Governor Patrick Pushes To Improve Public Schools

02:23PM / Thursday, July 16, 2009

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U.S. Secretary of Education applauds Massachusetts reform efforts to close achievement gaps, turn around schools and promote innovation

BOSTON – Moving to fulfill the promise of education reform for all students in Massachusetts, Governor Deval Patrick filed sweeping legislation to improve public schools and close achievement gaps that persist despite the successes of the state’s landmark Education Reform Act of 1993. The proposal will more than triple the number of charter school slots and expand the state’s authority to intervene in underperforming schools.

Joined by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan at the Museum of Science in Boston, the Governor unveiled his plans to increase accountability for school performance and student achievement and promote innovative Readiness Schools across Massachusetts. The legislation is also meant to strengthen the Commonwealth’s position as it competes with other states for $4.35 billion in federal “Race to the Top” funds being made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“Children in failing schools can wait no longer, and neither can we," said Governor Patrick. “We have made great strides since the Education Reform Act of 1993 but more must be done to ensure every school gives every student the chance they deserve to succeed.”

The Governor’s proposal seeks to turn around underperforming schools more quickly and effectively and provide more targeted support to struggling students. The reform package includes the availability of additional Readiness Schools to operate as innovative in-district schooling options for all Massachusetts students and families.

In order to qualify for the multibillion dollar national “Race to the Top” competitive grant program, U.S. Secretary Duncan has said states must demonstrate a strong desire to transform public education by partnering more aggressively with low-performing schools, enhancing opportunities for autonomy and innovation and expanding the number of charter schools.

“Massachusetts began by leading the nation on high standards and is now pushing the envelope in other critical areas of education reform,” said Secretary Duncan. “Turning around low performing schools is one of the toughest challenges out there and I applaud Massachusetts for having the courage to take it on. I look forward to watching state leaders, unions, teachers and parents work together to get this done.”

Sixteen years after the passage of the Education Reform Act, Massachusetts ranks at or near the top on national and international measures of reading, mathematics and science achievement. Still, too many public schools are failing to effectively serve too many students:

* In 2008, 70 percent of English Language Learners and 40 percent of low-income students in the Class of 2010 failed to meet MCAS graduation requirements.

* Based on 2008 statewide graduation data, approximately 70 percent of African-American and 60 percent of Latino students graduated from high school in four years compared to approximately 90 percent of White students.

* On the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress, Massachusetts showed some of the largest achievement gaps between White students and African-American and Latino students, and between lower- and higher-income students in reading and mathematics.

“We recognize the need for the state to radically alter the way underperforming schools are managed in order to ensure all students are served by high-performing schools,” said Education Secretary Paul Reville, who joined Governor Patrick and U.S. Secretary Duncan today at the bill unveiling. “And we want to continue to build on our success with new opportunities for more creative approaches to education.”

The Governor’s intervention strategy outlines plans for a “Smart Cap” lift on charter schools and for the creation of Readiness Acceleration Schools. The charter school initiative will expand and create successful charter schools that serve high-need students in Massachusetts’ lowest-performing districts.

Specifically, the proposal:

* Lifts charter school spending caps in the lowest-scoring 10 percent of school districts from 9 percent to 18 percent, more than tripling the number of available slots in these districts from the current 10,000 to over 37,000.

*  Invites only successful charter school operators with demonstrated records of student achievement to apply to open, or expand, charter schools.

* Compels providers to make efforts to recruit and retain populations of low-income students, persistently underperforming students, English Language Learners, students receiving special education and students who have dropped out or are at risk of dropping out.

The Readiness Acceleration Schools initiative will promote rapid school transformation by expanding the authority of the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education to intervene in underperforming and chronically underperforming schools.

The proposal:

* Provides the Commissioner with the ability to develop a performance contract and an “innovation plan” with local stakeholders.

* Enforces the inclusion of wrap-around services to meet social service, health and workforce development needs of students and families.

* Allows for greater autonomy and flexibility in the areas of curriculum, budget, school schedule and calendar, staffing and district policies.

The Readiness Schools initiative will also establish two types of innovative, in-district public schools that feature high degrees of flexibility and autonomy in the areas of curriculum, budget, school schedule and calendar, staffing, school district and school committee policies and provisions of local teacher contracts. The schools will promote high levels of student achievement, agree to a student performance contract and foster innovation by allowing parents, teachers, universities, museums, non-profit organizations and other groups to submit proposals to create new schools or convert existing schools. The goal of these schools is to allow educators to fundamentally transform classroom instruction.

For more information on the proposed legislation, please visit the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education website at www.mass.gov/education.