Presentation to the Mississippi Senate Education Committee January 25, 2012 Lynn J. House, Ph.D. Deputy State Superintendent.

Presentation to the Mississippi

Senate Education Committee

January 25, 2012

Lynn J. House, Ph.D.Deputy State Superintendent

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Three Overarching Goals for the Mississippi Department of Education

Dr. Tom Burnham

1. Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness

2. Increase Professionalism

3. Develop a Service Orientation

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1. Improvement in Accountability Outcomes

2. Strengthening of the Accreditation Process

3. Progress on NAEP –National Assessment

4. Cost-Cutting Efficiencies

Highlights of Four Areas of Accomplishment

Improvement in Accountability Results District Level

Improvement in Accountability Results School Level

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• Ensure that districts/schools are meeting standards

• Conduct random audits to review records for graduation rates, health/safety concerns, etc.

• Reduce accreditation standing if in noncompliance

•Offer technical assistance to help districts with violations

Strengthened the Accreditation Process

Progress on NAEP

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Mississippi NAEP Percent Proficient or AdvancedGrade/Subject 2005 2007 2009 2011

Fourth-Grade Math 19% 21% 22% 25%

Eighth-Grade Math 14% 14% 15% 19%

Mississippi NAEP Percent Proficient or AdvancedGrade/Subject 2005 2007 2009 2011

Fourth-Grade Reading 18% 19% 22% 22%

Eighth-Grade Reading 19% 17% 19% 21%

MS was one of only 13 states to show statistically significant progress in Math.Most states showed little-to-no progress in reading.

Cost-Cutting EfficienciesAnnualized Savings

• Elimination of positions/salary decreases $1,321,690• Outsourcing of Virtual School Program $1,868,111• Elimination of building leases $ 203,570• Elimination of excessive copier, printers, etc. $ 251,000• Elimination/renegotiation of contracts $1,068,754• Decrease in cost of space/food for meetings $ 375,000

TOTAL SAVINGS from Efficiencies/Cost Cutting $5,088,125

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MDE Initiatives – Focal Areas

• Student Achievement• Literacy Efforts• Common Core State Standards• Health and Safety• Conservator Districts• High School Options• Educator Code of Ethics

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Student Achievement• Improvement of writing instruction

• Increase in remediation sessions for students

• Additional communication strategies with parents

• Additional training and resources for teachers to improve test scores

• Coordinated MDE resources to eliminate duplication of services and to ensure successful strategies

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Student Achievement Assessment Improvements

• Boot CampTwo (2) day training for new and veteran teachers in tested HS subject areas (Alg 1, Bio I and Eng II) **

• On-Line Tutorials

On-line student tutorials for SATP2• Forum

Forum focused on best practices for subject specific remediation geared to student success.

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** U.S. History will be added during 2011-12.

Student Achievement Four Components of the USDE Flexibility

Waiver Request:– College and Career Ready Standards and

Assessments– Accountability System that Includes Student

Growth– Improvement of Instruction and Leadership– Focus on School Level Interventions and Rewards

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Literacy

• Collaboratively developed Birth to College Literacy Plan

• Beginning implementation of plan strategies• Working with multiple stakeholders to link

across agencies• Will be positively impacted by implementation

of the Common Core State Standards

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Common Core State Standards• A state-led initiative of the National Governors

Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)

• Opportunity for states to collectively develop and adopt a core set of rigorous academic standards in Mathematics and English Language Arts

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Why Is This Initiative Important?• Provides means for states to work together on

curriculum development• Allows equal opportunity for students to access a

strong curriculum • Prepares students to compete globally• Supports more focused professional development• Allows use of a better assessment that is the same in

each state

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Shift from “What’s Taught” to “What Students Need to Be Able to Do”

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To succeed in 21st century college and careers, students need to be able to:1. Solve problems

2. Manage oneself

3. Adapt to change

4. Analyze / conceptualize

5. Reflect on / improve performance

6. Communicate

7. Work in teams

8. Create / innovate / critique

9. Engage in learning throughout life

• Integrated Physical Activity• Bullying Prevention• Training and Support for School Nurses• Training and Support on Healthy Foods• Overall Focus on the Connection between Healthy

Students/Staff and Academic Achievement• Facilitation of the School Bus Safety Task Force

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Health and Safety Initiatives

Conservator Districts• Intensive work taking place

• Seeing improvements related to school organization, health/safety, and student learning.

• Concerns related to sustainability of improvements

• Currently developing considerations for legislation including withdrawal of accreditation and abolishment of school districts that repeat conservatorship

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High School Options

Developing more choices for students that offer greater flexibility and accessibility

– Excellence for All (State Board Exam System)– Early College High School– Mississippi Diploma High School– Career Pathway Option

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Excellence for All (State Board Exam System)

• Supported by National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE)

• District-led, voluntary program• Provides multiple options for students• States participating in pilot program – AZ, CT, KY, MS• Three MS districts piloting in 2011-12– Clarksdale - Cambridge Learning System– Corinth - Cambridge Learning System– Gulfport – ACT Program

Excellence for All• Offers multiple pathways for high school completion

• Includes expectation that all students meet high standards

• Allows the opportunity to exit high school at end of 10th grade OR to continue to grade 12 to complete AP, IB, or CTE program leading to industry certification.

• Sound core program, solid teacher training, high quality exams

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• Designed for students at-risk for post-secondary education: first generation college students, low income,

minority, etc., but open to all• Typically offered on a post-secondary campus• Offers college coursework as early as 2nd semester

of freshman year• Students can complete coursework to exit high school with

an AA degree and a high school diploma• Can also stay an additional year to complete the AA.

Early College High School

Mississippi Diploma High School• Intended for those who have dropped out or who are

ready to withdraw• Flexible class schedule online or face-to-face to allow

continuation of work• Provides counseling services to assist students in

selecting/pursuing a career pathway• Establishes school district-community college

partnerships to provide career/technical skills while enrolled

• Provides foundation skills for immediate success in the workforce

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HB 1163• Legislation from 2011 establishes a requirement

for a report on Early College and Adult High School programs

• Report has been filed

• Further discussion for 2012 legislative session

• Hopefully begin pilot planning in Summer of 2012

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Career Pathway Diploma Option• Provides a career-focused course of study leading to a

standard diploma • Linked to one of the 16 nationally-recognized career

clusters • Aligned with career readiness/industry certifications.• Combines career-technical knowledge/skills with

academic competencies, such as technical writing, to support workplace success

• Emphasizes appropriately rigorous standards and relevant hands-on experiences

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A student’s guide to help establish and achieve career and academic goals for success after high school.• Provides mentoring and guidance to assist students

in career pathway planning• Helps identify appropriate graduation pathway

options• Supports changes to meet student needs and

ambitions• Transitions into a profession or postsecondary

education major

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Individual Career and Academic Plan

High School Options Expected Outcomes

• Increase flexibility to meet student needs• Increase high school graduation rates• Reduce drop out rates• Increase college-going rates• Reduce college remediation rates• Reduce suspension and expulsion rates• Provide better transitions to the workplace and college

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Educator Code of Ethics• Clearly established expectations regarding appropriate

professional behavior including interactions with students• Formed the basis for reporting of sexual misconduct• MDE not fully aware of the magnitude of the problem• 21 cases reported since April; aware of others that have

not yet been submitted• Need investigative support that specializes in this area –

could be housed with Attorney General’s Office or other state office

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“Standing on theShoulders of Giants”

National Council on Education and the EconomyMarc Tucker, Executive Director

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants Seven Strategies for Success1. Aggressive international benchmarking2. Powerful, coherent, aligned instructional systems3. Design criterion focused on moving all students

to high standards4. Funding systems that put more money behind students

who are harder to educate5. High quality teaching force6. Workplace organized and managed along professional

lines, not industrial lines7. Coherent education systems

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Questions??