NC education board proposes advisory committee on at-risk students
The judge overseeing the long-running lawsuit over state education quality has asked the State Board of Education for its plan to correct “educational deficiencies” that result in low test scores.
In its court filing, the state Board of Education proposed establishing an Interagency Advisory Committee on Public Education to discuss the challenges at-risk students face. A hearing on the Board’s plan, part of the lawsuit called Leandro, is scheduled for July 21-23 before Superior Court Judge Howard Manning.
For years, Manning has criticized persistently low-performing schools and districts. Much of the Board’s response is a catalog of existing teacher preparation and evaluation efforts and classroom practices.
The Board touts its success in helping improve once-troubled schools. Of 44 high schools that Manning identified in 2004 as low-performing, only five still are, according to the court filing. No conventional high school has a graduation rate below 60 percent. Of the 118 lowest-performing schools that received intensive support, 88 have improved and are no longer in the bottom 5 percent.
The state used some of the money from its $400 million federal Race to the Top grant to support these school improvement efforts and to pay for professional development for teachers and principals.
But that federal grant money is running out, leaving the future of state-coordinated professional development subject to state budget negotiations and therefore uncertain.
No support from Senate
The House has $3.9 million in its budget to pay for one-year’s cost of three regional academies that develop new school administrators. The Race to the Top money that supports those academies runs out in October. The House also added $1.5 million to a support program for new teachers at schools that are getting extra help from the state Department of Public Instruction to improve student performance. The teacher support program is run by the UNC system, and the additional money would bring the cost to $2.7 million.
The Senate budget does not include money for either of those.
Rep. Craig Horn, a Weddington Republican and an education budget writer, said his take is that the Senate believes in professional development, but wants to make sure the costs are justified.
“We have an obligation to do that,” Horn said. “We’re happy to meet that challenge.”
Sen. Jerry Tillman, an Archdale Republican and education budget writer in his chamber, said he likes the academies for principal preparation, but thinks teacher professional development should be the local districts’ responsibility.
Staff development managed locally is more effective, he said.
“Locals have to start putting more money in for things like professional development,” he said.
Not up to schools alone
The Board, in its court filing, lists of host of changes that it said would increase support for at-risk students, such as allowing more 4-year-olds to qualify for N.C. Pre-K, and hiring more school nurses, psychologists and social workers. It did not address the cost of these recommendations.
It also made clear its point that the obligation to make sure each student has the opportunity to receive a sound basic education does not rest solely with schools.
The new committee the Board proposes would have members from state agencies, local boards of education and mental health organizations, non-profit organizations, community colleges and universities that would address the challenges of at-risk students, including poverty, safety and health.
“The obligation to provide the opportunity for a sound basic education belongs to every agency of the State, every local government, every local school board, and to the public at large,” the documents says.
Bonner: 919-829-4821
This story was originally published July 5, 2015 at 7:02 PM with the headline "NC education board proposes advisory committee on at-risk students."