PRIORITY FOR A QUALITY BASIC EDUCATION A First Report to Governor Joe Frank Harris and the Georgia General Assembly November 12, 1984 from The Governor's Education Review Commission PRIORITY FOR A QUALITY BASIC EDUCATION A First Report to Governor Joe Frank Harris and the Georgia General Assembly November 12, 1984 from The Governor's Education Review Commission Edward C. Harris, Vice-Chair Steering Committee Edward C. Harris, Chair John D. Arndt, Vice-Chair Bernard W. Abrams Judith F. Arrington Alton C. Crews Robert P. Guyton Kathryn Pitts Jasper Arthur W. Johnston Representative Lauren McDonald Richard C. Owens Senator Terrell Starr Walter Sessoms (Ex-officio) Comparative Analysis Committee Judith F. Arrington, Chair Billy Fallin, Vice-Chair Senator Roy E. Barnes Carol Meadows Murphy Representative Georganna Sinkfield Janet Wiley Reverend Larry Williams Definition Committee Bernard W. Abrams, Chair Alonzo A. Crim, Vice-Chair Representative Jimmy Benefield Joseph D. Greene Carolyn W. Lee Herman Russell Senator Albert Scott Nancy Stanton Wood Smethurst (Ad hoc) Funding Committee Richard C. Owens, Chair James E. Brown, Vice-Chair John D. Arndt William Carroll Ellen Claiborne Patricia C. Edwards Representative Lauren McDonald Senator Terrell Starr Joseph Martin (Ad hoc) Personnel Committee Alton C. Crews, Chair Betty Sloop, Vice-Chair Lisa S. Collins Dorothy Johnson Fletcher Senator John Foster Naia G. Newton Robert Irvin (Ad hoc) Linda Quander (Ad hoc) Representative Ben B. Ross Robert J. Williams Joseph Stanko (Ad hoc) Service Delivery Committee Arthur W. Johnston, Chair Ronald E. Etheridge, Vice-Chair Senator Thomas F. Allgood Representative A. L. Burruss Anne Tolleson Eugene Hunt Kathryn Pitts Jasper Vocational Education Committee Walter Sessoms, Chair (Ex-officio) Representative James Moore, Vice-Chair (Ex-officio) Carol Meadows Murphy Robert J. Williams November 12, 1984 Governor Joe Frank Harris Members of the General Assembly Ladies and Gentlemen: Here is our first report. We have defined a Quality Basic Education. We have determined the elements needed to deliver it. We have analyzed costs. We have recommended who should pay for the quality basic education including establishing a system of equity among local education systems. Finally we recommend an order of priority. We now transfer responsibility to you, the leadership, to translate these recommendations into action. This report includes the highest of our priorities and most but not all of the recommendations involving the expenditure of funds. As summarized on page 1, some programs and the necessary funding can begin immediately; others should he phased in to achieved desired results and still others (such as career ladder) cannot be phased in until the program is developed. Our final report, by year's end, will include all of our recommendations. Staff Support Our research has been done with significant assistance from the staffs of the Department of Education, the General Assembly, the Office of Planning and Budget and the Governor's Office, many of whom have completed their "ERC" tasks at the same time fulfilling their day-to-day responsibilities for the State. We are proud to be associated with them. Requirements For Progress Our overriding messages: the educational community must he responsive to change and must be willing to accept higher standards and accountability; every parent and business must demand excellence and stand ready to pay a fair price for it; although new programs and additional funding are essential, our educational process must become more productive per dollar of expenditure. Many individuals are affected by the implementation of our recommendations. We would impose higher standards on all, make life more challenging, but at the same time provide the promise of higher standing in the community, greater compensation and greater achievement. Completing The Task Our task is not complete; nor will it ever be, so long as our society, its values and our technologies continue to change. Even without change this task should not be undertaken with a view toward the short term; while many recommendations should be implemented in the coming year, all can be initiated in three years. We therefore recommend that a group of citizens be appointed to issue a "report card" on progress made by June 30, 1986, and again by June 30, 1987. The Governor should also appoint a task force of affected parties to develop a plan, consistent with the principles included in our recommendations on teacher career ladder and leadership incentives, for implementation in FY 87. In Conclusion No great gain in education can he achieved without paying a price. To those who think the price is only in dollars, we beg them to study the issues. For the Governor's Education Review Commission Edward C. Harris, Vice-Chair PAGE 2&:3 PAGE 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 ..... 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 PRIORITY FOR QUALITY BASIC EDUCATION Our objective is to achieve a quality basic education for all Georgians: We' believe this will only be achieved when students, parents, educators and the community at large are informed of what constitutes a quality basic education and when local school systems are provided all essential resources needed to achieve it. Quality basic education consists of 76 competencies, 68 of which are required of all students. The following actions are designed to assist the achievement of these competencies: - state funds limited to courses dealing with the competencies - statewide sequenced core curriculum - all high schools offer three program alternatives - vocational programs emphasize job specific training less, basic skill mastery more. The delivery of a quality basic education includes all the elements and their estimated cost as listed below and are further detailed on the following pages. Other important recommendations will be included in our final report. We recommend the following order of priorities: ORDER OF PRIORITY ENABLING ACTlON(B) ESTIMATED ANNUAL C DST (MILLIONS) (A) Annual ~ FY 87 FY 88 FY 89 Thereafter Compensation, Standards and Accountability For Educators (all items under this heading are equal and interdependent) 1 Career Compensation: Increased Salary Base Teacher Career Ladder Leadership Incentive/Responsibility Program 1 Personnel Evaluation - annual, all professional personnel 1 Certification - performance based component 1 Student Assessment - improved monitoring for teachers, parents, &: pUblic 1 School and System Evaluation - with public reporting 1 Professional Development - increased funding LA LA LA BOE LA,BOE LA,BOE LA,BOE LA $ 98 $ 156 ~, 4 6 13 ~- 1 1 1 1 D 1 2 $211 4 21 1 2 5 $ 220 23 23 1 2 5 $ 220 147 (C) 29 1 2 5 Revised Funding Methods &: Additional Operating Costs I Weighted Membership Formula 2 Additional Operating Costs 3 Information Systems - for administration; statewide data base for accounting and system evaluation 4 l.ocal Fair Share/Equity - local systems contribute equivalent of 5 mills - state equali?.a.tion for up to 3 mills more to 90th percentile LA,BOE LA,BOE LA,BOE LA LA ,DI D 5 88 121 121 121 2 3 4 3 1 see Totals Below 83 89 89 89 Major Delivery Methods 1 Kindergarten - mandatory, full day 2 Compensatory Education - reduce pupil/teacher ratio LA,BOE LA,BOE D'~ 39 DI 32 3 Computers in Education - state resource center, gradual funding local plans LA,BOE 4 Appointed School Superintendents LA,CA J-------!-- 5 5 6 Teacher/l.eader Preparation Programs - higher standards, more field experience LA,BOR,BOE Teacher/Classroom Resources - add aides, clericalllssistance or planning period LA D ~- 6 120 7 Innovation - attract, develop and implement new ideas 8 Writing - write to read, write to learn LA,BOE BOE ~-- 2 9 School Climate 10 School Organization, School &: System Size LA,BOE LA ~- 4 6 39 39 32 32 10 15 8 8 120 120 2 3 6 8 12 12 39 32 - 5 8 120 5 10 24 Total Annual Cost (A) Less Additional Local Fair Share Annual State Cost Increase (Decrease) From Previous Year $ 153 $ 565 ~-- ($ 218) ~- $ 347 $ 153 $ 194 $ 687 ($ 218) $ 469 $ 122 $ 724 ($ 218) $ 506 $ 37 $ 858 ($ 218) $ 640 A Not adjusted for inflation, costs of less than one-half million are not shown; local share not adjusted for growth. These nnnual costs are in addition to the current State funds of $1.399 billion and Required Local Effort of $78.55 million or a total basic program of $1.478 billion. These estimates do not include capital outlay. B LA - Legislative Action; CA - Constitutional Amendment; BOE - State Board of Education; BOR - Board of Regents. The implementation of these recommendations will require the active support of local school systems, parents and citizens, as well as considerable effort by pUblic school personnel. C Reaches the amount in 1996. D Implementation is contingent upon FTE count in FY 1986 for FY 1987 bUdgeting. QUALITY BASIC EDUCATION -- Defined, Assured for AI I Georgians 76 competencies: - 68 required; must be covered by al I students. - 8 elective; must be available to all students. Sequenced core curriculum statewide. Excessive high school electives: - No state funding for those unrelated to competencies. - Further in-depth study recommended. Three high school alternatives -- General, College Preparation, Vocational -- required for all students: - Parental involvement in course selection required. Recently adopted State Board/Regents requirements for high school grad- uation endorsed: - 21 Carnegie units minimum. - 13 specified for all students. - 17 specified for college preparation. The central charge to the Commission was to define a Qual ity Basic Education. Furthermore, students moving from system to system and school to school are entitled to a consistent sequence of instruction. The high school electives process needs to be applied in a positive way. A review of 13 school systems found 2 on the quarter system offering over 400 different high school courses and 3 on the semester system offering over 300 courses. Such a variety allows students to tai lor their program to individual desires, but it can also result in confusion, selection of less relevant courses, and course lobbying -- in short, an unfocused, inconsistent education. This problem stresses the need for parental involvement in course selection and approval. The recommended definition of a Quality Basic Education is current and is a consensus view of over 1,000 educators, business people, and parents. It provides the basis for statewide educational consistency, relevant expectations for graduates, and goal-related funding decisions. 2 VOCATIONAL EDUCATION -- Emphasis on Basic Ski I Is and General Job Skil Is Grades K-8 - 1ncreased emphas i s in general classes on career opportun ities, developing attitudes and values needed on the job. Grades 6-8 - Career exploration electives in vocational areas (limited to agriculture, business and typing, home economics and/or industrial arts), not to exceed 110 hours for the 3-year period. Currently, no such restriction exists. Grades 9-12 - Required courses to include career awareness. Elective career exploration through: - "Mini-clusters" (an introduction to a group of related occupations); and - Beginning level vocational-skills courses applicable to a range of occupations. Students currently are not specifically required to participate in any vocational courses. Grades 11-12 - Vocational training for related "clusters" of occupations (e.g., construction, business, transportation. co-op programs). Currently clusters may be off.ered in grades 9-12. Grades 12 - Training specific occupations (e.g., electrician. secretary, diesel mechanic) via in-school lab. co-op program, or postsecondar y j 0 i n ten roll me n t Cu r r e n t IY 0 c cup a t ion a II y s p e c i f icc 0 u r s e s ma y be offered in grades 9-12. All secondary levels Increased emphasis on vocationally relevant basic academic skills (reading, writing. math. science). A rapidly changing workplace requires employees with goal-oriented attitudes and values, and strong basic ski lis that allow them to learn and adapt to new job requirements and challenges. A strong foundation in the basic procedures. ski lis, and tools of the occupation is also a significant plus. At the same time, in-depth training for specific jobs may be outmoded by the time the student gets on the job. In most cases the State does not have the resources for state-of-the-art equipment and expertise required for effective advanced training at the secondary level; and time spent on such training may be counterproductive if pursued at the expense of greater ~stery of basic ski I Is. Therefore, the recommendations focus secondary vocational education on what it can do best introducing students to opportunities in the world of work, reinforcing learning of the basic skills through application to "real-world" activities, and providing skil Is and experiences needed for entry-level employ- ment in an occupational field and career advancement through on-the-job or postsecondary training. 3 INCREASED SALARY BASE -- Market-Sensitive, Competitive, Designed to Attract and Retain Effective Teachers Establish mechanism for applying market sensitivity and competitiveness to educator salaries. Retain a minimum salary schedule. Bring leaders up to teacher base longevity. Provide salary differentials for higher degrees. Reduce 14 annual experience steps to 7. Provide longevity steps at 2-year intervals beginning at year 9. Provide 35% career increment in the absence of advancement. Require satisfactory performance for annual step progression. Provide salaries for professional development time. Initial minimum target at T-4 level: Southeastern sample of starting annual salaries 83-84 $19,200 Time s 1 0/1 2 t h s Professional development supplement Entry level salary T-4 - 10 1/2/12ths 16,000 750 $16,750 The non-competitive salary for Georgia public school educators is cited as the sin g I e mo s t imp 0 r tan t rea son for Ge 0 r g i a l s i nab iii t Y to a t t r act and ret a i n educators. Unless the base salary is raised to a competitive level, there is little likelihood of reversing this trend. Further, a market-sensitive and c omp e tit i ve s a I a r y, wh e n comb i ned wit h h i g her s tan dar d s, i s e sse n t i a Ito ma k e teaching a valued profession. The Review Commission recommends that a professional development supplement be incorporated into the salary schedule for all certificated personnel to meet continued professional development requirements for certification; however, the Commission strongly believes this supplement should be restricted to those who actually meet the professional development requirement, an average of 20 contact hours per year in the 5-year certification period. The initial target is for a 17% increase in minimum base pay (average of 21% for all teachers) and an additional 7% for non-teaching certificated personnel to place all educators on the same schedule. The 17% increase is phased in, with 50% in FY 86 and 25% each in FY 87 & FY 88. The 7% is recommended to take e f f e c tin FY 86. 4 TEACHER CAREER LADDER -- Five Plateaus of Career Development Attained Through Degree Level, Satisfactory Teaching Experience, Demonstrated Knowledge and Performance Designed to raise the image of teaching as a profession and insure appropriate supply of productive, committed teachers statewide by: Providing professionally-competitive, market-sensitive salary. Attracting talented and academically able individuals. Reducing teacher isolation through Teachers Teaching Teachers. Involving productive teachers in school and system improvement. Recognizing and rewarding high-level productive teacher performance. Components Achieve 85% level on the Teacher Certification Test (Know led ge) and Teacher Performance Assessment Instrument rev i sed to reflect the 15 recommended Proficiencies for Effective Teaching. Above average annual performance evaluation. Continued professional development. Leadership activities. Verified student gains. Higher salary differential for each of top 3 plateaus. The cur r e n t S tat e c omp ens a t ion s c h e d u I e I 0 c k s tea c her s i n a II cui des a c II wit h no opportunity for advancement as a teacher and no rewards for above average performance or outcomes. A teacher must leave the classroom and take an administrative position in order to obtain professional advancement. Higher salaries are paid for only higher degrees and additional experience and no salary recognition is provided for teaching effectiveness. A career ladder is the most promising vehicle to address these problems. It provides opportunities for teachers to advance in their positions, incentives for teachers to continue their professional growth, and rewards for outstanding accompl ishments. The tea c her car e e r I add \H r e c omme n d a t ion s res hap e the c omp ens a t ion, t r a i n i n g , and evaluation structures to better uti I ize and support teachers' efforts at various stages in their careers. Two mi II ion dollars is provided in FY 86 for development. begins in FY 87 with increasing participation to 1996. Implementation 5 LEADERSHIP INCENTIVE/RESPONSIBILITY PROGRAM Basic Principle: = Base Salary + Length of Year + Responsibil ity + Performance Salary Applies to Superintendents, Principals, other certificated administrators and certificated support personnel. SUPERINTENDENT BASE - TEACHER SALARY SCHEDULE x Annual Increase Tied To Satisfactory Annual Evaluation. x Length of Year: 12 Month Contract. x Selected Extended Year Where Needed. PRINCIPAL x x x CERTIFICATED x x x Responsibility Supplement: Number Of Students. x x Middle, Junior & High School Principals. x Awards Based On: Above Average &Out- standing Annual Performance. Annual Award Based On Performance Over Last 3 Years. X X X There is currently neither differentiation in salary supplements paid school administrators and support personnel on the basis of performance or productiv- ity nor recognition of differences in breadth and scope of responsibility of the various positions. Annual salary increments are treated as entitlements and awarded without regard to the level of performance. All supplements are awarded in fixed dollar amounts and represent a diminishing percentage of the salary each year. These conditions are disincentives to efficient and effec- tive school leadership. The leadership incentives/responsibility program addresses these problems. It strengthens the responsibi I ity supplement crite- ria by providing salary differentials based upon the nature and scope of the duties and responsibilities and adds a performance component. Annual incre- ments are awarded only to individuals with satisfactory performance. Substan- tial awards are provided for demonstrated knowledge, performance and outcomes only to individuals who achieve a challenge score on the knowledge and/or performance tests relative to their poshion. Supplements are fixed on a percentage basis which self-adjusts them for inflation and maintains their value as the salary base is adjusted for market sensitivity each year. 6 PERSONNEL EVALUATION -- Annual, AI I Personnel Comprehensive State school standard - Clearly-defined phi losophy and purpose. - Clear definition of processes and procedures to be uti I ized. - Clarification of roles of all individuals involved in the process. - Timel ine of accompl ishments. - Forms and records to be used. - Appeals procedure to resolve disputes and differences. Evaluation results to develop individual improvement plan and continued development needs of LEA. - Results used in career development incentives. In-service training for teachers, leaders, board members on evaluat ion. The existing State school standard on personnel evaluation is not sufficiently descriptive. Personnel evaluation is not adequately addressed in Georgia publ ic schools: - Many experienced professionals are infrequently evaluated, many say they have not been evaluated at all. - Few are evaluated against student outcomes. - Evaluation instruments are insufficiently diagnostic to provide a basis for an improvement plan. - Many teachers report that principals are weak in classroom observation ski lIs, conducting observation conferences, and developing improvement plans. - Low score for the sub-area "Instructional Supervision" on the 1983 certification tests for leadership certification. - $100,000 provided to develop evaluation instruments. 7 CERTIFICATION -- Performance-Based Certification Strengthen Performance-Based Certification (PBC). Reduce subject-specific tests in social studies, science, and business education. Revise teacher and leadership knowledge tests and teacher performance assessment and develop leadership performance assessment to reflect the recommended proficiencies. Extend PBC requirements to experienced educators via renewal (once) and encourage holders of life certificates to meet PBC. Require passing score on al I sub-areas of Leadership Knowledge Test. Limit teaching provisionals and eliminate leadership provisionals. Require leadership "core" and one-year internship/supervised practice in field for "L" certificate. Renew L-5 certificate and eliminate requirement for sixth year leadership degree. Establ ish 5-year uniform val idity. Revise vocational certificates: - Eli min ate T-1 ( h i gh sc h0 0 I dip Ioma) Require T-2 (associate degree) to obtain Bachelor's degree in 6 years. - "Grandfather" current T-l's, T-2's. Ease entry of arts and sciences graduates into teaching: - T-4 in State identified critical shortage fields. T-5 for holders of Bachelor's degree in certifiable field and Master's in education. The Georgia Performance-Based Certification program (PBC), does not fully ensure the proficiency of the state's teaching force. Also, PBC requirements are not equally appl ied. Approximately 50% of the current teachers hold "I ife certificates" which provide them exemption from PBC requirements. Approximately 12% must hold performance-based certificates and approximately 38% have neither exemption via "I ife certificate" nor PBC. Leaders do not have to pass a performance assessment as teachers have to do. Further, sharp increases have occurred in the number of provisional and probationary certificates issued within the last 5 years from 2,157 in 1978 to 10,240 in 1983. Requirements for vocational education instructors do not assure that they have the general education essential to effectively implement the new basic ski lis thrust in vocational education. The certification recommendations wi I I refine the structure of performance-based certification so that it is equally appl ied to entering and current educators and wil I provide assurance of educator proficiency. Two million dollars is provided for development and revision of certification instruments. 8 STUDENT ASSESSMENT -- Improved Monitoring for Teachers, Parents, Publ ic Tied to Qual ity Basic Education definition Additional components of assessment program: - Test first-grade readiness. Mea sur e pro g res sin wr i tin g , sci en c e, soc i a 1st u die s - T est wr i tin g ski I I s for h i g h s c h0 0 I g r ad u a t ion. - T est for nat ion a I c omp a r i son sin t h r e e g r ad e s - Test achievement in vocational programs. The process of accountabil ity requires not just the assertion of goals but also a method of determining progress towards those goals. Measures of student achievement help us to judge the extent to which educational goals are being met by the student, program, school, and school system, or by the educational system in Georgia as a whole. Testing student achievement in vocational pro grams i s a Iso nee d edt 0 ass u r e t hat stu den t s be i n g sen t t o t h e wo r k for c e actually have the ski I Is advertised to Georgia employers. The expanded assessment program wi II enable us to know when we have reached our goal of a Qual ity Basic Education for Georgia's youth. 9 SCHOOL AND SYSTEM EVALUAT10N -- Strengthened Process, Ful I Publ ic Reporting Full-time staff of trained evaluators. Revised and upgraded standards/based on expectations of performance. Self-study process to precede evaluation. Every 5 years. Involvement of business and parents. Widespread public reporting of results. Comparable data across systems; criteria based on similar systems. Sy stem- d eve lop e d s t rat e g i c p I an pro v ide s bas e for stu d Y; P I an rev i sed in response to results. Fundamental improvements are needed in the current method of evaluating educational programs in order to determine the effectiveness of our schools and school systems. A comprehensive program evaluation system is necessary to assess a school system's academic effectiveness, to monitor adherence to standards, to enhance organizational effectiveness, to develop statewide plans, to monitor expenditure of funds, to evaluate special programs, and to provide the public with information. Public reporting of evaluation results is a key element in the plan since it assures accountability on the part of education to the people who most directly benefit, or suffer, from its performance. The recommended evaluation process wi II let Georgians know when our goal of a Qual ity Basic Education has been reached. 10 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT - Increased funding, add school board members Local system develop comprehensive plan for professional development. State Board of Education require local system comprehensive plan for professional development. Department of .Education designate single office to coordinate, monitor and evaluate all State functions: - Coordinate management of State and federal flow-through funds. Provide liaison with local and regional education agencies, and higher education. Provide technical assistance to local systems. Pro v ide fie x i b iii t Y to I 0 c a I s y stems to uti liz e fun d s to" pur c has e II professional development services and expertise according to their specifications model. Apply equally to: School Board members. Leaders. Support personnel. Teachers. Reorganize leadership academy on a "core program." Require successful completion of professional development in the academy for Superintendents and Principals. General Assembly to set a funding target 1/2 of 1% of salaries (increases State allocation for teachers from $12 to $100 per annum). General Assembly to provide funds for 16 hours annual training of School Board members. Our stated cOllTTlitment in Georgia to professional development of educators is not now reflected in funding. In addition, most businesses underwrite the cost of continued, professional development of their employees; the same practices should be applied in education. The recollTTlendation would replace words with actions and dollars to assure the professional growth and updating of Georgia teachers and educational leaders, and school board members. Ali board members should be provided training in selection of leaders and techniques for selfevaluation and evaluation of the Superintendent. One mil I ion dol lars provided for staff development, and planning and implementing the leadership academy in FY 86, rising to $5 mil I ion in FY 88. 11 WEIGHTED MEMBERSHIP FORMULA -- Responsive to Individual Student Needs, Represents Different Educational Burden of Each System Focus on individual student needs vs. classroom unit. Count students only for the portion of time they participate in the program (i.e., Full-Time Equivalent, [FTE] membership count). Recognize 12 categories of students with different needs (and costs): Kindergarten Gr ade s 1-3 4-8 9-12 Vocational Labs 9-12 Proposed Weight 1. 37 1.28 1.00 .99 1. 33 Proposed Weight Academic Labs (9-12) 1.30 Special Education (4 levels) Mi Id Moderate - Resource 2.19 2.54 Moderate - Self-Contained 3.08 Severe 3.98 Gi fted 1. 41 Compensatory 1.36 Recognize that teachers are responsible for all students, not just attendees. Give local systems increased flexibility by combining aid categories, distributing grant vs. reimbursement, and reducing spending controls. Regardless of the amount of funds avai lable for education, the above approaches move strongly toward recognizing that students are individuals and have individual needs and that school systems in Georgia have different concentrations of students with these greater needs. Furthermore, it recognizes that teachers are res po n sib I e for the i r c I ass memb e r s rat her t han 0 n I y tho s e s t u den t s i n class on a given day. The formula also funds administrative positions on a pro rata basis from the smallest school system to the largest system. The reco~ mended funding mechanism matches money with need and achieves a fine balance between fiscal efficiency and local flexibility: For example, only 90% of funds allocated for each institutional program or for syste~wide training and media must be spent for that program or process. 12 ADDITIONAL OPERATING COSTS -- Recognition of an Adequate Level of Funding Which is Bas i c to all Programs Recognize increased cost of maintaining and operating school faci 1ities, as weI I as operating the administrative offices. Provide additional funds to ensure essential administrative and support personnel at the school and system levels, which may be used for media special ists, counselors, social workers, psychologists, and assistant principals, effective FY 87 Increase salaries for principals, curriculum directors, and f i sca I officers to a 12~onths basis, effective FY 87. Include, for the first time, clerical support for the administrative functions, effective FY 88. Today, there is an incomplete match between State funding assumptions and required or desirable education practices in our schools. Many provisions of e xis tin g e d u cat ion a I I awsan d s tan dar d s are not fun d e d Fur the r mo r e , i t i s essential that a basic administrative structure be provided if all educational programs are to be carried out effectively and in the most efficient manner. The s e inc rea sed cos t s are c ommo n to a I I pro gram are a san d the ref 0 r ere pre sen t a higher priority than other costs of the Qual ity Basic Education funding formula. 13 INFO~TION SYSTEMS -- Link Schools and Agencies Statewide for Efficient Data Reporting and Sharing Aid effective instruction and efficient administration: - Reduce paperwork. - Enable low-cost distribution of instructional and administrative software. - Aid test development and updating of test items. - Assist reporting, verification, and feedback among schools, systems, and agencies. Provide statewide data and communications network Enhance schoo I and sys t em eva Iua t i on by aid i ng acces s to and ana I ys i s of da ta on: - Curriculum content and course offerings. - Student enrollment and performance. - Staff qualifications, responsibilities, and performance. - Effective management of school operations Provide cost accounting for funding: - The 12 ins t rue t ion a I pro gram are as. - Media center expenses. - Indirect costs. - Sources of funds. There is a great need for accurate information to facil itate management. There is a greater need for accurate information for the public, parents, and legislators to use to evaluate our educational processes. The recommended statewide i nforma t ion system is nee e s s a r y i f the e sse nt i a I adm in i s t rat i ve , ass e s sme nt, and funding needs for a Qual ity Basic Education are to be implemented efficiently. 14 LOCAL SHARE/EQUITY -- Provide Local Fair Share and Equal ization for Local Funding for Education Establish local systems as minority partners with the State in funding a Qu a lit y Ba sic Ed u cat ion. Express the Local Fair Share as a fixed millage rate with an equivalent rate of 5 mi lis. Ma i n t a i nth e cur r e n teo n s tit uti 0 n a I lim i t o f 20m i I I s wit h 0 u t v0 t e r approval. Add State funds to the local funds avai lable per mi II for each weighted full-time equivalent student in order to assure systems the same level off u n din g per mil I per we i g h ted stu den t i e vie d as the 20 t h we a I t hie s t system (90th percentile). This adjustment will be made for up to 3 mills levied beyond the Local Fair Share. Limit the student count used in calculating the equalization grant to the number of non-resident students being served in the first year of imp I eme n tat ion. Today, Georgia's Required Local Effort is so low that the education finance system is essentially a flat grant approach whereby every local system receives the same amount of funds per student irrespective of wealth. The Required Local Effort was "frozen" in 1972 at $78,500,000 and has remained the same ever since. Consequently, many of the improvements envisioned in the current funding formula were never funded because the State had to bear the ful I Ynount of any improvements or inflationary adjustments which were recognized in the foundation formula. The funding reconmendations wi II establ ish local systems as minority partners and provide a significant degree of equalization in local educational funding. Wealthier systems wi II bear a higher proportion of the basic education cost for each chi Id than wi II poorer systems. Since the State foundation formula for Qual ity Basic Education is based on statewide averages which do not reflect cost-of-living and other system differences, it may be necessary for systems to provide some Ynount of funding beyond the formula funds. When local systems try to provide for these additional costs, the poorer systems cannot generate as many dollars per student for each mill levied beyond the Local Fair Share as can the wealthier systems. Either taxpayers must be taxed more heavily in one system than in another or the educational opportunity for students must be reduced. Under this proposal, local systems would retain the funds generated by additional mills and they would also receive additional funds from the State (up to 3 mills beyond the Local Fair Share) so that the total funds avai lable per student is equal to that of the system at the 90th percentile. 15 KINDERGARTEN -- Mandatory, Ful I Day State-funded ful I-day program. Require post-kindergarten readiness assessment for advancement to first grade or to pre-first transitional class. State-mandated curriculum -- minimum of 4 1/2 hours of instruction. No change in attendance law; may enter kindergarten at age 7. Our children now enter first grade with widely varying degrees of readiness. All too often these differences perpetuate themselves, ensuring the need for remediation throughout the students' educational careers. Furthermore, by virtually guaranteeing wide differences in student achievement at all grade levels, we now present our teachers with a needlessly complex educational task. The mandatory kindergarten wi II provide all our chi Idren wi th an opportunity to begin their education with an equal chance for a successful first-grade experience and, for many, stop the self-feeding cycle of under-achievement before it begins. 16 COMPENSATORY EDUCATION Teachers Reduced Class Size, Performance Incentive for Standardize eligibility criteria statewide. Focus reading and math instruction for compensatory students. Fund at 20:1 pupil-teacher ratio with an aide for grades 2-5 and 9-12 (target Federal funds to middle grades). Reward outstanding success with 2 1 {2% salary bonus. Specify in-service training. Combine curriculum and resources of Career Vocational Academic Educa- tion with compensatory programs. Today, the commitment to compensatory education varies widely around our State. Students who qual ify for special help in one system may get no help in others. Furthermore, the overall program lacks focus, coordination and expectations of improved performance. Various State and Federal programs are used at different grade levels in different systems and sometimes even duplicate each other in the same system. The over 35% of Georgia youth who fail to complete high school represent a waste of our human resources and increased long-term costs to taxpayers in human service payments. The recommended compensatory education program wi II assure all our youth a real istic and fair chance to get a qual ity basic education. 17 CC1v1PUTERS IN EDUCATION -- State Resource Center, State Funding After Approval of Local Plans State coordinating council representing the 3 State educational boards and private industry. State resource center: - Equipment and software evaluation and development. - Technical assistance and in-service training Fund approved local plans for: - Teacher training. - Hardware/software purchases. Technology is fundamentally altering the way society generates and processes information. Education must learn to use that technology. Education must learn from the business conmunity to lower its administrative and operational costs and to increase productivity through technology. Equally important, education must teach teachers and students how to use technology as a learning tool. Technology is not limited to computers, and any attempt to promote the e f f e c t i v e use 0 f t e c h n 0 log y mu s t b e fie x i b l e e n 0 ugh t 0 inc Iud e a I I t y pes 0 f current and future developments. Partly because there has been no coordinated effort to manage the implementation of technology in schools across Georgia, use and pro f i c i en c y va r y wid ely. Th ere c onme n d at ion s pro p 0 s e t his e sse n t i a I coordinated effort, providing a central source of technical expertise and a s ystem en a b lin g eve r yon e to s hare and Iear n from I0 c a I sy stem e f for t s 18 APPOINTED SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS - By State and Local Boards Respectively Make necessary constitutional and statutory changes. The appointment of Superintendents would make those officials more responsive to the pol icy role of their boards and would contribute to efforts to provide a Qual ity Basic Education to students all across Georgia. For example, local systems in Georgia with appointed Superintendents generally have greater taxing effort in support of education, spend a greater proportion of their funds on expenses directly related to instruction, and show higher results on student achievement measures in comparison to other systems overall and to other demographically similar systems. Furthermore, appointment would ensure candidates whose qualifications were primarily professional rather than the ability to marshall the necessary funds for a pol itical campaign and would also make Superintendents less subject to political pressures. The Comnission believes effective leadership is perhaps the single most important ingredient in providing quality education, and this reconmendation represents a major step in consistently assuring the kind of leadership needed throughout our State. 19 TEACHER AND LEADERSHIP PREPARATION PROGRAMS - Higher Standards, More Field Experience Georgia Board of Education: - Revise/update program approval criteria. Adopt comnon core wi th required competencies, ski lis, and understandings for leaders. Require internship for leaders. Increase field experience for teachers. Assess oral and written comnunication ski lis. Provide feedback to institutions on performance of graduates. Adopt review of programs consistent with Board of Regents. Assist Local Education Authorities (LEA's) in developing cadre of effective teacher trainers Georgia Board of Regents: - Provide a Professional Development Center for faculty development, research, field experience, faculty i n-s choo I expe r i ence. Increase entry grade point average from 2.5 to 2.7 for teachers and 3.0 for leaders. Provide earlier and increased field experience for teachers and internship/supervised field experience with supporting research fo r leaders. Increase emphasis on chi Id growth and development and decrease emphasis on social foundations. Reward preparation faculty for effectiveness as teacher preparers. Extend program review to leadership preparation. Collegiate programs for preparing teachers and educational leaders have come under increased criticism in recent years. Entry-point qualifications of stu den t s h a v e bee n s tea d i I Y d r 0 p pin g c omp are d t o t h 0 s e 0 fen t ran t s to col leg e programs in other fields, and the implementation of the Teacher Certification Tests (TCT) has revealed that too may graduates lack basic general and professional knowledge. Graduates, on the other hand, have faulted programs for a lack of relevant, challenging coursework and an "ivory tower" perspective among professors. The recomnendations wi II raise the qual ifications of entrants, require more stringent and extensive program evaluation, require more challenging preparation programs, and increase the "real-world" experiences of both students and professors. Six mi II ion dollars is provided for increased field experience and a Professional Development Center in FY 87. The institutions whose programs have the lowest pass rates on the TCT are also those traditionally serving minority students and disadvantaged individuals. Closing these programs could mean closing the doors for those who need it most. However, many citizens feel that these programs should not continue to exist as preparers of individuals who are unable to meet required standards for teaching. The Education Review Conmission reconmends the Board of Regents develop and publish an overall plan for assistance to teacher preparation programs placed on "probationary review status" and provide documentation of that assistance after the Spring 1986 review and prior to making its decisions on continuation of those programs. 20 TEACHER/CLASSROOM RESOURCES -- Aides in K-3, Clerical Assistance in 4-8, Planning Time in 9-12, Reduced Lab Size Based on membership, not attendance. Maximium al lowed class size -- 120% of recommended class size. Recommended class sizes: K --1:22with aide. Grades 1-3 -- 1 :26 with aide; funding for special ists. Grades 4-8 1:26 with clerical assistance (1 for each 15 teachers); funding for specialists. Grades 9-12 -- 1 :28 (5 classes plus planning time). Grades 9-12 Labs -- 1:22 (5 classes plus planning time). Funding for specialists (art, music, and physical education). Funding level for classroom materials differentiated by grade and class type. Increase media center funding and separate from classroom materials. Class size is often too large to allow effective instruction. Today, schools o ve rio aden r 0 I Ime n tor r a i s e I0 c a I t a xes top r 0 v ide tea c her p I ann i ng time ( an accreditation requirement); science and vocational labs; and art, music, and physical education teachers -- all essential requirements for a Quality Basic Educat ion. Cu r r en t pol i c i e s don 0 t r ecog n i zed i ff ere nc e sin c I a s sr 0 om ma t e ria I requirements for classes of differing types and grade levels and special funding needs of media centers, where use of new technology is coordinated. 21 INNOVATION -- Encourages Development, Evaluation, and Implementation Competitively fund local proposals for innovative programs. Select successful local programs: Fund initiating system to train other systems. - Fund implementation cost for other systems. Initially fund local system proposals for: - Innovation projects for 4 systems. - Training projects for 4 systems. - Fifty adopting schools for each training project. Education shares with many other organizations an institutional resistance to change; as a resul t, "bad habits" are firmly entrenched whi Ie "new ideas" find themselves on an uphill trek. The business community confronts this tendency by placing high priority on research and development. A formal, specially funded process is needed to encourage local systems to tryout new ideas and, perhaps more important, to promote the adoption of successful projects by other s y stems. Th ere c omme n d e din nova t ion pro gram wi I I ma k e sur e the pro f e s s ion a I expertise and creativity in our local systems benefit the educational process throughout our State. 22 WRITING -- Write to Read, Write to Learn Make writing a Georgia priority area for instruction. Incorporate writing skills throughout curriculum (K-12). Emphasize writing as a separate major effort. No other subject is more important to a Qual ity Basic Education. In the 1970's, writing as a skill declined for many reasons -- television, passive learning, and the attitude of many Engl ish teachers that oral communication was more important, that any form of speech was acceptable, and that there was no longer any need for students to learn the rules of language. We now know that communication may take many forms -- not the least of which is the written word. The need for clear, concise writing as a communication ski II must be emphasized and accelerated. In addition, schools are encouraged to offer separate courses in writing, including journal istic research and creative writing. Because of the significant time needed to read student papers, diagnose errors, and provide feedback and corrective instruction, schools may need to limit class sizes for teachers who have primary responsibility for writing instruction. 23 SCHOOL CLIMATE -- Positive Discipl ine Program, Increased Time for Instruction, Required Community Advisory Committees Require State Board policies on discipline to include criteria for approving incentive funding of "in-house suspension" programs: - Fund 1 :15 teacherfpupi I ratio. Isolate disruptive students, but in a supervised instructional environment. Require system policies on extracurricular and cocurricular ac t i v i- tie s. Require community advisory committees to assure business and parent input. Monitor teacher absenteeism and require systems with excessive rates to develop improvement plans. Provide assistance from the Department of Education to help schools develop school cl imate improvement process. A positive school climate -- as perceived by staff, students, and the community -- enhances student achievement. Whi Ie many factors make up school cl imate, the Commission has focused on several of the most important. School discipline directly affects students and teachers. Extracurricular activities can positively or negatively affect attitudes toward school. Community involvement affects not only the cl imate in which school leaders operate but also the relationships among parents, their chi Idren, and their teachers. Teachers are affected by the degree that policies recognize their legitimate personal needs and support their role as instructor rather than babysitter or recordkeeper. The recommendations should enhance attention to these areas along with the o ve r a I I pro c e s s 0 f imp r 0 v i n g s c h 0 0 I c lima t e t h r 0 ugh a mo r e p art i c i pat 0 r y proble~solving process. 24 SCHOOL ORGANIZATION, SCHOOL AND SYSTEM SIZE -- Funding Incentive for Middle Schools, School/System Sizes Needed to Support Essential Staff and Resources Encouraged organization: - Elementary - grades K-5. Middle School - grades 6-8. High School - grades 9-12. Middle school FTE enrollment funded with 13% bonus if organization of s c h 0 0 I me e t s est a b lis he d c r i t e ria. Base School Size -- Desirable enrollment on which funding is based. Minimum School Size -- Smallest cost-effective size. Smaller schools/ systems should be studied for consolidation, if feasible, or special funding to provide essential services. Elementary -- 450 students minimum and base: - Include support of a half-time assistant principal and a secretary. Middle School -- 624 students minimum and base: - Include support of a full-time assistant principal and a secretary. High School: 485 students minimum; include support for a half-time assistant principal and a secretary. - 970 students base; include support for two assistant principals and secretaries. System: 2,500 students minimum; provide for a minimum-sized middle school and 4 1/2 central staff, including an assistant superintendent. - 3,300 students base; provide for base-sized middle and high schools and 6 central staff, including 2 assistant superintendents. Compared to national data, small schools and school systems are more frequent in our state than large ones. An analysis of the effectiveness and efficiency of Georgia's schools and systems indicated that relatively smaller schools and systems were no more effective, in terms of student achievement, than larger units; and they were markedly less efficient, especially in terms of adminis- trative overhead costs per student. Systems with middle schools, compared to those with junior high schools or no separate school between elementary and high school, were more likely to have student achievement levels above that expected for simi lar systems. The reconmendations provide incentives to encourage systems to adopt middle schools and promote schools and systems with sufficient students to enable essential instructional opportunities and admin- istrative support to be provided cost effectively. 25 ....' ,-i .,~,' " '; ,"".",."~,,