by Jen Donovan

The US Department of Education has created a plan to more accurately report measures student success in postsecondary education. The current law only requires institutions to report the graduation rates of full-time, first time students. This leaves out a large number of part-time students and students who have previously attended postsecondary school. 

According to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, “Not all students take a linear path in their pursuit of higher education. Many students work full-time and are balancing family obligations while also attending school. These new outcome measures will accurately demonstrate how postsecondary schools are preparing students for success in different ways.” 

The plan, entitled “Action Plan for Improving Measures of Postsecondary Success,” is in response to a report by the Committee on Measures of Student Success who help two-year degree granting institutions comply with the law’s disclosure requirements and help to develop alternate measures of student success that are comparable to completion and graduation rates. The action plan is designed to improve the quality and availability of student success data at the federal level for consumers, institutions, policymakers, and researchers. The plan also includes activities and some funding opportunities to help schools and states strengthen their capacity to collect and disseminate quality data.

The following activities will be implemented in the plan:

• Developing easy-to-use templates that institutions can use to meet the HEOA disclosure requirements;
• Making improved data collection and reporting a focus in its postsecondary education initiatives and grant programs;
• Continuing to provide incentive funding to strengthen states’ data infrastructures through Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) grants, which will award round five recipients this spring;
• Convening a summit this year to highlight promising practices in the collection and dissemination of data related to student success, such as student learning and employment.

The Department of Education also recommends that these broader measures of student success be implemented in four year institutions as well. Duncan is in agreement: “Better data across institutions is the basis for finding sound solutions to help students stay in school and complete their postsecondary studies. It is critical to their success and our nation’s economic prosperity.” 

Jen Donovan is the strategic communications intern at the International Reading Association. 

by Jen Donovan

A new White House Initiative titled Together for Tomorrow has been introduced by the Obama administration to help transform low-performing school systems. The White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, the U.S. Department of Education and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) have joined forces to promote community involvement in turning around schools at risk. The theory is that the communities will feel a shared sense of responsibility to help students succeed. Cultivating a sense of community culture will provide a support system for teachers, principals, and students, both in and outside the classroom. The initiative will also engage families to partner with the community to help improve student attendance, behavior, course performance and college access.

Local non-profit and faith organizations will also play an important role in the relationship between schools and community. Services through Together for Tomorrow will be available to guide community organizations on learning how to manage funding from federal, private, and non-profit sources. The Together for Tomorrow initiative will also detail how to connect with local organizations and volunteers to provide support in individual communities.

The program will highlight exceptional schools that follow the community-oriented approach to education. These schools have been recognized as models for the goals of the initiative; however each community will undoubtedly have its own unique culture and connection with educating students for the future.

One of the most exemplary instances of community involvement with education comes from Orlando FL, at Memorial Middle School. This school is also one of six demonstration sites for Together for Tomorrow showing the initiative in action through a partnership between Heart of Florida United way, the Orange County Public Schools and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.

Community participation is also implemented and demonstrated in the following cities: Center and Denver, Colorado; New Haven, Connecticut; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Memphis, Tennessee. Together for Tomorrow will allow the community to see just how imperative education is for the future of its members, for the future of the community itself, and in to prepare students as members of the greater global community.

Visit their website to learn more. 

The SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) announced they have awarded a contract to Pearson to develop a new Technology Readiness Tool to support states as they transition to next-generation assessments. This new open source tool, with the assistance of the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), will support state education agencies as they work with local education agencies to evaluate and determine needed technology and infrastructure upgrades for the new online assessments to be launched by the two consortia in the 2014-15 school year. 

"Online assessments offer states and school districts clear advantages, including expanded item types, timely feedback to inform instruction, and improved accommodations for students with special needs," said Joe Willhoft, Executive Director of SMARTER Balanced. "To be successful, however, careful planning and management of the transition process is a must. That’s why both consortia are working with state and local education leaders from around the country to develop this new, free tool to help states facilitate the evaluation of current technology and infrastructure for online testing."

SMARTER Balanced and PARCC both received grants from the federal Race to the Top Assessment Program to work with states to create next-generation, comprehensive assessment systems. The development of the Technology Readiness Tool is one component of their initiatives to establish infrastructure and content for common online assessments. Intended to launch in spring 2012, the tool will be developed using open source technology, allowing the consortia free access to the source code. Data will be collected twice annually through 2014 to provide updated information on technology and infrastructure readiness.

"Navigating any type of educational change is a complicated process and the move to online assessments brings with it great opportunities and unique challenges," said Laura Slover, Senior Vice President at Achieve, which is the project management partner for the PARCC consortium. "Both test consortia are focused on providing the tools and resources to remove any potential roadblocks for states as they move through the transition process."

Both consortia are working with their member states to develop next-generation assessments that align to the new Common Core State Standards and accurately measure student progress toward college and career readiness. Use of the tool will allow local schools to capture and report key readiness indicators, including: number and type of computers; local network and bandwidth infrastructure; and local staff resources and other information needed to evaluate overall technology readiness for the coming transition to digital delivery of assessments. The consortia are collaborating with SETDA to work with Pearson to support its deployment by providing states and school districts with multiple training resources and a communications campaign.

“With their investment in the development of this Technology Readiness Tool, the leaders of SMARTER Balanced and PARCC will put states and school districts on a path toward successfully implementing next-generation assessments," said Douglas Kubach, President and CEO, the Assessment and Information group of Pearson. "At Pearson we are deeply committed to contributing our vision and expertise to support the transition to online assessments.”

The SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium brings together states to create a common, innovative assessment system for mathematics and English language arts/literacy that is aligned with the Common Core State Standards and helps prepare students for college and careers. The Consortium involves educators, researchers, policymakers, and community groups in a transparent and consensus-driven process to help all students thrive in a knowledge-driven global economy. The Consortium’s projects are funded through a four-year, $175 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, comprising 99 percent of activity resources, with the remaining support provided through generous contributions of charitable foundations. Membership is open to any interested U.S. state. For more information, please visit www.smarterbalanced.org.

PARCC is an alliance of states working together to develop common assessments serving nearly 25 million students. PARCC’s work is funded through a four-year, $185 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Partners include about 200 higher education institutions and systems representing hundreds of campuses across the country that will help develop the high school component of the new assessment and then put it to good use as an indicator of student readiness. PARCC is led by its member states and managed by Achieve, a nonprofit group with a 15-year track record of working with states to improve student achievement by aligning K-12 education policies with the expectations of employers and the postsecondary community. PARCC’s ultimate goal is to make sure all students graduate from high school college- and career-ready. For more information, visit www.parcconline.org. 

Pearson, the world’s leading learning company, has global reach and market-leading businesses in education, business information and consumer publishing (NYSE: PSO). For more information about the Assessment & Information group of Pearson, visit http://www.pearsonassessments.com.

by Jen Donovan 

The RESPECT Project, part of the Obama Administration’s 2013 proposed budget, is part of a $5 billion program devoted to working with educators to reform and elevate the field of teaching. In his State of the Union address President Obama voices his reasons for reform: “No other profession carries a greater burden for securing our economic future. No other profession holds out more promise of opportunity to children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. And no other profession deserves more respect." Project RESPECT, headed by Education Secretary Arne Duncan, aims to provide teachers with appropriate resources, recognition, and compensation.

The proposal will affect all facets of the teaching profession from training to tenure. The goal can be found in the acronym, RESPECT: Recognizing Educational Success, Professional Excellence, and Collaborative Teaching. Consistent with Obama’s plan, Project RESPECT will focus on making schools of education more selective and rewarding good teachers with salaries that are competitive with other professions. Obama makes the promise to “Give [schools] the resources to keep good teachers on the job, and reward the best ones. In return, grant schools flexibility to teach with creativity and passion, to stop teaching to the test, and to replace teachers who just aren't helping kids learn. That's a bargain worth making." 

Duncan hopes that the RESPECT proposal will introduce and inform the administration about the deeper flaws within the education profession. “Our larger goal is to make teaching not only America's most important profession, but also America's most respected profession,” he says.

If approved by congress, Project RESPECT will challenge states and districts and will require the cooperation of district principals and administration, schools of education, and teachers’ unions. 

For more information on Project RESPECT, visit the U. S. Department of Education website.

The Obama Administration released its 2013 budget today. The U.S. Department of Education is requesting $69.8 billion in discretionary funding for 2013, an increase of $1.7 billion or 2.5 percent from 2012. The President is proposing a $14 billion one-time strategic investment in key reform areas, including aligning education programs with workforce demands, raising the teaching profession, and increasing college affordability and quality. 

“In these tough budget times, the Obama Administration is making a clear statement that high-quality education is absolutely critical to rebuilding our economy,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. “If we want to strengthen the American workforce, we must continue to invest in education.”

The Department of Education has proposed investing $850 million for the 2013 Race to the Top competition to support comprehensive state and local reforms and innovations designed to close achievement gaps and increase student achievement. A significant portion of the funds would be dedicated for early learning. 

To further support innovation at the local level, the Department is proposing $150 million for the Investing in Innovation fund to develop, evaluate, and scale-up evidence-based approaches to improve student achievement, raise graduation rates, and increase teacher and school leader effectiveness. A portion of these funds will be used to support the development of breakthrough learning technologies through the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Education (ARPA-ED). In addition, the Department would boost funding for Promise Neighborhoods – up to $100 million in total – to support the development and implementation of comprehensive community projects designed to combat the effects of poverty and improve education and life outcomes for disadvantaged students.

Also, the Department is proposing $5 billion in competitive funding to provide support to states and districts as they pursue bold reforms that can help better prepare, support and compensate teachers. 

This budget also establishes a new 25 percent set aside in Title II funds, about $620 million, within Effective Teachers and Leaders state grants that would go toward creating and expanding high-performing pathways into teaching and school leadership, reducing shortages of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) teachers, and investing in efforts to enhance the profession. In addition, the Department would invest $400 million for the Teacher and Leader Innovation Fund – an increase of $100 million over the current level – to support states and districts that want to implement bold approaches to improve the effectiveness of the education workforce in high-need schools.

The Department would also invest $190 million in mandatory funding for Presidential Teaching Fellows to provide scholarships to talented students who attend top-tier teacher preparation programs and commit to working in high-need schools.

The Administration is proposing $8 billion in mandatory funding for a Community College to Career Fund. Jointly administered with the U.S. Department of Labor, this competitive program would provide funding to develop new partnerships between community colleges and businesses in order to train and place two million workers in high-growth industries. 

These funds would give more community colleges the resources they need to become community career centers where people learn skills that local businesses are looking for right now. In addition, employers would offer paid internships for low-income students so they could simultaneously earn credit for work-based learning and gain relevant employment experience. The fund will also support new pay-for-performance strategies to provide incentives to ensure trainees find permanent jobs and encourage companies to locate in the U.S.

In addition, the Department is proposing to invest $1.1 billion to support the reauthorization and reform of the Career and Technical Education program so what students learn is more closely aligned with the demands of the workforce, and partnerships with postsecondary education are strengthened.

The Department would invest $1 billion for the first year of a Race to the Top: College Affordability and Completion to drive reform on the state level and help students finish faster, and it would expand and reform campus-based aid programs to provide more than $10 billion in student financial aid for colleges that restrain cost increases and provide a good value, especially to disadvantaged students. As part of that package, the Department would invest $735 million in Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, and increase aid to $1.1 billion in federal work study and $8.5 billion in Perkins loans – up from about $1 billion currently available in Perkins loans.

The Department is also proposing $55 million for a First in the World competition to drive innovation among postsecondary institutions, including minority-serving institutions, and help them scale up practices that work to increase college completion.

In addition, the Administration is continuing key investments in Pell grants by increasing the maximum award amount to $5,635 to support nearly 10 million students as they pursue higher education. Following up on the President's State of the Union address, the Department is proposing to freeze the interest rate on subsidized student loans at 3.4 percent – instead of allowing it to double to 6.8 percent this summer – and make the American Opportunity Tax Credit permanent. The AOTC provides taxpayers up to $10,000 over four years to cover expenses like tuition, fees and textbook costs.

These proposals come on top of other continued investments, including $14.5 billion for Title I College and Career Ready Students, $534 million for School Improvement Grants and $11.6 billion for IDEA Part B Grants to states. 

Read the President's speech on the White House website, and read more information about the budget on U.S. Department of Education website.