Legislation
Last updated: September 14, 2009
RACE TO THE TOP
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan released the outline
of what will likely be the requirements for receiving part
of the $4 billion federal Race to the Top (RTTT) grants to
states. It is estimated that California’s share could be between
$500 million and $1 billion.
Several criteria must be met before states can receive the
funding. Foremost among these, and the one thing states must
meet to even be considered, is that states “must not have
any legal barriers to linking student achievement data to
teachers and principals for the purposes of evaluation.” In
the eyes of Secretary Duncan, California already flunks this
test. Although there appears to be some disagreement among
California lawmakers about Duncan's interpretation of our
laws, Duncan has said that California law prohibits linking
student achievement with teacher evaluation, lawmakers are
poised to remove any legal barriers to linking student achievement
data with teacher evaluation.
Once states have met this threshold criterion, there is an
absolute priority that states have a “coherent and comprehensive
plan” for addressing four reform areas:
- High quality standards and assessments
Develop, adopt, and implement common standards and assessments*
- Data systems that support instruction
Implement a statewide longitudinal data system
- Effective principals and teachers
Implement several provisions, including alternative pathways
for aspiring teachers and principals, differentiate teacher
and principal effectiveness based on performance
- Support for struggling schools
Intervene in lowest-performing schools, increase supply
of charter schools (and remove any state-mandated caps on
the number of charter schools allowed), turn around struggling
schools
Not surprisingly, Governor Schwarzenegger moved quickly to
call a press conference, at which he was surrounded by charter
school advocates, and called a special session of the legislature
to address legislation designed to bring California’s laws
into align with what’s required under RTTT. Subsequently,
a huge piece of legislation, SBX5
1, was introduced by Senators Gloria Romero, Bob Huff,
Elaine Alquist, and Mark Wyland that:
- Deletes the prohibition against using student performance
data as a basis for teacher evaluation
- Eliminates the cap on the number of charter schools the
state could authorize
- Allows for students to attend public schools in districts
other than their district of residence
- Requires the state superintendent to make recommendations
on how to identify the lowest five percent of historically
low-performing schools
- Requires the state superintendent to direct those schools
to take one of three specified alternative governance or
restructuring actions required by the federal law (even
though the federal law gives four restructuring alternatives)
What makes the governor, legislature, and education officials
so anxious to jump on board with the RTTT requirements—besides
the one-time money—is the likelihood that these guidelines
will become the de facto guidelines for future “regular”
federal funding, of which California receives about $4 billion
annually. In addition, if No Child Left Behind is reauthorized,
it is believed that the RTTT priorities could become “bedrock
components” of the new legislation. In other words, we can
change now or change later, but change will be done.
*The question of adopting common standards does not appear
to be addressed in SBX5 1. Schwarzenegger has technically
“signed onto” the National Governors Association’s move to
develop nationwide common core standards, as long as they
don’t differ from California’s.
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