting a delay of one year in the recommendations of the committee. The Governor denied the request for a one year extension but set the new deadline for Funding Committee Recommendations to December 18, 2015.
Dr. Knapp expressed disappointment that the group did not meet the initial deadline. “We have several complicated issues to get through. The work of this committee will have an effect on the other committees. “
Preliminary Consensus of Funding Formula Committee To-Date:
Grade bands in formula will include: K-3, 4-8 and 9-12
Grades 4-8 will serve as the base weight for student funding.
Specific student characteristics and state initiatives will be weighted.
Characteristics/Initiatives to be weighted
Students in Grades K-3 will be weighted to support reading on grade level by Grade 3.
Students in Grades 9-12 will be weighted to acknowledge additional costs of college and career ready preparation.
Gifted students will be weighted to acknowledge extra expense of courses and activities.
Preliminary Consensus Reached but Additional Information Requested
Students with Disabilities will be weighted. Staff working with DOE to provide additional information on specific cost factors.
CTAE students in 9-12 will be weighted. Discussion will continue on weighting CTAE students in grades 6-8.
ESOL students will be weighted. Additional information requested on exit protocols.
Economically Disadvantaged students will be weighted. Additional information requested on how DOE uses Census Data to determine Title I allocations to districts.
Items for Continued Discussion
Should committee determine the total cost of education and/or the costs of various components that will go into the formula base?
What are the funding mechanisms of other States who perform better academically on NAEP than Georgia?
Should Teacher Training and Experience be in the base?
If T & E goes into the base, how might the State transition from current use of T & E to a more flexible teacher salary schedule?
How might the State incentivize a consolidation of services in small districts?
How can transportation costs be included in a low-enrollment categorical grant to replace Sparsity grant?
Questions/Comments:
Mike Glanton: As it relates to funding, are we looking at things like charter schools or home schools?
Chuck Knapp: Nels Peterson and his committee will review some of the issues discussed from the Home School Association and report back with recommendations. There’s an ongoing question if the money is following the student to private schools. No, it is for public education. Charter schools will be on the agenda for discussion.
Tyler Harper: I commend the funding committee. In the discussion of weighting, if we are going to provide funds to school districts, we need to make sure the districts are using those funds for those services.
Chuck Knapp: We talked about flexibility and measuring. How far does that flexibility go? If we’re going to weigh gifted students, how do we make sure the money is going to gifted? We want the districts to determine how the funds are used.
Martha Ann Todd: The funding will be based on enrollment.
Erin Hames: The goal is to get districts to think outside the confines of the current system. There are innovative strategies districts may use.
Commission Member: When we think about consolidation, can we share resources without consolidation?
Chuck Knapp: Consolidation is relating to consolidation of services, not consolidating schools districts.
Brad Bryant: Perhaps we’re taking about collaboration more so than consolidation. We have got to starting thinking differently in how we deliver services.
Early Childhood – Amy Jacobs
Ms. Jacobs reiterated the Governor’s charge to the Early Childhood Education Subcommittee: 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. This will require addressing our current funding for Georgia Pre-K as well as considering innovative approaches for getting more children in high quality programs.
Goal of the Subcommittee
Provide recommendations on ways to increase overall access to high quality early childhood programs for all Georgia’s children.
Objectives
Identify strategies to expand Georgia’s Pre-K Program
Identify strategies to expand Quality Rated, Georgia’s tiered quality rating and improvement system
Achieve 100% of all child care providers participating in Quality Rated programs by end of 2017; and
Increase the number of children with high needs who are served in high quality care.
Quality Rated
A priority of the Governor is that Georgia would have a tiered quality rating and improvement system.
Georgia’s approach to access is to improve and communicate the level of quality.
Quality Rating will assign a 1, 2 or 3-star rating where defined program standards are met.
Why are we doing quality rated?
Finding from studies of child care quality conducted independent of DECAL indicated that:
Over 3/4 of family day care homes in Georgia were scored as “low quality.”
Over 2/3 of infant/toddler care classrooms were scored as “low quality.”
Over 1/3 of preschool (non-Georgia Pre-K) classrooms were scored as “low quality.”
Strategies to increase Access to Quality
Tax Policy
Uses public funds to generate much greater private investment;
Can reward taxpayer’s for desired behavior (investing in quality or other outcomes); and
Taxes are familiar, accepted and relatively stable
Child Care Subsidy Policy
Provided through the CAPS Program;
Provides subsidized child care to low income families;
Currently providing services to over 55,000 children weekly;
Services are available in all 159 counties;
Eligibility guideline for families (Income requirement and State approved activity requirement).
CAPS and Quality Rated
8,480 children are receiving CAPS with 329 Quality Rated providers
15% of all children receiving CAPS;
362 Quality Rated providers currently accept children with CAPS.
Tiered Reimbursement
Tiered bonus paid to rated providers for each child subsidized by CAPS (1 Star = 2%; 2 Star = 5%, 3 Star = 10%.
Under Consideration
Support the cost of quality: Design a set of tax credits anchored to Quality Rated
Provider
Staff (Directors, Teachers)
Parent
Continue to improve CAPS policy (tiered reimbursement, copays) tied to Quality Rated
The Early Childhood Committee plans to submit more concrete recommendations in July.
Questions/Comments:
Tina Fernandez: Is the committee looking at strategies to train teachers/providers to provide quality care?
Amy Jacobs: We are working with Quality Rated and working with individual teachers.
Erin Hames: Some colleges and/or technical schools provide grants for these programs.
Fran Miller: If we make Quality Rated mandatory in Georgia, is DECAL ready?
Amy Jacobs: Nationally a lot of states are moving in that direction. If we can tie CAPS to quality that may be an option.
Member: There are a lot of store front day care centers. I am concerned about the quality of education for the child. Are these eligible for CAPs grants?
Amy Jacobs: If these centers are compliant, yes, they are eligible.
Alvin Wilbanks: When we think about early learning I think we are doing a good job. Do we have coordination between agencies and community groups?
Amy Jacobs: Yes there is a statewide group that Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald is working on.
Erin Hames: Talk With Me Baby is an initiative that discusses how parents can talk with their children and help their children develop by talking to them.
Lindsey Tippins: Do we guarantee our curriculum is aligned to the standards?
Amy Jacobs: Yes we do.
Lindsey Tippins: Can you give us a proposal on the tax credit and how they would work?
Amy: We can send you the information on Louisiana. We have not worked out the numbers on Georgia.
Lindsey Tippins: We need to look at budget implications.
Member: I am very encouraged by the birth to five years old. It would be nice to have a one stop shop to point people to this information.
Erin Hames: It will be a year from now. We are working on a literacy launch pad.
Move on When Ready – Matt Arthur
Charge to Move on When Ready Subcommittee
A seamless system for moving students to the next educational level when they are ready requires the following:
Additional options for demonstrating competency
Additional opportunities for internships and applied learning
Smooth and efficient collaboration among Georgia’s K-12 education system, the College and Career System, and the University System
Education Committees’ Updates
Met with Grades K-5; will meet with teachers this summer and students/parents in the fall to understand why students are failing
Grades 6-8: Discussed the process of writing and executing a new plan to implement for a school district
Grades 9-12: Shared action steps form other institution around the nation that have been implemented to increase the number of HS students who earn a postsecondary credential; Discussed four common elements of competency-based learning.
Henry County School Teachers and Administrators
Shared positive experiences with competency-based learning
Testing
Flexible class times
Projects
National History Day Project
Allows students to select anything that interests them, according to the program’s theme
Students conduct master research
Gives students the opportunities to go “outside the school walls” to delve deep into a particular subject
Three Pathways for High School Students
College
College and career
Career
Mr. Arthur discussed the recent visit by the committee to Locust Grove Middle School in Henry County.
Anthony Townsend: Thank you for coming down to our school. We created a school that is not based on time specifically. Mastery can look different for each child. An example is a six grader taking eight grade classes. Teachers teach more career-minded classes.
Questions/Comments:
Mike Dudgeon: How much of a challenge is the end of year testing?
Anthony Townsend: There is a significant challenge.
Dick Yarbrough: How are competencies approved?
Anthony Townsend: Students take on more of the responsibility and flexibility in determining their competency.
Brooks Coleman: The K-5 teachers need more flexibility in determining when they test and how they test. They have issues with flexibility and time constraints.
Pam Williams: What was your time span in making the time shift?
Anthony Townsend: We started discussions six years ago. And, within the past two years have extended those discussions.
Teacher Recruitment, Retention, Compensation – Pam Williams
Activities since our last meeting:
Met with Governors Teacher Advisory Council
14 teachers from across Georgia
Gave compiled feedback from teacher input sessions
Discussed possibility of new compensation model at local level
Where are we going? We will be meeting with the following groups:
Representatives from the New Teacher Project (TNTP)
Representatives from the National Center for Teacher Quality (NCTQ)
Representatives from GaPSC Certification to talk about Tiered Certification and Professional Learning
In the Weeks to Come
July
Meet with Georgia Association of School Personnel Administrators at GAEL
Begin formulating recommendations as s subcommittee based on input
August/September
Work in conjunction with Funding Subcommittee to flesh out recommendations
Expanding Educational Options – Nels Peterson
Progress since Last Meeting
There have been presentations on:
Educational savings accounts
Student Scholarship Tax Credits
Special Needs Vouchers
Homeschooling
Non-Traditional Educational Centers
Educational Savings Accounts
ESAs are accounts held by parents to use on a variety of education expenses for their child. Examples are: private school tuition, tutoring, therapy for students with disabilities, instructional materials/curriculum, online programs/courses, exam fees and savings for future college costs
Have been adopted in Florida, Arizona, Tennessee, Mississippi and Nevada
Educational Savings Accounts – Lessons learned from other states:
ESA accounts require a robust system of oversight
ESA programs can make use of vendor codes and product codes
Choose your oversight agency/implementer carefully and give them a generous administration allowance that tapers down as the program grows.
Lawmakers should have a healthy discussion about academic transparency but testing should be the responsibility of the parent or guardian in a multi-provider program
ESA programs initially require a large amount of administrative rule making
Student Scholarship Tax Credits
A wide range of perspectives offered
Consensus that contribution limit should be increased
Consider staggered contribution deadlines
Difference of opinion regarding whether income limits should be applied to recipients
Uniform agreement that lost cap dollars should be recovered
Special Needs Scholarships
Program participation has grown from under 1000 in 2007-08 to over 3000 in 2012-13
Average scholarship is $5747, with a range from $2196 - $12,803
Growth inhibitors
Scholarship amounts
Lack of knowledge of eligibility
Lack of flexibility in use of funds
Lack of adequate enrollment dates
Needs best met in traditional public school
Sample recommendations
Expand eligibility
ESA-style flexibility in use of funds
Broader data collection
Supplement to scholarship amount
Homeschooling
53,000 homeschooled students in 2014, up 24% since 2010
Recent changes in documentation shifted declaration of intent from local systems to DOE
Two key issues: challenges in taking PSAT/AP tests and admissions to USG schools
Non-traditional Educational Centers
Defined by Georgia Accrediting Commission as those centers serving home-educated students a maximum of 60% of the time
Wide range of approaches and formats
Impact of accreditors
Next Steps
Subcommittee members develop initial drafts of recommendations
Subcommittee meeting to discuss drafts
Subcommittee members revise recommendations based on discussion and comments
Final meeting of subcommittee at which revised recommendations are discussed and voted on
Questions/Comments:
Dick Yarbrough: Are we discouraging students from going to private schools?
Lindsey Tippins: Are these your recommendations?
Nels Peterson: These are not our recommendations; these are recommendations we have heard.
Lindley Tippins: Are you looking at the federal model?
Nels Peterson: We are not limiting our recommendations to any one model. We are looking at all models.
Public Comment
There were no requests for public comment.
Next Meeting Dates:
Next Full Commission Meeting on July 28th and next Funding Committee Meeting on July 16th.
Adjourn