ED Secretary John King talks with NASBE

Tuesday morning, last day of the NASBE Legislative Conference. US Secretary of Education, John King has come to meet with NASBE members, first with an address, then to sit with Jim McNiece (NASBE President) for a conversation, followed by a Q&A.

The Secretary thanks Jim for his years  as educator and state board member (Kansas)

Thanks Kris [Amundson, NASBE Executive Director] for her leadership and strong voice for NASBE

Lots to celebrate in US: highest grad rate; fewer drop outs

More students accessing HQ preK

Most diverse class just graduating from college

ESSA presents an opportunity to redefine what excellent education means

We know there is much more that we want from a well-rounded education, for people prepared to engage in civic discourse, including science, soc studies, arts, SEL

Opps to define what excellent schooling means; talk to people you know in neighborhoods, states

Move away from one size interventions of NCLB

NCLB interventions didn't match specific challenges - there are new opps with ESSA            

ELLS: opp to focus on PD for teachers, recruit teacher leaders with experience with ELLs; opp to be more strategic

Leverage this law for Excellence

Want to partner with states in this work

Regs on ESSA by late fall so states can launch

He is encouraged that many states have already jumped in to reach out to diverse stakeholders: civil rights, early ed, higher ed, parents, struggling schools

Focus on excellence & equity

Will these initial efforts help or distract?

Goal is equity, to close achievement gaps

AP classes, IB, Dual enrollment

Rigorous evaluations

Integrate within ESSA to build on previous work

Start with ELLs, homeless students, foster students and build from there

Q&A

Jim McNiece: How do you see your role in terms of helping states?

John King:  Three thoughts: 1.) Regs help to create a framework, prioritize 2.) tech assistance and guidance to states 3. bully pulpit is IMP - call attention to students at risk, getting a well-rounded education; acknowledge narrowed curriculum; wants to use his role to lift up teachers

JMc: We're not going to work with "you" - how do we work with the Dept? How is ED going to change to specifically work with state boards?

JK: lots of enthusiasm about this shift (state as customer); less about silos and grant-funding

JMc: Reality of Opt Out and 95%?

JK: ESSA commitment to student progress, 95%. Controversy around assessments about too much testing. one Q: are there too many? Redundant? Looked at this in NY - - 4 diff reading assessments as more and more leaders added favorites. Are there places where a district is using a low-level multiple choice could be replaced by a science experiment? ESSA allows a reset on this - so that we're not staling from instructional time

JMc: Parents have gotten into the discussion about Quality Assessments, the scores, and how they should be used?

JK: We've got to make the assessments better. To demonstrate problem solving skills; tech can help; tech is a challenge, too. How to shorten the time to get results back? Results are one measure. Should inform evaluation, along with judgments from Supts about leadership.

JMc: Technology. It's a huge issue in the buildings. Can we provide the bandwith? Requires a great deal of infra and support. Can the Dept provide supports? How?

JK: ConnectED, FCC has helped. Opp with ESSA for Title IV - technology to support instruction. Technology for instruction, not assessment. President proposing doubling Title IV

JMc: Teacher evaluation. Huge when it was tied into NCLB. Moving now that evals do not have to include assessments. how to move to E&E?

JK: Very strong consensus on first principles. If it feels like "gotcha", won't work. Has to provide support for practice. Observers must be well-trained. Student learning should be a factor in how we evaluate - - create time and space to make meaningful evals. Must be a collaborative process at the local level.

JMc: How can we help you?

JK: 1.) you all have to be the champs for equity - state boards must be the ones asking how do we ensure high learning no matter the zip code. Lots of kids have gotten less. State boards have to lead. How do all kids get access. 2.) State boards must have big picture across sectors (early ed, K-12, higher ed, CTE). Must be in convos for communication and alignment. Connect with local districts. 3.) We need your voice to convey to us what you need. Where are the rules getting in the way?

JMc: State boards on the front line & local boards are in the trenches...takes Qs from the audience

NE/SBE member: Looking forward to this partnership. Early ed: how do we continue the focus to build capacity for Kindergarten, and how to engage states to connect within ESSA?

JK: A piece of RTTT, Lessons learned in that grant. PreK dev grant expanded access in 18 states. Want to add more states. ROI is high. Opp here. Over 30 states have increased their investment in early ed. Importance of local & state leadership early ed, prek, first & second grade to create enriched learning. How to do preK to prepare kids preK-2. In too many places, preK Ts need to communicate.

MI/SBE member: More about wrap around - - also, being from MI, Flint is front and center about addressing issues that impact health of our kids.

JK: We should be ashamed about what has happened in Flint. It's very hard to explain to my kids [9 & 12 y.o] what happened and why. I think it is a reflection that as a country we have been inattentive to infrastructure. We have to do better. The Edu impact, sadly, is lead poisoning. We want to work with MI. What is happening in Detroit is also a fundamental issue. Impact of a mindset where we value some kids more than we do others. Invest in education the way we would with our own kids. More access to food to children in summer, we're working to expand access.

Missed SBE member: Mindset. ED has a culture and mindset with NCLB. ESSA to change that mindset. Dept is clawing back authority through rulemaking. How do you view change in the Dept?

JK: On standards. ESSA is v clear: they are up to states and they have to be high to ensure college and career. State developed and adopted standards for CCR. ESSA creates space for more state l'ship on defining how resources are used. IMP role for states. ESSA protects civil rights. Prior to NCLB, we were underattending to some students. ED has the responsibility to attend in these matters. Will have to strike the right balance

WA/SBE member: Stakeholder engagement in dev of the plans. We at state level know how long that takes. Can you give us assurances that the time will not be cut short?

JK: Regs finalized by late fall, so states can have til spring and summer of 2017 to submit plans, implement in fall 2017. There may be things states want to do, ultimately, but perhaps not ready to do that by fall 2017 - - may wish to commit, but set implementation for 2019...staged implementation strategy and feedback loops.

DC/SBE member: HS grad rate. How to ensure kids are ready for college and career? Balance remediation?

JK: Important Q. Remediation in some states happens in grade 12. Dual enrollment opps. AP, IB classes opps to engage in college work in HS. CTE has to be re-thought. Opps for advancement. Smart partnerships that prepare kids for high value careers. How to improve, invest in tech ed. We need to be vigilant.

RI/SBE member: Cost of education. Crushing college debt. Your thoughts on where we are going WRT affordability in public & private?

JK: Many students start college and don't finish. They don't have the degree so they can't get the job. We're focusing on completion. PELL dollars. Incentive for students to take 15 credits or more/semester. Focuses students on graduating and focuses colleges on track to graduation. There is a cost and that is very hard to get our arms around. Some of the more elite institutions: decisions to invest in buildings, competitive. Needs consumer demand to shift demand: collegescorecard.ed.gov

JMc: Last word. What message do you have for state board members?

JK: Give us feedback, input. Right framework for your work in states. Schools, literally, save lives. Lost both my parents when young. School was my life. Bring that level of urgency to everything we do: school saves lives. Thank you.

Deadline approaching for individuals to serve on committee

I'd like to amplify the announcement from ED earlier this month that the Department is taking nominations for individuals to serve on the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee. The Committee will provide recommendations on several complex regulatory issues under Title I of ESEA/ESSA. 

Among the constituencies ED is looking for are members of state Boards of Education and local School Committees, paraprofessionals, teachers, historically underrepresented students, and the civil rights community.

There's a stated preference for potential Committee members with specific expertise in assessment and/or an understanding of school finance (supplement, not supplant). The two tasks for the Committee:

• Prepare proposed regulations that would update existing assessment regulations to reflect changes to section 1111(b)(2) of the ESEA, including:
• (i) Locally selected nationally recognized high school assessments, under section 1111(b)(2)(H);
• (ii) The exception for advanced mathematics assessments in 8th grade, under section 1111(b)(2)(C);
• (iii) Inclusion of students with disabilities in academic assessments, including alternate assessments based on alternate academic achievement standards for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, subject to a cap of 1.0% of students assessed for a subject;
• (iv) Inclusion of English learners in academic assessments and English language proficiency assessments; and
• (v) Computer-adaptive assessments. 

• Prepare proposed regulations related to the requirement under section 1118(b) of the ESEA that title I, part A funds be used to supplement, and not supplant, non-Federal funds, specifically:
• (i) Regarding the methodology a local educational agency uses to allocate State and local funds to each title I school to ensure compliance with the supplement not supplant requirement; and
• (ii) The timeline for compliance. These topics are tentative. Topics may be added or removed as the process continues.

Individuals selected for either of these panels should be aware of this request:

"An individual selected as a negotiator will be expected to represent the interests of his or her constituency and participate in the negotiations in a manner consistent with the goal of developing proposed regulations on which the committee will reach consensus. If consensus is reached, the negotiator and, if applicable, his or her employer organization, is bound by the consensus and may not submit a negative comment through the public comment process on the resulting proposed regulation." 

Many of us can easily think of potential candidates with the knowledge and skills ED is looking for to help shape ESSA regulations. Nominations for negotiators to serve on the committee must be received on or before Thursday, February 25, 2016. Details about how to submit nominations, as well as the dates, times, and locations of committee meetings are detailed in the notice.

"Negotiated rulemaking" and its role in ESSA

In addition to releasing guidance on assessments (my previous post), the US Department of Education (ED) announced last week that it will engage in "negotiated rulemaking" for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

Negotiated rulemaking is a process where ED appoints people to serve on a committee to help develop regulations, as opposed to "regular rulemaking" which is undertaken by ED staff. Negotiated rulemaking is intended to increase the likelihood that regulations will be accepted by all interested parties, in part by having them at the table during regulation development.

ESSA requires ED to use negotiated rulemaking in the areas of:

• assessments,
• standards, and
• the "supplement not supplant" provision (which involves funding).

Individuals appointed to the Negotiating Committee will represent a broad range of constituencies, including state and local educators, administrators, civil rights organizations, parents, students, the business community, and more. The negotiators selected to serve on the committee will convene for up to 3 multi-day meetings that will conclude by the end of April.

The committee will address several issues related to assessments, including:

• district flexibility to use a locally selected assessment in high schools for accountability purposes instead of the statewide assessment;

• inclusion of students with disabilities in academic assessments, including alternate assessments based on alternate academic achievement standards for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities;

• inclusion of learners of English in academic assessments and English language proficiency assessment;

• computer-adaptive assessments.

It's interesting to note that even though ED has the authority to use negotiated rulemaking to regulate on academic standards, the issue is not included within the announcement - could this, perhaps, be a signal that ED is unlikely to regulate in this area?

For the other provisions under ESSA, such as accountability, ED will go through the regular rulemaking process (which does not include a negotiating committee), most likely this spring.

ED will take nominations for members of the Negotiating Committee until February 25 and will only consider nominations from those individuals or organizations that responded to last month's request for information (RFI) on ESSA regulations.

More information on the negotiated rulemaking process may be found HERE (beginning in middle of second column).

ED releases guidance to states on assessments under ESSA

Last week the US Department of Education (ED) released guidance to Chief State School Officers on assessments under the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

The guidance document builds on President Obama's Testing Action Plan released last October, which included a set of principles for encouraging assessments that promote learning and equity, while scaling back on those practices that haven't served students - or educators - well.

Through new assessment flexibility, funding, and a new pilot program under ESSA, states are supported in their implementation of high quality assessments. While the law eliminates federal mandates for test-based teacher evaluation, states are still required to administer an annual assessment of students in grades 3-8 and once in high school in ELA and maths. With release of the guidance, states and districts are offered specific examples of ways to use federal funds to:

1. Conduct assessment audits to help eliminate low-quality or redundant assessments (outlining that federal dollars may be used to reduce the number and improve the quality of tests);
2. Facilitate educator professional development on using assessment results to improve instruction;
3. Increase timeliness and transparency of assessment information for parents and students; and
4. Improve the quality of assessments, including through replacing low-quality tests with performance assessments.

ED's guidance document may be accessed HERE.

FYI: A link within the cover letter leads to an ED blog highlighting promising practices from states. The John J. Doran Community School in Fall River was highlighted (September 30, 2015) for its approach to addressing non-academic barriers to learning.