Statewide Education Summit
April 18, 2008

A SEAMLESS P-16 SYSTEM OF EDUCATION
Panel Summary

Dr. Raymund A. Paredes, Commissioner, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

“I feel that the system of education is highly dependent on all the parts working together.  A distinguished higher education system will not exist without a strong P-12 system or it will decline.  Conversely, if higher education doesn’t train teachers and principals well, the P-12 system will also decline.  The recent adoption of college readiness standards will be a litmus test of our ability to establish strong partnerships in education.  Texas is way behind other states in numbers of high school and college graduates.  This situation eventually leads to some huge disadvantages for the future of the state.  Students need to have the ability to think, basic skills in science and math, and a strong educational foundation or they won’t be able to adapt to the changes in the future.  College readiness and workforce readiness are the same.  House Bill 1 established P-16 vertical team collaboration which resulted in a set of strong, reasonable and competitive standards composed of knowledge and skills.  We need to come together to promote these standards and adopt them across the entire state in order to be competitive in the nation and the world.  We need to retrain teachers and tell our students and parents that we expect more.  High standards and the academic support to achieve this are necessary, and we will need sustained effort to make this happen.”

Robert Scott, Commissioner, Texas Education Agency

“A significant accomplishment for Texas education in the next 20 years would be establishing standards for college readiness and integrating this into a rigorous curriculum.  Standards-based reform is something we have been pursuing for at least 100 years.  Progress has been made but not rapidly enough.  We need to emphasize flexibility and rigor with a balance of knowledge and skills.  All course pathways need academic rigor.  There is also a controversy within this involving the “how” (pedagogy) and the “what” (curriculum standards).  The “how” doesn’t belong in the “what.”   Also, in Texas the educational governmental structures are disjointed.  Everyone is interested in the same goals but the process needs to be more seamless and smooth.  We know students can learn more at an earlier age.  Perhaps we can come up with new ways to incentivize them and provide financial support for college.”

Dr. Manuel J. Justiz, Dean of the College of Education, the University of Texas at Austin

 “Sixty-two percent (62%) of students entering college require at least 1 pre-college course (most often English or mathematics).  There is no clear plan based on hard data concerning best practices in addressing this need.  Texas has made some progress in this area due to the work of the Community College Leadership program.  Two year colleges have had the most success by starting in grade 9 to prepare students for a seamless opportunity to move into higher education.  The high school staff is also a partner in this process.  Another important fact about community colleges is that a large proportion of the healthcare professional population is trained at community colleges.  This is critical to the life of our nation.  What must high schools and community colleges do to advance this partnership?  1)  Track and collect data for every student from grade 9 through community college.  2)  It does take a village so all partners in the process must have a voice in the process.  3)  Search and rescue – many students take time off after high school graduation, and a plan is needed to find these mature students and help them succeed in re-entering school.  4)  Readiness skills such as how to study, organize, take notes, etc. should be taught.  5)  Early, engaged and excited – access to students in grade 9 will help ensure that students succeed early.  6)  College, here I come – all students should be prepared to take the SAT and the ACT tests with continued alignment and collaboration through the system.  7)  Teacher and professor readiness – teachers need to be trained in how to properly engage students and in new methods of assessment.  8)  Lofty and national goals – funds will be needed to support achievement and success.”

Melody A. Johnson, Superintendent, Fort Worth Independent School District

“How do we move from rethinking to reforming and transforming our educational system?  We need to avoid tracking and labeling, and we also need multiple pathways with equal rigor.  Equity begins at the school door with no excuses.  What do we need for this to happen?  1)  Time – the Early College High School is a start but we need to look at the length of the school day and the number of days in the school year.  The student needs to be the constant, not the amount of time spent in educating him/her.  2) Content – what are we teaching?  3)  Research – there is a desperate need for research into the causal factors of how kids learn and which institutes give the most value added in producing quality teachers.  4)  Assessment – we need to distinguish between assessment of learning and for learning.  It needs to be proficiency based instead of correlated to grade level and focused on improvement, not percentage passing.  5)  Accountability – the focus should be on quality not compliance with no harsh sanctions that impede progress.  Also we need to determine who is accountable and what they need to get their job done.  We don’t need to hammer them while holding them accountable.  6)  Resources – equitable is not always equal.  Resources should follow need and be distributed according to a thoughtful plan.  Our entire funding system needs help to be fair and equitable.  7)  Commitment – adults need to walk the walk and not just talk the talk.  It is our collective responsibility to take care of all the kids.”