April 2012 | Featured Idea Streamlining School Board Elections

10

IDEAS

for

Education

10 Ideas for Education

April 2012
National Director Taylor Jo Isenberg Field Director Winston Lofton Policy Director Reese Neader Program Director Alan Smith Chapter Services Coordinator Dante Barry Student Editors Aaron Goldstein, Meilia Ungson Alumni Editors Amy Baral, Kirsten Hill, Seth Extein, David Bevevino

The Roosevelt Institute Campus Network A division of the Roosevelt Institute 570 Lexington Avenue, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10022
Copyright (c) 2012 by the Roosevelt Institute. All rights reserved. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors. They do not express the views or opinions of the Roosevelt Institute, its officers or its directors.

10

IDEAS
FOR

Education

Congratulations to Anna Peterson, author of Rejecting Jim Crow, Embracing Democracy, and Empowering Southern Communities Nominee for Policy of the Year

Inside the Issue

Encouraging Comprehensive Safe Sex Education: Reforming Title V Nora Catherine Blalock Making Work-Study Work Angela Choi et al Socioeconomic School Integration Colleen Connolly Capping Increases on Federal Student Aid Grayson Cooper and Lily Roberts A Roadmap to Improved Early Childhood Nutrition Zealan Hoover Dual Enrollment: North Carolinas Gateway to Affordable College Kate Matthews Making Schools Safe for LGBT Youth Jessica Morris Rejecting Jim Crow, Embracing Democracy, and Empowering Southern Communities Anna Peterson Ensuring Equality in Education: Reinstate End of Course Testing Grace Tatter Teacher Evaluation Reform in Georgia Public Schools Seth Taylor

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p Letter from New York City

Where do groundbreaking ideas come from? How do they take shape? How do they
fundamentally shift the way we see our world? It almost always takes the confluence of a seemingly intractable problem, people of intentional purpose, and a certain boldness to overcome. Its a potent mix that can be seen in the advancements in workers rights spurred by Frances Perkinss forward thinking labor policies to the environmental movement inspired by Rachel Carsons revealing work on the damaging effects of pesticides. Ideas have real impact when there is the realization that we need to do better combined with the people who are bold enough to ultimately do something. The Roosevelt Institute | Campus Network provides a way for young people to tap into this process, a platform for them to unlock the potential to drive progressive change. We received a record number of submissions to our premiere publication series this year from hundreds of students who invested the time and energy to research, write, and design actionable policy solutions for their communities. The 84 authors ultimately selected for the 2012 10 Ideas represent a generation of young people who recognize that it is because of, not in spite of, their age that they are uniquely capable of tackling some of our most entrenched challenges. With a thirst for action, many of these students will use these ideas to build coalitions, gather resources, and recruit supporters to create real, sustainable impact. Among this group of thinkers, visionaries, and doers, I encourage you to look for the future Frances Perkins and Rachel Carson, leaders who are already combating the injustices of our prison system, reimagining how we use energy, and solving the obesity crisis. We are proud to present the 2012 10 Ideas series, an inspiring exemplar of our generations unique propensity to engage with and accept the responsibility of todays complex and interconnected challenges. Each one of these pieces represents a powerful reminder that this generation is not only willing to build a better future, but has already begun. Taylor Jo Isenberg National Director Roosevelt Institute | Campus Network

Policy Directors Note P

Welcome and thank you for reading the fourth edition of the Roosevelt Institute |
Campus Network 10 Ideas Series, our annual flagship publication. This series, encompassing six journals produced from our six student policy centers, represents the most innovative, game-changing ideas coming from our network.

Our country needs a new narrative for how to address the problems we face: skyrocketing inequality, rising health care costs, unsustainable deficit spending, climate change, the list goes on. Defeating these challenges will require broad support from our citizens. And yet across the political spectrum the majority of the voting public has expressed strong dissatisfaction with their relationship with government. They feel that they dont have a voice in how decisions are made. The work of the Campus Network, and our 10 Ideas Series demonstrates that there is an alternative way forward-grassroots policymaking-and that young people across the country are blazing a trail forward. Each idea in these journals represents the work of a student who independently took up the challenge of addressing our countrys problems. They worked at local nonprofits and visited community centers to identify the issues that mattered most to their constituents. They reached out to community leaders, professors, and government officials to identify resources that could address those issues. And along with writing the policy memos included in this journal theyve developed public campaigns to attract funding and popular support for their causes. With this new model of engagement our students are bringing government back to We the People. Were inviting you to join us. Reese Neader Policy Director Roosevelt Institute | Campus Network

Encouraging Comprehensive Safe Sex Education: Reforming Title V

Nora Catherine Blalock, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill To curb sexual risks for youth, Congress should reform Title V, Section 510 to encourage states to teach comprehensive sexual education in schools across the United States. Youth in the United States face Key Facts significant sexual risks. The United Ninety-five percent of Americans engage States has one of the highest teenin premarital sex.4 age pregnancy rates of any devel Comprehensive sex education programs oped country in the world, with do not increase rates of sexual initiation, approximately 750,000 teen pregdo not lower the age at which youth initinancies each year.1 Furthermore, ate sex, and do not increase the frequency half of all new human immunodeof sex among sexually active youth.5 ficiency virus (HIV) infections and Sixty-seven percent of American parents two-thirds of all sexually transmitted oppose federal funding for abstinence-only programs that censor information about infections in the United States each condoms and contraception.6 year occur among people under the age of 25.2 Given these alarming statistics, it is imperative to implement comprehensive sexual education (CSE) programs that emphasize abstinence but also stress the importance of contraceptives and the risks of sexually transmitted diseases. Currently, the decision of how to teach sexual education is left to the states and individual school districts. However, Title V, a controversial abstinence-only education initiative established in 1996, allows Congress to federally fund abstinence-only programs in schools across the nation. For states to receive any of this funding from the government, the grantees must design curricula with the exclusive purpose of teaching the benefits of abstinence. President Obama attempted to suspend funding for this initiative in 2009, but it was reinstated through Title II Section 2954, a provision in the Affordable Health Care for America Act of 2010.3

Analysis

Abstinence-only strategies have been shown to deter contraceptive use among sexually active teens, thereby increasing their risk of unwanted pregnancies and STDs.7 Moreover, there are no findings proving that abstinence-only education successfully delays the sexual activity of teens.10 As the only state to reject Congressional funds for abstinence-only programming, Californias teenage pregnancy rates declined by 52 percent between 1991 and 2009, much more than the national decline of 37 percent.8 To protect the health of young people in our country, Congress must stop funding abstinence-only programs and instead use the money as an incentive for states to implement CSE programs in public schools, including age-appropriate curricula for elementary schools. In CSE programs, students must be given complete information about sexual behaviors.
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Congress must replace abstinence-only education funds with grants for states that implement comprehensive sex education programs. These programs need to have clear health goals, such as the prevention of STDs, HIV, and pregnancy, and they should focus on specific behaviors that will lead to achieving these health goals, such as using contraceptives or abstaining from sex.

Next Steps

By the end of high school, nearly two-thirds of American youth are sexually active.9 Comprehensive sex education programs reduce the rates of teenage pregnancy, STDs, and risk-taking sexual behaviors, while increasing the use of contraceptives.10 Federally funded, abstinence-only education programs are an ineffective use of funds because students who participate in them have the same sexual behaviors as students who do not participate in any sex education programs.11 Eighty-nine percent of parents in North Carolina, a state with mandated abstinenceonly education, support teaching comprehensive sexual education in schools.12

Talking Points

Endnotes

1. Kost, Kathryn, Stanley Henshaw, and Liz Carlin. U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births and Abortions: National and State Trends and Trends by Race and Ethnicity. Guttmacher Institute (2010) http://www. guttmacher.org/pubs/USTPtrends.pdf. 2. Starkman, Naomi and Nicole Rajani. The Case for Comprehensive Sex Education. AIDS Patient Care and STDs 16, no. 7 (2002): 313-318. 3. H.R. 3962 Affordable Health Care for America Act. 2010. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW111publ148/pdf/PLAW 111publ148.pdf (accessed January 25, 2012). 4. Finer, Lawrence B. Trends in Premarital Sex in the United States, 1954-2003. Public Health Reports 122 (2007): 73-78. 5. Howard, Marion, and Judith B. McCabe. Helping Teenagers Postpone Sexual Involvement. Family Planning Perspectives 22, no. 1 (1990): 21-26. 6. Kaiser Family Foundation, National Public Radio, and Harvard University. Sex Education in America: General Public/Parents Survey. Menlo Park, CA: The Foundation, 2004. http://www.kff.org/newsmedia/upload/Sex-Education-in-America General-Public-Parents-Survey-Toplines.pdf 7. Dailard, Abstinence Promotion and Teen Family Planning. 8. California State Report. Californias Teen Births Continue Decline. California Department of Public Health. Number 11-008. http://www.cdph.ca.gov/Pages/NR11-008.aspx 9. Kost, Kathryn, Stanley Henshaw, and Liz Carlin. U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births and Abortions 10 Kirby, Douglas, B.A. Laris, and Lori Rolleri. Impact of Sex and HIV Education Programs. 11. Christopher Trenholm et. al. Impacts of Four Title V, Section 510 Abstinence Education Programs. 12. Ito, Kristen E. et. al. Parent Opinion of Sexuality Education in a State with Mandated Abstinence Education:

Making Work-Study Work

Angela Choi, Maryam Aleem, Oronde Tennant, Yah-Hanna Jenkins & Silva Durango, CUNY City College Establish a college student-led mentorship program through federal work-study programs to prepare high school students for college by aiding the college application process, fostering leadership skills, encouraging community service, and ensuring college success. In New York City public high schools, students are not provided with sufficient information and resources for applying to college due to a lack of guidance counselors. In New York, the ratio of high school students to guidance counselor is 416 to 1.1 The ratio established by the National School Counseling Association as a minimum for what students need for proper advising is 250 students to 1 guidance counselor.2 It is important that students have additional support and resources to aid in college preparation. President Obama has encouraged greater civic engagement and investing in expanding mentorship, federal student aid, and social capital. In response to President Obamas Key Facts call, New York City Mayor Michael Bloom According to the Board of Regents, berg launched the ReServe Transition only 23 percent of students in New Coach Program, which provides at-risk York City graduated ready for colyouth with mentorships from engaged prolege or careers.3 fessionals. Several college mentorship pro New York has a student to coungrams throughout New York City, like Stuselor ratio of 416:1, nearly twice the dent Success Center and Latino for Youth recommended advising load. for Higher Education, provide mentorship The average guidance counselor proto high school students, but often mentors vides 38 minutes of college advisement per student per year.4 do not receive financial support for participating in these programs.

Analysis

Recruiting college mentors for high school seniors can be an effective tool for raising the number of college- and career-ready students in the United States. Mentoring programs can empower students to serve their communities and leverage the work of overstretched counselors. Therefore, colleges in New York City should partner with low performing high schools and establish college mentorship programs. Mentoring programs can cultivate leadership skills and ensure college success. According to a study in Mentoring & Tutoring Journal, at the end of the one-year mentoring experience, mentored students had a higher GPA, completed more units, and had a higher retention rate.5 Federal work-study programs deliver over $1 billion in funds to nearly 700,000 students each year.6 Students who receive work-study funds tend to work in administrative roles on campus as opposed to important learning opportunities. Federal work-study programs can utilize this funding to create a mentorship program in which students would be able to help high school students with college advisement and professional tools for successful matriculation.
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Next Steps

Universities should seek out partnerships with organizations like National College Advising Corp that connect low-performing high schools with mentorship programs and provide training for college students. Through this assistance, college resources are preserved and high schools receive mentorship, increasing graduation rates. College mentors will be required to commit one year to high school students. Training will be mandatory to ensure mentor proficiency. Qualified mentors will receive Talking Points work-study funds for training and mentor In New York, students are not ship and those that do not will receive mandated to see their guidance school credit for training and mentorship. counselors.7 All mentors will receive the social benefit Mentorship is a cost-effective tool of giving back. that could also provide profes High school juniors and seniors who have participated in the mentorship program can become mentors to sophomores and freshmen once they enroll in a New York City college. High school students who mentor will receive community service credit for school as well as recognition when applying to college through federal student aid.
sional development and growth for students, which was the initial intent of federal work-study. A lower student-to-counselor ratio would result in more students from New York City going on to two or four-year institutions.

Endnotes

1. U.S. Department of Education, Common Core of Data, National Institute for Educational StatisticsPublic Elementary and Secondary School Student Enrollment and Staff from the Common Core of Data: School year 2009-2010. 2. Johnson, Jean, Jon Rochkind, Amber N. Ott, Samantha Dupont, Public Agenda, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Can I Get a Little Advice Here? 2010. http://www.publicagenda.org/ theirwholelivesaheadofthem?qt_active=1. 3. Otterman, Sharon. Most New York Students Are Not College-Ready. February 7, 2011. http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/nyregion/20110208regentsGradRates.PDF 4. Young, Renee. Average U.S. High School Students Receive 38 Meager Minutes of Guidance Counselor College Admissions Advice. PR Web Online Visibility from Focus, March 16, 2011. http://www.prweb. com/releases/2011/03/prweb5163594.htm 5. Campbell, Toni A. and David E. Campbell, (May 2007). Outcomes of mentoring at-risk college students: gender and ethnic matching effects. Mentoring and Tutoring. Vol. 15, No. 2: 135148. 6. Bailey, Thomas. Strategies for Increasing Student Success. Community College Research Center. (April 2011): http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED519941.pdf 7. School Counseling Mandates For Each State. American School Counselor Association. Last modified 2010. http://www.schoolcounselor.org/content.asp?contentid=535.

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Socioeconomic School Integration

Colleen Connolly, University of Richmond To close the achievement gap, school districts should implement socioeconomic school integration by creating majority middle-class schools that foster a culture of high expectations and academic achievement for students of all income levels. Brown v. Board of Education declared that racially segregated schools were inherently unequal. However, in Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 (2007) and Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Education (2006), the Supreme Court held that integration programs using race as a factor in student assignments were unconstitutional.1 In 1976, the Raleigh city and county schools merged to create the Wake County School System in North Carolina.2 From the 1970s to 1990s, Wake County integrated schools by race. In the early 1980s, Wake County Superintendent Walter Marks expanded two-way busing and turned 27 schools into magnet schools in one year, transforming the curricula in more than a third of Wakes schools.3 Key Facts

In 2000, when court-ordered desegregation expired, Wake County transitioned to implement a socioeconomic integration plan. The integration plan gives parents a choice of schools within the district and caps concentrations of poverty at 40 percent of students per school. Approximately 40 U.S. school districts have followed, developing student assignment models and integration plans based on student socioeconomic status.4

Socioeconomic status has been used as a factor in student assignment in approximately 40 U.S. school districts.5 Wake County, NC was the first in 2000. Wake County turned a third of its schools into magnet schools, gave parents a choice, and capped concentrations of poverty in schools at 40 percent.

Analysis

Under socioeconomic integration, more than 91 percent of all Wake County students in grades 3-8 passed the North Carolina math and reading tests in 2003.6 The test score gap between black and white students shrank from 37 points to 17 and similarly the gap between Hispanic and white students shrank from 28 points to 11.7 Furthermore, the passing rate for poor children increased from 55 to 80 percent.8 Wake County has proven the academic success of socioeconomic integration plans. Higher-income schools tend to obtain better funding, attract higher quality teachers, and set higher expectations for academic achievement. Furthermore, economically stable families tend to have the means and resources to hold schools accountable for their childs education, thereby ensuring quality education. Socioeconomic school integration is beneficial for wealthy and poor students alike, but also critical to the development of a cooperative society.

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Next Steps

A similar socioeconomic integration model with a 40 percent poverty cap and the possibility of magnet schools and the expansion of busing programs should be adopted in districts nationwide. Socioeconomic integration should be furthered as a national goal for all American public schools as a means to diversify schools, broaden students perspectives, and extend equality of opportunity in education.

As Kleibard notes, the betterment of society can be achieved through education and schools are the principal force for social change and social justice.10 This philosophy highlights the need for socioeconomically integrated schools to promote broader social integration. A society that champions a movement toward integration, equality of opportunity, and social justice is surely in the spirit of Brown v. Board of Education.

Majority middle-class schools with concentrations of poverty capped at 40 percent offer a strong base for positive peer influences, parent involvement, and highquality teachers along with a culture of high expectations and aspirations for academic achievement. Wake County, NC has proven the potential for successful integrated schools; over 91 percent of its third through eighth grade students passed state exams by 2003.9 Integrated schools have the power to promote a new social vision for diversity, equal opportunity, and social justice.

Talking Points

Endnotes

1. Gillian Russom, Back to Separate but Equal: The Supreme Court Rules Against School Integration, International Socialist Review, Issue 55 (2007), 1. 2. Gerald Grant, There are No Bad Schools in Raleigh, Hope and Despair in the American City: Why there are no Bad Schools in Raleigh (Harvard University Press, 2009), 97. 3. Grant, 97. 4. Richard D. Kahlenberg, Socioeconomic School Integration, 85 N.C. L. Rev. (2007), 1545. 5. Kahlenberg, 1545. 6. Grant, 104. 7. Grant, 104. 8. Grant, 104. 9. Grant, 104. 10. Kleibard, Herbert M. (2004) The Struggle for the American Curriculum

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Capping Increases on Federal Student Aid

Grayson Cooper and Lily Roberts, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill To control tuition and ensure that no student is denied college access due to unexpected tuition increases, the federal government should establish a maximum increase in Federal Student Aid for a given level of expected family contribution. From the 2001-2002 academic year to the 20112012 year, tuition and fees at public four-year universities have increased by an average of 5.6 percent per year above inflation.1 Federal financial aid packages enable universities to substantially increase tuition without pricing out low-income students. Simultaneously, these universities are able to capture more revenue from this guaranteed federal source.2,3,4,5,6 Drastic tuition increases can have significant impacts on enrolled students, who, unlike students applying for their first year, have fewer options to respond to tuition increases, like transferring or support in applying for financial aid. Key Facts

Tuition and fees have increased over the past 10 years at 5.6 percent per year above inflation for public four-year institutions. FAFSA is a complex government form, requiring 10 hours to complete. Student debt is rapidly increasing. The class of 2010 had $25,250 average debt at graduation, a 5 percent increase over 2009.7

Analysis

When students first apply for college, they almost universally complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).8,9 This is partially because college applicants apply to a range of colleges with varying costs and have little information regarding their qualification for financial aid. Students already enrolled in college may not have the same access to financial aid as newly enrolling students. Students who have not qualified for financial aid may view their one-time denial as indicative of their future potential for aid. While they may apply if their financial situation worsens, they may not view tuition increases as warranting re-applications. FAFSAs challenges include complexity and late notification. It requires 10 hours to complete the 127-question form, making it more complex than filing a tax return with an IRS 1040 form.10 As students do not receive their financial aid decision until spring of their senior year, low-income students dont receive the information in time to aid college decisions.11 Once in college, FAFSAs late notification presents a greater challenge because it does not provide time to transfer, leaving students to drop out if they do not receive sufficient aid. In recent years, post-secondary institutions have endeavored to ensure that students attend regardless of their financial situations. However, the focus has been on acceptance, as financial aid policies are consistent throughout the students college career. The continuance of financial aid is crucial to these students uninterrupted enrollment. Low retention rates have implications for the institutions prestige and accreditation. Therefore, colleges have an incentive to address this easily preventable source of dropouts. Stipulating maximum increases in federal student aid would result in universities choos14

ing to either price discriminate or contain tuition growth. Universities would have to draw from university financial aid tuition increases, imposed on wealthier students, to offset financial aid. However, in the absence of increased federal aid, this becomes prohibitively expensive; with higher tuition costs, fewer students pay full tuition, diverting more money to offsetting others tuition.

Market forces ultimately moderate the increases for the students who are paying tuition. This proposal reduces the subsidy effects of federal aid on tuition by only allowing tuition to be significantly increased when students are first selecting a college.

Current Federal financial aid policies enable universities to raise tuition without impacting low-income students. Unexpected tuition increases present financial hardship for students who have not previously qualified for financial aid, but would qualify following tuition increases.

Talking Points

Next Steps

The federal government should establish maximum increases in aid for currently enrolled students for a given level of expected family contribution. This forces institutions to shift tuition increases to first-time enrolling students, who can make informed decisions regarding cost. This will also allow market forces to exert greater influence on tuition as universities seek to attract new students.

Endnotes

1. The College Board. Trends in College Pricing 2011. http://trends.collegeboard.org/college_pricing/ report_findings/indicator/884#f8006 2. Singell, Larry and Stone, Joe. For Whom the Pell Tolls: The Response of University Tuition to Federal Grants-in-Aid. Economics of Education Review (26)3. 285-295 June 2007. 3. Long, Bridget. How do Financial Aid Policies Affect Colleges? The Institutional Impact of the Georgia HOPE Scholarship. Journal of Human Resources (39)4. 1045-1066 Autumn 2004. www.jstor.org/ stable/3559038 4. Curs, Bradley and Dar, Luciana. Do Institutions Respond Asymmetrically to Changes in State Needand Merit-Based Aid? (November 1, 2010). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1702504 or doi:10.2139/ssrn.1702504 5. Acosta, Rebecca. How Do College Respond to Changes in Federal Student Aid? (October 2001). Available at www.econ.ucla.edu/workingpapers/wp808.pdf 6. Rizzo, Michael and Ehrenberg, Ronald. Resident and Nonresident Tuition and Enrollment at Flagship State Universities. In College Choices: The Economics of Where to Go, When to Go, and How to Pay for It. Ed. Hoxby, Caroline. University of Chicago Press (2004). www.nber.org/chapters/c10103 7. Lewin, Tamar. College Graduates Debt Burden Grew, Yet Again, in 2010. The New York Times: Education. November 2, 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/03/education/average-student-loan-debtgrew-by-5-percent-in-2010.html 8. US Department of Education. Federal Student Aid Annual Report 2011. http://federalstudentaid. ed.gov/static/gw/docs/FY_2011_Annual_Report.pdf (p. 49) 9. National Center for Education Statistics. Department of Education. Condition of Education 2011 http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_trc.asp 10. HASKINS, RON, HARRY HOLZER, and ROBERT LERMAN. Promoting Economic Mobility by Increasing Postsecondary Education. In Economic Mobility Project, 2009. 11. Ibid 8.

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A Roadmap to Improved Early Childhood Nutrition

Zealan Hoover, University of North Carolina at Chapel HilL To expand participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the federal government should simplify its eligibility and recertification processes, as well as change the funding model to protect the program against budget cuts. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a federally funded and state-administered program that provides supplemental food, nutrition education, and referral services to low-income families. WIC plays a key role in combating childhood malnutrition by serving 9,177,000 participants who are at or below 185 percent of the poverty line.1 In addition to receiving the Office of Management and Budgets highest scores for program efficiency, each dollar invested in WIC reduces Medicaid costs between $1.77 and $3.13 over the first 60 days of an infants life.2

Analysis

Despite the benefits of this program, only 59 percent of the eligible population participates, Key Facts and those rates have remained stagnant over WIC only covers 59 percent of eligible participants, including the past decade, despite rising poverty num80 percent of infants under bers.5 Because of the individual and collective one year old to only 47 percent benefits of early childhood nutrition, the federal of children ages one to five.2 government should take a proactive stance in Each dollar invested in WIC expanding WIC participation. Congress should saves between $1.77 and $3.13 take three steps to expand participation and in Medicaid expenditures durprotect WICs funding. First, it should remove ing the first 60 days of an inthe requirement that individuals demonstrate fants life.4 nutritional deficiencies in addition to qualifying for the program based on income. Second, Congress should change WICs recertification requirements so that applicants only undergo a review of eligibility once a year, as opposed to every six months. A study of WIC participants found that expanding the length of issuance of benefits is one of the only variables that significantly lowers participant retention.6 Concerns about the cost of expanding the recertification period from six months to one year should be assuaged by studies that demonstrate that this change is budget neutral.7 Third, since WICs status as a discretionarily funded program has placed it at significant risk in ongoing budget debates, Congress should begin funding WIC as an entitlement program to provide a greater level of fiscal protection.

Next Steps

Since WIC is administered under the Department of Agriculture, when Congress considers the 2012 Farm Bill it should use that opportunity to make changes to the programs eligibility, recertification, and funding models.8 Removing the nutritional deficiency requirement and changing the recertification periods are changes the can be introduced by any member of Congress and passed by a simple majority vote of both chambers.9 Changing WICs funding model is more involved due to the Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) rules; however, since WIC is already fully funded as a discretionary program,
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the House and Senate Rules Committees should waive the requirement that it be treated as new spending.10

WICs requirement that participants demonstrate nutritional deficiency is ineffective and serves as a disincentive for people to participate in the program. Extending the issuance of WIC benefits from six months to one year would provide a budget-neutral option for expanding participation rates. To best shield WIC from broad discretionary funding cuts, Congress should begin funding WIC as an entitlement program.

Talking Points

Endnotes

1. WIC Program Participation and Costs, United States Department of Agriculture, 29 September, 2011, Web, 18 October 2011. 2. Childrens HealthWatch 2010. 3. WIC Eligibles and Coverage 1994 to 2007, Food and Nutrition Service Office of Research and Analysis, September 2009, Web, 20 October 2011. 4. WIC Improves Child Health and School Readiness, Childrens HealthWatch, January 2010, Web, 15 October 2011. 5. WIC Eligibles and Coverage, 2009. 6. Laura Castner, James Mabli and Julie Sykes, Dynamics of WIC Program Participation by Infants and Children, 2001 to 2003, Mathematica Policy Research Inc., April 2009, Web, 27 November 2011. 7. Prell, Mark, Income Volatility and Certification Duration for WIC Children, Dean Jolliffe and James Ziliak, ed. Income Volatility and Food Assistance in the United States, Kalamazoo: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, 2008, Print. 8. Mitchell, Claire, Gearing Up for the 2012 Farm Bill Debate, Food Safety News, 14 March 2011, Web, 18 January 2012. 9. Robert Keith and Bill Heniff, PAYGO Rules for Budget Enforcement in the House and Senate, Congressional Research Service, 3 May 2005, Web, 18 January 2012. 10. Ibid.

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Dual Enrollment:

North Carolinas Gateway to Affordable College

Kate Matthews, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill In an effort to make college more affordable, North Carolina should reestablish statefunded dual enrollment, which would allow students to transition from high school to college with credits, confidence, and tuition savings. As the cost of college continues to rise, policymakers should seek solutions such as dual enrollment in an effort to make college a realistic dream for all students. Dual enrollment allows high school students to earn college credit from a community college while still enrolled in high school. Through dual enrollment, students may earn enough credits to potentially graduate from college early, saving thou Key Facts sands of dollars on tuition, books, and room The average cost for a year of and board. When dual enrollment programs tuition and fees at a community college is $2,713, whereas the avare funded by the state, students can be enerage cost of tuition and fees at rolled in these courses for free. Furthermore, a four-year public university is dual enrollment has a positive effect on high $7,605.9 school graduation rates, college enrollment If provided the opportunity to rates, college grades, and individual progress earn two years of college credit 1 toward obtaining a degree. through dual enrollment, stuAs of 2010, funding for dual enrollment college classes in North Carolina was only available for high school students in early college high schools or those taking online STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) classes.2 The states limited funding has significantly reduced the number of high school students enrolled in community colleges. For instance, Beaufort Community College had 194 dual enrollment students in spring 2009, 54 in spring 2010, and none in spring 2011.3
dents could potentially complete a four-year college degree and pay only $15,210 in tuition, rather than over $30,420.10 Case studies have shown that 45 percent of dual enrollment students planned to attend college and 56 percent stated that dual enrollment classes affected their decision to do so.11

Still, dual enrollment programs continue to flourish elsewhere. Approximately 28,616 Florida high school students participate in dual enrollment annually, earning 231,947 semester hours of college credit.4 In 2006, 42 states had dual enrollment programs and many were planning to expand access to more students.5

Analysis

Every North Carolina public high school with a neighboring community college should devise a dual enrollment program for students to earn college credit before high school graduation. To make this option affordable, North Carolina should reinstate community college courses that were previously funded by the state legislature. Making college courses available to all public high school students would allow any student to earn college credit and save tuition fees before college.
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Although North Carolina faces a budget crisis, the money saved through dual enrollment far exceeds its cost to the individual and the state. The major fiscal argument against dual enrollment is that participating students are counted in total student enrollment budgets for both high schools and community colleges.6 Because school systems receive money from the state based on enrollment numbers, students who are Talking Points enrolled in both college and high school Students who participate in dual enrollcost the state more. Additionally, in dual ment outperform others on state math, enrollment the state pays for commuEnglish, and reading exams. Further, nity college tuition and fees averaging their attendance and grade promotion $90.43 per credit hour. However, dual rates exceed 90 percent.12 Research indicates dual enrollment enrollment saves students approximateprograms may lead to taxpayer savings ly $19,388 for every years worth of credbecause of the decreased need for taxits earned.7 Further, dual enrollment will supported remediation programs at reduce the amount of money the state community colleges.13 spends on state grants for low-income students and community college remediation programs.8 Dual enrollment is financially beneficial to the state because it makes college more affordable and creates a more educated workforce in North Carolina.

Next Steps

By seriously committing to dual enrollment and making college credit available in most public high schools, North Carolina could become a leader in early college programming. To start, North Carolina should reinstate dual enrollment funds for high school students taking community college courses during the 2012-2013 fiscal year. To ensure the greatest impact, the North Carolina General Assembly should require all schools with a neighboring community college to devise an early college graduation plan which includes the option for dual enrollment. Dual enrollment is a cost effective solution to sending more students to college while saving money for both the individual and the state.

Endnotes

1. Grace Chen, Dual Enrollment Programs for High School Students, The Public School Review, http://www.publicschoolreview.com/ articles/26 (Accessed February 6, 2011) 2. Community College Tuition Waivers Fiscal Brief Update, Fiscal Research Division, http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/fiscalresearch/frd_reports/frd_reports_pdfs/Fiscal_Briefs/FiscalBriefUpdate_CCTuitionWaivers_2010_08_17_web.pdf (accessed February 6, 2011) 3. Jurgen Boerema, Dual-enrollment Cuts Grieve BCCC, Students, Washington Daily News http://www.wdnweb.com/2010/07/20/dualenrollment-cuts-grieve-bccc-students/ (accessed January 24, 2012) 4. Dual Enrollment, Northwest Florida State College, http://www.nwfsc.edu/dual/ (accessed February 6, 2011) 5. Dual Enrollment, National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, http://136.165.122.102/mambo/content/view/42/57/ (accessed February 6, 2011) 6. Chris Berendt, State budget alters dual enrollment, The Sampson Independent, http://www.clintonnc.com/view/full_story/3166315/ article-State-budget-alters-dual-enrollment (accessed February 6, 2011) 7. Kim Clark, College Costs Jumped $1,000 in 2009, US News http://www.usnews.com/education/paying-for-college/articles/2009/10/20/ college-costs-jumped-1000-in-2009 (accessed February 6, 2011) 8. American Secondary Education, High School and College Partnerships: Credit-Based Transition Programs, CBS Business Network, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_7452/is_200910/ai_n42856324/pg_6/?tag=content;col1 (accessed February 6, 2011) 9. What it Costs to go to College, CollegeBoard, http://www.collegeboard.com/student/pay/add-it-up/4494.html (Accessed February 6, 2011) 10. ibid. 11. American Secondary Education, High School and College Partnerships: Credit-Based Transition Programs, CBS Business Network, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_7452/is_200910/ai_n42856324/pg_7/?tag=content;col1 (accessed February 6, 2011) 12. Ashley C. Killough, How to Help Struggling Students in High School? Send Them to College, The Chronicle of Higher Education, http:// chronicle.com/article/Getting-an-Early-Taste-of/47099/ (accessed February 6, 2011) 13. American Secondary Education, High School and College Partnerships: Credit-Based Transition Programs, CBS Business Network, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_7452/is_200910/ai_n42856324/pg_6/?tag=content;col1 (accessed February 6, 2011)

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Making Schools Safe for LGBT Youth

Jessica Morris, Mount Holyoke College The Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2012 (SNDA) ensures that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) public school students receive protection and prohibits discrimination based on sexual or gender identity nationally. The H.R. 998: Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2011 has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Al Franken and in the House by Representative Jared Polis, and it was cosponsored by 152 members of Congress.1 This act forces federal departments and agencies to curtail any financial assistance for public schools that prevent students from participating in programs because of their sexual preference or gender identity. The act also decrees that homophobic and transphobic harassment is intolerable and the same ramifications should occur.2 The H.R. 4530 Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2010 preceded this bill. Although refuted, it was reintroduced on March 10th, 2011. Currently it has been referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.3

Currently 12 states (in addition to D.C.) protect LGBT students in public schools.7 84.6 percent of LGBT students reported being verbally harassed.4 In 2009, 61.1 percent of these students felt unsafe in school because of their sexual orientation, while 39.9 percent felt unsafe because of their gender expression.

Key Facts

Analysis

The cost of enacting this bill is minimal in comparison to its benefits. Increased levels of victimization are related to increased levels of depression and anxiety as well as decreased levels of self-esteem. Besides improving morale, enacting this bill will also benefit schools test scores. The reported grade point average of students who were more frequently harassed because of their sexual orientation or gender expression was almost half a grade lower than that for students who were less often harassed.4 Along with a decrease of suicide rates, this bill would encourage a decrease in absenteeism, further increasing test scores. Improving a schools environment and safety will also improve its academic success. The 14th Amendment says that all United States citizens are provided equal protection under their jurisdiction. Though the amendment does not specify sexual orientation or gender identity, it still implies that everyone deserves to be protected. Like Title IX, this bill aims to end discrimination in federal programs. Title IXs successful accommodation of both genders for sport activities suggests that SNDAs success is also achievable.

Next Steps

In addition to the elimination of financing when schools fail to abide by the act, training will be required for all public school teachers and administrative staff. To ensure ultimate equal protection, strategic training must be incorporated through a selection of workshops for teaching sensitivity and combating homophobic and transphobic behavior. Recent media attention surrounding LGBT teen suicides after bullying have left many teachers concerned. However, without the appropriate resources and tools, they can20

not resolve this national predicament. Schools can choose among workshops such as the American Civil Liberties Unions Making Schools Safe5 and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Networks Respect for All.6 These developmental trainings, which would take place prior to the beginning of the school year, must instruct how to intervene in harassment and use inclusive language. As a result, there will be higher school morale, higher test scores, and more financial attention from the state. Districts can refer to the Rochester city school district and the New York City Department of Education for successful school district training programs.6 This is not a matter of partisanship, but a matter of safety for youth across the United States. Tolerance can be effectively enforced in schools and if made into a law, and the lives of youth will be improved and saved.

This act will be enforced federally to prohibit discrimination against LGBT students in public high schools through restricting financial aid if schools fail to abide. There will be mandatory sensitivity workshops for teachers and staff prior each school year chosen by the state. It will decrease suicide rates and absenteeism, as well as increase test scores and the safety of the students.

Talking Points

Endnotes

1. S. 555--112th Congress: Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2011. GovTrack.us (database of federal legislation). 2011. November 30, 2011 <http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s112-555> 2. Read The Bill: S. 555 - GovTrack.us. GovTrack.us: Tracking the U.S. Congress. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. <http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s112-555>. 3. S. 555--112th Congress: Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2011. GovTrack.us (database of federal legislation). 2011. November 30, 2011 <http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s112-555> 4. 2009 National School Climate Survey: Nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT Students Experience Harassment in School | GLSEN: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. Home | GLSEN: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. <http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/library/record/2624.html?state=research>. 5. Making Schools Safe - An Overview of the Program. American Civil Liberties Union. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. <http://www.aclu.org/lgbt-rights_hiv-aids/making-schools-safe-overview-program>. 6. Successful School District Training Programs | GLSEN: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. Home | GLSEN: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. <http://www.glsen. org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/library/record/2419.html>. 7. States with Safe Schools Laws. GLSEN: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. Web. 18 Feb. 2012. <http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/library/record/2344.html?state=policy>.

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Rejecting Jim Crow, Embracing Democracy, and Empowering Southern Communities

Anna Peterson, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill By requiring that local school board elections be held to coincide with federal elections, North Carolina can boost voter turnout and make the boards more reflective of local communities. Although recent voting laws limiting absentee voting and requiring voter identification have been criticized for their disenfranchising effects, these efforts are not new. In the South, there is a strong legacy of laws enacted to disenfranchise African Americans. After the passage of the 15th Amendment, local elections were no longer held on the same day as federal elections to prevent federal officials from halting discrimination and violence at the polls. African American voting rates plummeted and poll violence increased after federal efforts to protect voters ended in 1891.1 Such election scheduling continues in many North Carolina communities, depressing voter turnout among all demographic groups, but particularly among minority and low-income voters. Wake County saw the profound effects of election timing and low turnout in 2009 when four new members of the Wake County Board of Education caused a stir by changing the local school assignment policy. Wake County had assigned students to schools so that no one school had more than 40 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, creating racially and socio-economically diverse schools and boosting performance across the district, especially for minority and low-income students.2 In 2010, the new assignment policy, which assigned students to neighborhood schools and effectively re-segregated the district, became a topic of national debate.

Voter turnout in the 2009 Board of Education election was less than 12 percent, compared with 48 percent in the 2010 national elections and 75 percent in the 2008 national elections.11 Despite electing supporters of a radically different school assignment policy, 94.5 percent of Wake County parents are satisfied or very satisfied with their childrens schools.12

Key Facts

Before the policy was implemented, 94.5 percent of Wake County parents were satisfied or very satisfied with their childrens school and only 29 percent of residents of Wake County viewed the Board of Education favorably.3 Despite criticism by the media, policy experts, and voters, the board enacted the policy.4 This rejection of voters desires was possible because only 11 percent of registered voters cast ballots in the October 2009 election that brought these members onto the board. The 2011 elections had an increased turnout of 21 percentenough to establish a Democratic majority on the board, but unable to reverse the policy.5

Analysis

North Carolina law stipulates that members of local boards of education be elected every two years on a staggered basis and serve a four-year term. In Wake County, elections
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for the Board of Education, which are overseen by a county board, are held in October of odd-numbered years and have consistently low turnout, which reflects North Caro-

The results of the 2009 board of education elections launched major controversy over school assignment policies, and only 12 percent of North Carolinians think the actions of the board are good for North Carolinas national image.13 Higher turnout in national elections cause election results to more accurately reflect local preferences, especially among low-income and minority voters.14

Talking Points

linas legacy of voter disenfranchisement.6 These school board elections must change to democratize the board, create community control of the schools, and prevent voter disenfranchisement. Elections for members of the local boards of education should be held so that they coincide with national elections. In Wake County, turnout for these national elections is much higher than turnout for October school board elections: 48 percent of registered voters cast ballots in the 2010 midterm elections, and 75 percent of voters voted in the 2008 presidential and congressional elections. By contrast, 11 percent of registered voters voted in the 2009 Board of Education elections.7

Next Steps

Biennial elections are established under North Carolina law, but the management of those elections is left to the county boards of election. The Board of Elections will also need to develop a plan for extending or shortening the terms of current board members so that upcoming elections are held in even years. While this change is particularly important for the Wake County Board of Education, where gulfs between the views of board members and the public have been especially pronounced, other North Carolina counties should also hold local elections to coincide with national elections.

Endnotes

1. Democracy North Carolina, Voting in North Carolina, http://www.democracy-nc.org/voting/index.html (accessed January 11, 2012). 2. Michael Winerip, Seeking Integration, Whatever the Path, New York Times, February 27, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/28/ education/28winerip.html?scp=1&sq=wake%20county%20schools&st=cse (accessed March 10, 2011). 3. T. Keung Hui, Critics say survey tells Wake board to rethink, Raleigh News and Observer, February 5, 2010, http://www.newsobserver. com/2010/02/05/321152/critics-say-survey-tellswake-boardto.html (accessed March 10, 2011); North Carolinians down on Wake County School Board, Public Policy Polling, January 23, 2011. 4. Michael Winerip. Raleigh, N.C., Schools Struggle to Agree on Integration Plan. The New York Times, February 27, 2011, sec. Education. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/28/education/28winerip.html.; Mack Paul, How to Keep Wake Schools Edge. Raleigh News And Observer, October 13, 2010, http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/10/13/736912/how-to-keep-wake-schools-edge.html#storylink=misearch; North Carolina Forum on Public Schools. Friday Report. March 5, 2010. http://www.ncforum.org/doclib/fridayreport.aspx 5. Thomas Goldsmith and T. Keung Hui, Margiotta ousted; Democrats win 4 school board seats in Wake, Raleigh News and Observer, October 12, 2011, http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/10/12/1559135/democrats-win-four-seats-on-wake.html (access February, 16, 2012). 6. North Carolina General Statutes 115C-37, Wake County Board of Elections, Past Election Results, http://www.wakegov.com/ elections/4results.htm?GLNB= (accessed March 10, 2011). 7. Wake County Board of Elections, Past Election Results. 8. Guilford County Board of Elections, http://www.co.guilford.nc.us/elections_cms/index.html (accessed March 10, 2011). 9. Zoltan Hajnal and Jessica Trounstine, Where Turnout Matters: the Consequences of Uneven Turnout in City Politics, Journal of Politics 67, no. 2 (May 2005): 515-535. 10. Winerip. 11. Wake County Board of Elections, Past Election Results. 12. T. Keung Hui. 13. North Carolinians down on Wake County School Board. 14. Hajnal.

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Ensuring Equality in Education: Reinstate End of Course Testing

Grace Tatter, University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill To ensure all students receive a sound, basic education as stipulated by the North Carolina Supreme Court, the North Carolina General Assembly should reinstate statewide End of Course exams in Algebra 2, Physics, Civics and Economics, and U.S. History.

In March of 2011, the North Carolina General Assembly introduced House Bill (HB) 48 to elimi Key Facts nate statewide standardized tests for Algebra 2, The estimated cost of adPhysics, Civics and Economics, and U.S. History, ministering the exams for Aldespite resistance and lobbying from teachers gebra 2, Physics, Civics and Economics, and U.S. History across the state.1 Wake County Superior Court is relatively small, representJudge Howard Manning objected to the bill on ing only 10 percent of the the grounds that it contradicted the 1994 Leandro amount North Carolina alvs. State decision that holds that North Carolina lots for testing and programis responsible for providing all its students with a ming.11 2 sound, basic education. Memorandums attached Noted figures like Justice to the Leandro decision specify that a child perSandra Day OConnor have forming at grade level or above proficiency on the chastised states for weakenStates ABC test, End of Grade (EOG) or End of ing their curriculum to Civics courses and called for states Course (EOC) tests is obtaining a sound and basic to reaffirm their commiteducation, and a child who is not showing profiment to teaching U.S. Hisciency on the ABC tests is not receiving a sound, tory and Civics.12 3 basic education in that subject matter. While in 2010 a bill similar to HB 48 was voted down because it conflicted with the Leandro decision,4 the new, Republican-majority Assembly passed HB 48 on March 21, 2011 after relatively little discussion about its consequences.5 North Carolina was one of the first states to adopt statewide standardized testing with the Elementary and Secondary Reform Act of 1994, which authorized the state Department of Education to develop end-of-course exams for 10 subjects6 structured according to the universal Curriculum Based Exit Exams found abroad.7 Following the implementation of these exams, North Carolina saw larger improvements in SAT scores than any other state.8 The new law eliminating the exams came in the midst of a process to overhaul North Carolinas curriculum to follow the guidelines of the Blue Ribbon standards and Common Core Standards.9 To help determine student achievement, career readiness, and university and community college readiness, the state Department of Public Instruction was writing new exams to reflect these new standards.10 With the passing of HB 48, the opportunity to administer such exams is limited.

Analysis

Supporters of HB 48 say the eliminated tests served only to promote teaching to the test, therefore limiting the curriculum.13 Dr. Bill McDiarmid, Dean of the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Education, predicts that without the End of Course exams, high schools will
24

only focus on subjects the No Child Left Behind Act requires they test (Algebra 1, English 1, and Biology),14 and instruction in Algebra 2, Civics, Physics, and U.S. History will fall to the wayside when there is no longer an incentive to teach it well.15 Reinstating the End of Course exams will ensure the state is doing its best to fulfill its duty to offer every student a sound, basic education by providing data concerning student achievement in a variety of subject areas deemed critical to future success. This data helps school systems, high schools, and teachers target problem areas in instruction, curriculum, and achievement, thereby improving student success and upholding their obligation as defined by the Leandro decision.16

Next Steps

As stipulated by the Leandro decision, End of Course exams are necessary objective measures for teachers, administrators, and lawmakers to assess whether every student is receiving a sound, basic education and performing on gradelevel. The implementation of the eliminated End of Course tests improved student achievement on nationally administered exams and, in conjunction with North Carolinas ABC program, aided school and teacher accountability.17

Talking Points

The North Carolina General Assembly should assert their commitment to the Leandro decision by passing a bill that reinstates the End of Course exams. The Department of Public Instruction should ensure these exams are worthwhile, by writing quality exams whose results are helpful indicators of student achievement to students, teachers, and the state Department of Instruction.

Endnotes

1. Friedmann, Pablo. Interview by author. Personal interview. Telephone, March 21, 2011. 2. Manning, Howard. Memorandum. Public School Legislation. legislative.ncpublicschools.gov/archive/2011-12session/20110221judgemanning.pdf (accessed November 29, 2011). 3. Ibid. 4. Ibid. 5. McDiarmid, Bill. Interview by author. Personal interview. UNC-Chapel Hill, March 21, 2011. 6. Bishop, John H.; Mane, Ferran; Bishop, Michael; and Moriarty, Joan, The Role of End-of-Course Exams and Minimum Competency Exams in Standards-Based Reforms (2000). CAHRS Working Paper Series. Paper 88. http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cahrswp/88 7. Bishop, John H. (2005). High school exit examinations: When do learning effects generalize? (CAHRS Working Paper #05-04). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies. http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cahrswp/4 8. Ibid 9. Atkinson, June, and William Harris. The following was submitted by State Superintendent June Atkinson and State Board of Education Chairman Bill Harrison on March 1, 2011. Public School Legislation. North Carolina State Board of Education, Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <legislative.ncpublicschools.gov/resources-for-legislators/20110301junebillstatement. pdf>. 10. Ibid. 11. Dr. Tammy Howard, North Carolina DPI_. Interview by author. Personal interview by e-mail. December 1, 2011. 12. Zehr, Mary Anne. Education Week: Celebrities Lend Weight to Promote Civics Education. Education Week American Education News Site of Record. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. <http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/08/20/01civics. h29.html>. 13. McDiarmid, Bill. Interview by author. Personal interview. UNC-Chapel Hill, March 21, 2011. 14. Accountability Services. North Carolina Public Schools. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. <http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/accountabilit 15. Izumi, Lance. What Do School Tests Measure? - NYTimes.com. Room for Debate - NYTimes.com. http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/03/what-do-school-tests-measure/#lance (accessed December 1, 2011). 16. Gov. Perdues Statement on House Bill 48. North Carolina Office of Governor Bev Perdue. http://www.governor. nc.gov/NewsItems/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?newsItemid=1748 (accessed December 1, 2011). 17. Bishop, John H. (2005). High school exit examinations: When do learning effects generalize? (CAHRS Working Paper #05-04). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies. http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cahrswp/4

25

Teacher Evaluation Reform in Georgia Public Schools

Seth Taylor, University of Georgia In order to improve the reliability of information used in school-based employment and compensation decision-making, school districts teacher evaluations should be supplemented by teacher ratings determined by an independent body of teacher evaluators formed by the Georgia General Assembly. Students in Georgia Public Schools are lagging behind the rest of the nation. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a nation-wide test of 4th and 8th graders, Georgia ranks among the bottom 15 states in reading and math.1 Research has demonstrated the correlation between education and economic success: more education is related to higher income and lower unemployment.2 The low performance of students in Georgias public schools hinders the states economic progress.

Many variables influence student educational outcomes, but the most important school-related factor is teacher quality.3,4,5 In fact, reducing class size by ten students produces the same benefit as moving one standard deviation up the teacher quality distribution.6 Thus, improving teacher quality is essential for increasing student performance. In addition, replacing 6 to 10 percent of the worst teachers in a given school system with average teachers leads to significant gains in student achievement.7 A good school system incentivizes and develops its workers, and also identifies and potentially replaces ineffective workers. Georgias system fails to reach these goals.

Only 28 percent of students in Georgia Public Schools perform at or above proficiency in 2011, as tested by the NAEP.1 The low number of Georgias public school teachers identified as unsatisfactory (1 percent) by the current teacher evaluation1 system in addition to the lack of effective incentives for teachers1 may contribute to Georgias lackluster student performance. Race to the Top has granted Georgia $60 million for teacher evaluation reform.1

Key Facts

Analysis

In Georgias current system, teacher evaluators identify very few ineffective teachers due to personal biases and potential lawsuits. In this proposed system, evaluators will identify teachers and provide unbiased feedback and evaluations, and higher quality teaching methods will be rewarded with higher pay. The Georgia General Assembly should select a candidate to act as the head of the body of evaluators and allocate around $10 million to create a staff of approximately 75 evaluators (selected based on teaching experience and quality). A brief cost-benefit analysis shows that the total salary paid to evaluators would be $5.625 million, any real estate needs could be covered by existing properties, and transportation, healthcare, and miscellaneous other costs could be covered with approximately $4 million. On the other hand, the current impact of teachers in the 60th percentile on aggregate projected income for each class of 20 students is $106,000.8 Thus in the long run it makes better economic sense to facilitate better teaching.
26

The independent body of qualified evaluators would provide feedback to teachers on the basis of classroom observations, portfolio reviews, and more. These methods will allow evaluators to evaluate teachers on the basis of what they contribute, rather than using an estimation of that contribution derived from student test scores.9 The evalu Talking Points ators, hired by the Department of Education, Unbiased, qualified evaluators would have a background in the same subject will provide teachers with more or grade as the teachers they evaluate. The effective feedback. body would be an extension of the Georgia The ratings obtained through Department of Education, and teachers identithese evaluations will inform fied as effective educators would be evaluated school administrators employless often going forward than those identified ment and compensation decias having a greater need for the feedback. sions.
middle road between traditionGeorgia looked into implementing a similar al qualitative evaluations and (albeit more expansive) evaluation system in value-added models of teacher the early 2000s, but it was deemed cost-proevaluation, and could effectively hibitive. To the contrary, the brief cost-benefit supplement the quantitative analysis above indicates that in the long run, teacher evaluations currently the benefits of having good teachers will greatused in Georgia. ly outweigh start-up costs. Perhaps even more importantly, the criticism of cost prohibition would also not apply to this proposal because the $60 million in Race to the Top funding that has been designated for reforming teacher evaluation methods will more than pay for these reforms.10 This policy acts as a political

Next Steps

The Georgia General Assembly should draft a law creating an independent body of teacher evaluators as part of the state Department of Education and require all Georgia public school districts to incorporate these evaluators ratings into the range of measures that comprise current teacher evaluations. By developing and incentivizing teachers, this reform will maximize the potential of teachers, thereby improving student performance in Georgia Public Schools.

Endnotes

1. National Assessment of Educational Progress. http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/. (Accessed 1 December 2011). 2. Education Pays http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm. (Accessed 28 January 2011). 3. Jennifer Steele, Laura Hamilton, and Brian Stecher. Incorporating Student Performance Measures into Teacher Evaluation Systems. (2010). 4. Steven Rivkin, Eric Hanushek, John Cain. Teachers, Schools, and Academic Achievement. (1995). http://www.jstor. org/pss/3598793 5. William Sanders and Sandra Horn. Research Findings from the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) Database: Implications for Educational Evaluation and Research. (1998). http://www.springerlink.com/content/ x277216564462554/ 6. Steven Rivkin, Eric Hanushek, and John Kain. (2005). Teachers, Schools, and Academic Achievement. www.econ. ucsb.edu/~jon/Econ230C/HanushekRivkin.pdf (Accessed 28 January 2012). 7. Rivkin et al. Teachers, Schools, and Academic Achievement. (1995). http://www.jstor.org/pss/3598793 (Accessed 28January 2011). 8. Hanushek, Eric. Valuing teachers: How Much is a Good Teacher Worth?. http://hanushek.stanford.edu/publications/ valuing-teachers-how-much-good-teacher-worth (Accessed 28 January 2012). 9. Templin, Jonathan. Personal interview. 10 October 2011. 10. Sarrio, Jaime. Teachers to Be Graded on Student Test Scores. Atlanta Journal Constitution, January 1, 2011.

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