TEXAS EDUCATION REFORM CAUCUS POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE 80TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE Adopted December 1, 2006, by the Board of Directors Since its establishment in 2000, the Texas Education Reform Caucus (TERC) has brought together business leaders, policymakers, educators, and representatives of state agencies and associations to collaborate in the development and delivery of a bipartisan message for school improvement to the Legislature. TERC recognizes that the responsibility for the continuous improvement of student and school achievement must be shared by policymakers, educators and business leaders. We help these stakeholders become better decision makers as they develop strategic school improvement plans. For six years, TERC has carried out this work, in partnership with its sister organization, the Texas Education Reform Foundation which sponsors the state’s major forum for examining public education reform, the Statewide Education Summit. Theory of Action for Public Education Improvement TERC has a sharply focused commitment to a clear, overarching theory of action for public education improvement in Texas. This theory of action is the same as that embodied in Senate Bill 1, signed by Gov. George W. Bush in 1995: accountability for results balanced with local control and a state commitment to build system capacity. Like a three-legged stool, standards-based accountability, local control and system capacity provide a firm foundation for innovation and improvement. Accountability for results provides incentive; local control enables innovation; and capacity provides resources and tools. Pursuit of this agenda through successive Legislatures has brought Texas to its current position of achievement. Results are impressive, and Texas educators deserve the thanks of all Texans for innovating and improving to meet the demands of ever increasing accountability for results. But major work remains for the 80th Legislature, for the reform journey has just begun. Texans know that the expanding knowledge economy and rapid demographic changes are intersecting to place Texas on a collision course. We know that, unless we keep raising academic standards and significantly narrowing the achievement gap, the Texas workforce of the future will be unable to produce the goods and services necessary to make Texas a great place to live. Without change, the future Texas work force will be less well educated, less skilled and earn less than at present. Without significant improvements in public education, most Texans will not have a better life; rather, they will see their quality of life slip. The improvements required cannot be achieved unless state policymakers and educators work together. This theory of action: standards-based accountability, local control, and system capacity provides clear direction for the Legislature and is one business leaders, policymakers, educators, and others will likely support. Yes, there will be fierce disagreement on how far and how fast to move, and what some may see as accountability for results others may see as micromanagement by the state. But surely we can regain the consensus we had in 1995, a consensus that has brought so much improvement to Texas public schools. Let us posit that public schools are performing better than ever in the history of Texas. Let us agree that state policymakers have put into place a state policy framework that drives improvement. Let us acknowledge that Texas educators, unlike educators in many other states, have embraced standards-based reform, thank them for that, and applaud their achievement. Then let us be honest and admit that however impressive the Texas achievement, continued improvement at the present rate must be accelerated. The world is changing faster than we are improving. If Texas public schools do not improve achievement more rapidly in the future than in the past, the Texas economy will still falter and the quality of our children’s lives will slip. So there is important work to do in the 80th Session of the Texas Legislature. TERC proposes that this work start with a recommitment of Texas business leaders, policymakers, educators, and others to the theory of action that has brought us this far:
This recommitment is needed, for in recent years, the Legislature and executive branch, by statute and executive order, have mandated dozens of new requirements that impinge on local control, in some cases stifling innovation and making it more difficult to convince educators that they should be held accountable for results. The Legislature and those who wish to influence it can debate just which laws, regulations, and resources are needed to strengthen accountability, empower local school districts, and provide system capacity. But let us judge all proposals by these standards. Let policymakers acknowledge that one size does not fit all, that they cannot redesign school districts, and that excessive mandates hinder local innovation. Let educators accept that they must be accountable to their local voters and to the State for performance and efficiency; that low performing schools cannot be allowed to operate year after year; that graduation rates must dramatically improve and the achievement gap dramatically narrow, and that district and school accountability must inevitably lead to individual accountability. And let all Texans recognize that, notwithstanding significant increases in education spending, more resources are required. More tax dollars spent unwisely will accomplish little, but neither will accountability and empowerment produce results without adequate resources. State leaders who make a strong case for comprehensive public education reform built on something Texans already understand and endorse, accountability for results balanced with local control, should have no trouble convincing a majority of Texans to provide the resources required to support high achievement for all Texas children. Policy Recommendations for the 80th Texas Legislature 1. Educator Effectiveness We must invest in the future of our children and our state by ensuring that all students have the best teachers and administrators possible and our educators have classrooms resources and programs focused on their development. TERC supports enhancing educator effectiveness through the following actions and policies: A. Comprehensive Teacher Salary Models and the Role of Teacher Performance-Pay State policy must give districts increased flexibility in human resource allocation the result of which would be incentive pay linked to improved student performance and pay differentials to support the recruitment of highly qualified individuals in the areas of Math, Science, Bilingual and Special Education. House Bill 1 authorized $330 million to reward teaching excellence through locally designed incentive programs. Two programs were created in statute under House Bill 1. The first program is already being implemented and eligible schools are developing plans that satisfy state criteria. The other program will not be funded until September 1, 2007. TERC supports the application and approval process required by the State. However, we recommend that the state criteria for incentive plans be waived when locally developed pay-for-performance plans are already in place. Districts must be allowed to develop plans tailored to the specific needs of their students and staff members, such as recruitment for critical shortage areas in math and science. Performance pay is not a substitute to a good, competitive salary structure. However, an appropriately structured pay-for-performance program should be an integral component of a comprehensive compensation plan. Performance-pay programs add a much needed dimension to educational compensation plans by linking financial rewards to the primary goal of educators: to improve student academic performance. Pay-for-performance programs offer financial rewards to teachers for achieving specific, measurable gains in student academic achievement. Not only must curriculum, instruction, and assessment be aligned for higher levels of student achievement, alignment must also take place in compensation. Because pay-for-performance programs help establish performance standards and benchmark progress, they promote data-driven decision-making and facilitate efficient use of limited resources by rewarding the most effective teachers. Resource alignment, strong accountability systems and continuous improvement are integral parts of performance-based compensation systems. When measuring student achievement gains, we encourage the Legislature to incorporate some version of the value-added approach and provide an opportunity for public discussion to ensure that stakeholders understand the implementation of this approach to the Texas public education system. B. Alternative Certification Programs It is clear that traditional teaching and certification programs are not producing a sufficient number of teachers to keep up with demand, in particular the areas of math and science. TERC supports the State’s response to this crisis by creating an atmosphere of competitive alternative preparation and certification programs. The increase in these programs over the last five years has resulted in over 60 percent of all new hires coming from alternative routes. However, while State licensing standards have provided multiple entry points to the teaching profession (there are currently over 140 Texas Alternative Certification Programs), the State lacks the ability to monitor program implementation and quality. TERC believes that the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board should work together, as set forth in the Texas Education Code, to develop a better authorization system to manage and govern the quality of Alternative Certification Programs (ACP). All certifying entities should be held to the same standards as the college and university programs. ACP programs should work cooperatively with districts to standardize entry requirements while at the same time providing multiple entry points. Individuals with a bachelors degree in an area directly related to the public schools curriculum should be encouraged to enter the teaching profession. TERC recommends that Texas become the first state to create a standards-based approval accreditation process for ACP’s rather than simply approving programs by committee review. This approval process would require ACP programs to demonstrate their academic rigor through a mandatory evaluation by THECB and maintain an academically rigorous preparation program linked to state standards. Each program should be able to document that their course of study is equivalent to a minimum of 6 to 9 college credits at the level that best suits the candidate. In this way, programs would qualify for an accredited approved status. Further, programs should be encouraged to complete this review by partnering with colleges and universities to include community colleges no later than 2010. C. Professional Development and Teacher Mentoring The Legislature should continue to support teacher training activities, particularly at the high school level for teachers in the four core high school subjects (math, science, English-language arts and social studies) and the technology/engineering disciplines. This initiative will be particularly important as schools implement the new requirements for four years of mathematics and science. TERC strongly supports the funding of mentor teacher stipends authorized in House Bill 1 for teachers with less than two years teaching experience. 2. Statewide Student Assessment Program: End-of-Course Exams and TAKS TERC believes that TAKS (implemented just five years ago in the 2002-03 school year at a cost of millions to the State) is a high quality assessment program proven effective in driving statewide school improvement and keeping students on grade level in reading, mathematics and writing. These rigorous tests measure student performance against the standards of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) adopted by the State Board of Education in July 1997. Since annual testing was required by the Legislature to begin in 1994, academic achievement has improved each year. TERC supports the current exit-level Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). With the understanding that some state leaders are considering replacing TAKS with end-of-course exams and reducing the emphasis of TAKS from a diagnostic, accountability tool to a diagnostic tool, we recommend that the Legislature initiate a study with regard to the future of student assessment and provide an opportunity for a public debate to ensure that stakeholders, not just educators, understand the ramifications of moving to end-of-course and determine if end-of-course exams or other approaches should be a supplement to TAKS or a potential replacement. 3. Secondary, Postsecondary and Career Success Initiatives TERC continues to support policies for higher rigor in our courses (particularly math, science and engineering) so that our students are prepared for post-secondary success. Steve Murdock, Texas State Demographer, predicts that Texas will lose economic wealth if we do not increase the percentage of our population who earn an associates’ or bachelors’ degree over the next fifteen years.
4. Technology and Learning With the 20th century now behind us, Texas must create a public educational system to prepare its students to function and compete in the 21st century – second to none. Central to such a vision: All students must have the opportunity to achieve Texas’ learning standards. Today’s students live (and will live out their lives) in a digital age. They must master and learn to apply appropriate tools with which to handle the exponentially growing body of general and specific knowledge in the world. Information and communication technologies are needed for students to learn and be more productive, beginning in the early grades and continuing through high school graduation. Teachers who are skilled in the integration of these 21st century teaching and learning environments will be needed to ensure student success. Texas must aggressively move to develop an educational and finance model to support eLearning resources that provide a depth and breadth of quality learning resources for the complete instructional process for all students. Policies need to be rewritten that address learning in the 21st century, including “seat time” requirements. TERC asks the State to support the Learning and Technology Initiative (LTI) for funding and implementation of technology in classrooms for the 2007-08 school year. The LTI includes eight legislative recommendations briefly summarized below (LTI document in its entirety available by contacting the TERC staff at 469.358.6335):
5. Charter School Improvement The number of public charter schools has grown from 17 in 1997 to 241 in 2006. Of these 241 charters, 194 were state-authorized, open-enrollment charters and 41 were district-authorized charters. As of 2006, 89,171 students were enrolled in Texas’ public charter schools, representing less than two percent of all students. The State Legislature has capped the number of state-authorized open-enrollment charters at 215, so Texas is quickly reaching its limit. Although there is no limit on the number of district-authorized charters allowed in the state, few districts have shown interest in chartering thus far. Traditional school districts like the Houston Independent School District, local community groups, non-profits, public-private partnerships like the Texas High School Project, and charter management organizations such as KIPP, Inc., IDEA Public Schools, and YES College Preparatory Schools have sponsored more charters based upon success. TERC supports state policy providing monetary incentives for partnerships between traditional public schools and charter public schools. For example, if a school district partners with a charter (through contract) for the use of facilities and the students attending the charter reside in the attendance zone of the school district, the children attending the charter will be included in the school district’s or school’s state academic accountability rating. TERC recommends that policymakers adopt a stronger accountability system for charters, one that is consistent in effectively measuring student performance in all public schools. A stronger licensure system should be put in place to ensure that responsible, capable operators run charter schools. 6. Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs We must address the impact that disruptive and low-performing students have on schools in classroom environment, academic achievement, school safety, school ratings and teacher turnover. In the 2004-05 school year, Texas had 630,000 in-school suspensions occur and 292,000 out-of-school suspensions. Two percent of these students were referred to Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs (DAEP). TERC supports these standards for Texas DAEP’s:
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