State Reps address national teacher shortage, ACT pilot program

OKLAHOMA CITY –House Speaker Jeff Hickman and House Republican education leaders called for a more cooperative approach to address the impact of the national teacher shortage on Oklahoma school districts. The Oklahoma State School Boards Association (OSSBA) announced results Monday of their survey of the impact in Oklahoma of a challenge most schools across the U.S. continue to face: finding enough certified teachers to fill classrooms across the country.

The OSSBA survey showed approximately 1,000 teaching jobs still open in Oklahoma because school districts are unable to find qualified applicants. The situation is not unlike most other states, many of which have higher costs of living than Oklahoma and pay teachers higher salaries than the mandated minimum wage for Oklahoma teachers. State lawmakers said they remain ready to work together creatively with school districts here to meet the needs of Oklahoma students.

“Significant signing bonuses might very well have helped our school districts fill those 1,000 teaching jobs this summer and it is still an idea worth exploring by the state superintendent,” said Hickman (R-Fairview). “Last week, paying for the ACT test for all 11th grade students was a higher priority than our teacher shortage. I believe the state superintendent should reconsider the priorities and allocate the $1.5 million in excess funding she said she received in this year’s state budget to provide a $1,500 signing bonus for those 1,000 Oklahoma classrooms in need of teachers.”

An announcement last week by the Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction of a new state program to spend $1.5 million for all 11th grade students to take the ACT exam while new state education standards are still in development and when the state faces a potential budget shortage as low oil prices impact the Oklahoma economy met questions from many House Republican legislators.

Approximately 75 percent of Oklahoma high school students already register on their own to take the ACT before graduation and ACT offers financial assistance to students who may not be able to afford the roughly $40 cost for the exam.

Lawmakers now have more questions about why that $1.5 million would be directed to start a new state program when it could be used as an incentive to help with the impact of the national teacher shortage on Oklahoma schools.

“I understand that we want more college graduates, but we need to make sure we have the teachers to ensure our children receive the education needed to succeed in college,” said Rep. Dennis Casey (R-Morrison), a former teacher and school superintendent who is now vice chairman of the House Appropriations & Budget Committee. “A test doesn’t do that but an incentive to hire more teachers just might.”

House legislative leaders also expressed their desire to develop a long-term solution to teacher compensation in Oklahoma by looking at reallocating the billions of dollars the state now spends on public schools.

Despite the false rhetoric of political education groups recently claiming Oklahoma schools faced greater cuts than other states, revenue for Oklahoma’s pre-K through 12th grade schools was greater than ever for the 2013-14 school year, almost $5.5 billion dollars. Examining expenditures and reprioritizing how the taxpayers’ dollars are spent by school districts could be the quickest way to boost classroom teacher salaries in Oklahoma.

“Our teachers need competitive wages,” said Rep. Chad Caldwell (R-Enid), a member of the House Education Committee. “The 33 percent increase in the number of non-teaching staff members in Oklahoma schools from Fiscal Year 1992 to FY2013 when our enrollment grew by 14 percent and the number of teachers only grew by 11 percent is concerning at the least and merits a legislative review. If the growth of non-teaching staff had even been equal to the 14 percent increase in the number of students, it would mean roughly $294 million dollars would be available annually to significantly raise the salaries of our classroom teachers. These are dollars that could have addressed teacher compensation but instead the education lobbyists would have everyone believe that the legislature is the only group responsible for being efficient with state tax dollars when we should all share in that responsibility.”

House education leaders said they believe there is a way to find solutions to the teacher shortage and increase compensation for Oklahoma classroom teachers, but it will require new approaches and a willingness by the education lobbying groups, like OSSBA, to work with lawmakers instead of continuing their partisan attacks.

“We can still address these issues,” said House Education Committee Vice Chairman Rep. Michael Rogers (R-Broken Arrow), a former educator. “There must be less rhetoric so we can have an honest conversation and a commitment to changing how we do things. Together, we have to develop a long-term plan that addresses the teacher shortage, student testing and bloated administration levels. Schools cannot continue to operate as they have in the past.”

Updated: Lawsuit filed challenging Common Core repeal, Nelson responds

(Updated June 26, 2014 at 9:27 a.m.**) Rep. Jason Nelson, R-Oklahoma City, a coauthor of House Bill 3399, issued the following statement regarding a lawsuit filed Wednesday challenging the constitutionality of HB3399, the repeal of the Common Core State Standards from Oklahoma law. Attorney Robert McCampbell filed the lawsuit on behalf of ten plaintiffs, including four members of the State Board of Education. The plaintiffs are challenging provisions found in Section 4 of HB3399 that establish an alternative process for legislative review of new academic standards. The plaintiffs’ challenge is related to Section 4 of HB 3399 that gives the Legislature the ability to review and approve, disapprove, disapprove in whole or in part, amend or return to the Board with instructions all new standards created by the State Board of Education.

“Common Core will be reinstated if this lawsuit is successful. This would result in even greater logistical challenges for schools that need certainty now -- the next school year begins in two months. A better course of action would have been for the plaintiffs to work with the Legislature next session to amend the provisions of Section 4 to address their concerns. It's very unlikely that new standards would be ready by next session, and certainly not before then, so Section 4 would likely not come into play until the 2016 session leaving more than enough time to address any legitimate concerns.

"The language in Section 4 was requested by grassroots opponents of Common Core because Oklahoma's Board of Education is not an elected body. 

“This lawsuit is part of an effort by an out of state, national organization with a history of promoting Common Core. The same attorney who filed the lawsuit wrote a letter in May on behalf of the National Association of State School Boards raising these same issues. Everyone needs to know that this is really an effort instigated by a national group coming into the state to stir up a legal challenge to our efforts to repeal Common Core. I was made aware of this group’s opposition to House Bill 3399 and these same constitutional issues earlier in session during a meeting with the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administrators (CCOSA) and the Oklahoma State School Boards Associaton (OSSBA) when they provided a letter from NASSB.** Every effort was made to ensure the legislation was constitutional. Staff attorneys and others reviewed the group’s concerns and, based on those reviews, I don’t believe the challenge has any merit.

“No one raised these constitutional objections or filed a lawsuit when the Legislature directed the State Board to adopt a very specific set of standards back in 2010 called Common Core that did everything that the plaintiffs now claim is unconstitutional. The Oklahoma Constitution, Article 13, Section 5, clearly states that the powers and duties of the State Board of Education are subject to provisions of law passed by the Legislature. HB3399 merely modifies those provisions of law related to legislative review of academic standards. The State Board will still develop the new standards. I find it strange the plaintiffs are not challenging the part of the law that requires the State Department of Education, the Department of Commerce, the Regents for Higher Education and the CareerTech Board to be a part of the process of developing the new standards. The same argument should apply to this provision as well.

“Section 4 is nothing more than a rule-making process for administrative rules. The State's academic standards are considered administrative rules that, when approved, have the force and effect of law. I believe it is constitutionally appropriate for the Legislature to have this level of review of something that will have the force and effect of law and will affect hundreds of thousands of children.

“The argument that it is unconstitutional to grant an agency in another branch of government authority and then retain the power to reject or amend the resulting product is not unique to Section 4 of HB 3399. For example, Section 3.2 of Title 20 of the Oklahoma Statutes created the Board on Judicial Compensation which sets the salaries for justices and judges. The section grants the Legislature the authority to reject or amend the salaries established by the Board. The Legislature did amend the Board’s action in HJR 1096 signed by the Governor on June 14 of this year.”

Here is a link to a scanned copy of the lawsuit and talking points: http://www.scribd.com/doc/231358549/Pack-v-State-of-Oklahoma-Regarding-Constitutionality-of-HB3399-Common-Core-Repeal

**Updated June 26, 2014 at 9:27 a.m. to include a link to a March 2014 letter from the National Association of State School Boards opposing HB3399: http://www.scribd.com/doc/231422473/National-Assoc-of-State-School-Boards-March-2014-Letter-on-HB3399

Senate Ed Committee to hear bill assuring higher standards/complete state control

The Senate Education Committee will consider House Bill 3399 on Monday. The measure provides for the development and adoption of new English and math standards and assessments while prohibiting the State Board of Education from entering into any contract or agreement with any federal agency or private entity that would cede or limit state control.

Sen. Josh Brecheen, R- Coalgate, and Sen. Anthony Sykes, R-Moore, are Senate co-authors of the measure.

"Governor Fallin and Superintendent Barresi are to be commended for their leadership and insistence in higher standards,” Brecheen said. “With the committee substitute to HB 3399 we are ensuring Oklahoma's standards can exceed those of Common Core without surrendering state control through a well-written firewall that safeguards our students.”

Brecheen said the goal is to reduce the need for remedial classes after high school, helping more students successfully complete a college degree or Career-Tech certification.

"I am glad that we are responding to the people and moving forward on this issue. It is time we put Oklahomans back in charge of educating our children,” Sykes said.

Under the committee substitute for HB 3399, the State Board of Education would work with higher education and Career-Tech officials to adopt new English and mathematics standards by August 1, 2015.

House Speaker Jeff Hickman is the principal author of HB 3399.

“It is essential that we create standards that push our children to achieve in the 21st century,” said Hickman, R-Fairview. “This option gives Oklahoma the flexibility to establish quality standards aimed at success and resist any overbearing federal intrusion into decisions that should be made by the states. We have proven Oklahoma can be an economic leader, and we can prove that Oklahoma can also lead the way in student achievement.”

House co-author of the measure is Rep. Jason Nelson.

“This respects local control by placing decision making authority regarding curriculum, textbooks, learning materials, and reading lists with local school districts,” said Nelson, R-Oklahoma City. “We all want high standards which are developed and controlled by Oklahomans and that prepare our students for active citizenship.”

Under the legislation, school districts will have the exclusive right to determine instructional materials, curriculum, reading lists and textbooks.

Jenni White is the president of Restore Oklahoma Public Education.

"We are thankful to the bill's authors for their tireless work on HB 3399, and are truly grateful to House and Senate leadership for soliciting our input,” White said. “It will be a great relief to finally repeal the Common Core State Standards from Oklahoma law."

Carolyn L. McLarty, Republican National Committeewoman for Oklahoma, joined White in her support of the legislation.

"In supporting the Senate committee substitute to HB 3399, I am very pleased that our legislators have found a constructive way to come together, listen to input from the people, follow the intentions of the Governor’s executive order, and act to help protect Oklahoma students, teachers and parents from federal control of education,” McLarty said.

The Senate Education Committee is scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. on Monday, March 24, in room 535 of the state Capitol. The Senate live-streams all floor sessions and committee meetings at www.oksenate.gov.

Updated with Agenda: Special State Board of Eduction Meeting Set Wednesday

**Media Alert**

WHO: State Board of Education

WHAT: Special Board meeting

WHEN: 1 p.m., Nov. 6, 2013

WHERE: Room 1-20 of the Oliver Hodge Education Building, 2500 North Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City.

Link to Agenda

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION 2500 NORTH LINCOLN BOULEVARD STATE BOARD ROOM, SUITE 1-20 OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

AGENDA

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

1. Call to order and roll call – 1:00 p.m. 
2. Pledge of Allegiance, Salute to the Oklahoma State Flag, and Moment of Silence
   (I salute the flag of the State of Oklahoma. Its symbols of peace unite all people.) 
3. STATE SUPERINTENDENT 

(a) Information from the State Superintendent

1. PUBLIC COMMENT
   The State Board of Education shall hear public comment on any Action item listed on the current Board of Education meeting agenda. Public comments will be limited to only those subject matters covered in the current meeting agenda. Public comment will not be taken on issues relating to: (1) pending litigation against OSDE, OSBE, or agency employees; (2) a pending grievance; (3) an employee complaint; (4) complaints against OSDE employees; or (5) disciplinary action, suspension or termination of an OSDE employee. A sign-up sheet will be posted at least fifteen (15) minutes prior to the scheduled start time of the Board Meeting. Sign up must be completed prior to the scheduled start time of the meeting. The individual signing in must select one of the two public comment periods on the agenda to participate in. Only individuals who have signed up to speak will be recognized during the Public Comment period and will be recognized in the order in which they have signed in. Each speaker will be allocated three (3) minutes for presentation. The Board Chairperson may interrupt and/or terminate any presentation during public comment, which does not conform to the procedures outlined under this Section. The Board Chairperson reserves and retains the right to interrupt, terminate, or postpone public comment as necessary to effectuate the management of the public meeting. 
2. ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
   • Office of Accountability and Assessments – Maridyth McBee, Assistant State Superintendent 

1. Presentation on the test results for 2012-2013 for the Oklahoma Core Curriculum Test Grades 3-8 and End-of-Instruction and Oklahoma Modified Alternate Assessment Program Grades 3-8 and End-of-Instruction
2. (Action) Discussion and possible action to issue annual reports (A-F Report Cards) pursuant to 70 O.S. § 1210.545 and State Board of Education rules – OAC 210:10-13-22
3. (Action) Discussion and possible action to make a recommendation to the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) to award a bid pursuant to 74 O.S. § 85.5 for the Oklahoma College and Career Readiness Assessment (OCCRA) testing contract for Math and English/Language Arts in grades 3- 8, RFP# 2650000262 – 70 O.S. § 1210.508

6. PUBLIC COMMENT

The State Board of Education shall hear public comment on any item listed on the current Board of Education meeting agenda. Public comments will be limited to only those subject matters covered in the current meeting agenda. Public comment will not be taken on issues relating to: (1) pending litigation against OSDE, OSBE, or agency employees; (2) a pending grievance; (3) an employee complaint; (4) complaints against OSDE employees; or (5) disciplinary action, suspension or termination of an OSDE employee. A sign-up sheet will be posted at least fifteen (15) minutes prior to the scheduled start time of the Board Meeting. Sign up must be completed prior to the scheduled start time of the meeting. The individual signing in must select one of the two public comment periods on the agenda to participate in. Only individuals who have signed up to speak will be recognized during the Public Comment period and will be recognized in the order in which they have signed in. Each speaker will be allocated three (3) minutes for presentation. The Board Chairperson may interrupt and/or terminate any presentation during public comment, which does not conform to the procedures outlined under this Section. The Board Chairperson reserves and retains the right to interrupt, terminate, or postpone public comment as necessary to effectuate the management of the public meeting.

7. ADJOURNMENT

Fallin Appoints Dan Keating to State Board of Education

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today appointed Daniel Keating to the State Board of Education. Keating will represent the First Congressional District and replace Joy Hofmeister, who stepped down from the board. The appointment requires Senate confirmation.

Keating is currently the president of Summit Consolidated Group, a national brokerage and insurance company with offices in Tulsa, Oklahoma City and several other states. Previously, he served as president of Valley National Bank in Tulsa. He currently serves on its board of directors.

Fallin previously appointed Keating to the Tulsa Community College Board of Regents. Keating resigned from his post in order to serve on the State Board of Education.

In 2002, President Bush appointed Keating to the Board of Advisors on Tribal Colleges and Universities. He is also a member of Oklahoma Wesleyan University Foundation’s board of directors. He previously served as an adjutant professor at Oral Roberts University, teaching a class on banking.

“Dan has a lifelong interest in public service and, in particular, education,” Fallin said. “As a business executive, he knows how important it is to give children the skill-sets they need to succeed in today’s competitive, high-tech economy. I know he’ll work hard in this new role to ensure that our schools are delivering a high quality education.”

Keating serves on the board of directors of the State Chamber of Oklahoma. He is also a past finance committee chairman of the Oklahoma Historical Society Board and a current board member of the Salvation Army. He was a member of the Oklahoma Military Advisory Commission and has served on the boards of Junior Achievement, Tulsa Ballet Theater, the Oklahoma Mental Health Association, Easter Seal Society, Metropolitan Utility Authority and Utility Board, the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, the Oklahoma Bankers Association Insurance Company and Hillcrest Medical Center Foundation.

Keating served in Vietnam with the United States Marine Corps.

He and his wife Kathy have two sons. He is the brother of former Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating.

Nelson Reacts to New Lawsuit against Special Needs Scholarships Law

OKLAHOMA CITY – A new legal challenge to the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program Act filed yesterday represents “ideological hostility to the rights of parents to direct the education of their children,” according to the author of the bill that created the scholarships.

State Rep. Jason Nelson said the program helps children with special needs attend a private school of their choice by providing state-funded scholarships. It has been in place for three years. A lawsuit filed by two Tulsa-area school districts was tossed out by the Oklahoma Supreme Court in 2012 on the grounds that schools cannot sue on behalf of taxpayers. The new lawsuit targets the state superintendent, the state department of education and the state board of education. The Obama Administration filed a lawsuit against a similar law in Louisiana this year.

“I first heard about this latest lawsuit from a parent who is concerned about what will happen to her child now,” said Nelson, R-Oklahoma City. “This new lawsuit mirrors the previous one that was struck down just this past fall and many of the plaintiffs have ties to school districts but are suing as individuals this time.”

Nelson said there are two things about the lawsuit that stand out to him.

“First and most importantly, not one of the plaintiffs has a child with special needs in the public school system where the school is failing to meet the needs of their child,” Nelson said. “None of them are facing the very real circumstances faced by parents of more than 200 children who use the Henry scholarship program because the needs of their children were not being met.

“Second, none of the plaintiffs in this case have demonstrated any interest or willingness to address the legitimate concerns expressed about challenges in public schools faced by parents of the students who are currently using the Lindsey Henry Scholarship.

“There’s a fundamental disagreement here. Children do not exist to fund the institutions. The institutions exist to support and educate the children and when that doesn't happen, regardless of the reason, we have a moral obligation to do whatever is necessary to ensure those children get the education they need and that the taxpayers are paying for, regardless of where they receive that education.

“This law has benefitted the public school system by increasing per-pupil spending on students in the public school system every year it's been in existence. This is a fact that is easily demonstrated but universally ignored by opponents. One of the plaintiffs has a background in school finance. I’m amazed this fact has escaped him.”

Nelson noted that the lead plaintiff is employed by Oral Roberts University, which was allocated more than $380,000 in state-funded scholarships through the Oklahoma Tuition Equalization Grant program, or OTEG, for the current academic year.

“OTEG is virtually identical to the Henry Scholarship Program,” Nelson said. “If the lead plaintiff is so offended by the Lindsey Henry Scholarship Program why has he not challenged the OTEG law that he benefits from – I would be embarrassed. He must be familiar with Jesus’ teaching, ‘Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?’

“If you use their actions as a guide, the opposition here and in the Louisiana case is about an ideological hostility to the rights of parents to direct the education of their children – not about legitimate legal concerns. There are many state programs that do exactly what the plaintiffs here claim is unconstitutional. The plaintiffs simply can’t see that this is not about funding institutions but about ensuring children get the best education possible regardless of where they get that education.”

Nelson said he looks forward to working with state Superintendent Janet Barresi, Attorney General Scott Pruitt, the state Board of Education, parents and other supporters to vigorously defend the law. 

“The Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship Program is a constitutional, common sense law that benefits the students using the program, the public school system and the taxpayers,” Nelson said. “I’m confident the law will ultimately be upheld.”

Short documentary about the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship Program

Fallin Announces Appointment to the Oklahoma State Board of Education

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today announced the appointment of Cathryn Franks to the Oklahoma State Board of Education. She is replacing Bryan Haden, who resigned. Franks will serve the remainder of his term ending in April 2015, pending confirmation from the Oklahoma Senate.

Franks is a former history


teacher who taught at Killeen High School in Texas. She was twice named “teacher of the year.” She also taught U. S. history classes in Germany and Korea.

Now a resident of Roosevelt, Oklahoma, she is the director of international cultural education for Musco Lighting International, a company that provides lighting at major sporting events and stadiums around the world.

Franks previously served as an executive board member for the Military Child Education Coalition, a non-profit organization that works to ensure quality educational opportunities for military children affected by mobility, family separation and transition.

Franks received a bachelor’s of science degree in education based curriculum from Oklahoma State University and a master’s of arts in education and human development from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

She has received numerous awards for public service including the Commander’s Award, Department of the Army Outstanding Civilian Service Award, Secretary of the Army Public Service Award and the Secretary of Defense Award for Outstanding Public Service.

Cathryn Franks is married to retired General Tommy Franks, who served as the commander of the US Central Command overseeing the United States Armed Forces in a 25-country region.

She serves as an advisor to the General Tommy Franks Leadership Institute and Museum, a non-profit student education organization dedicated to enhancing leadership skills in middle school students.

“Cathryn Franks is a tireless advocate for education,” Fallin said. “Her experience in the classroom, dedication and passion will serve her well on the board.”

Special State Board of Education Meeting Set Tomorrow

WHO: The Oklahoma State Board of Education


WHAT: At a special State Board of Education meeting, board members will consider possible action on a process to approve non-traditional routes to special education teacher certification and adoption of state policies for Special Education – Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The board also will consider possible action on the fiscal year 2014 education appropriation in addition to other items. Click here to see the full agenda.

WHEN: 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, June 12, 2013

WHERE: The Oliver Hodge Building, 2500 N Lincoln Blvd., Suite 1-20, Oklahoma City.

The State Board of Education's regular monthly meeting will be at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, June 27.

Commentary: Outdated Education Funding Systems Need Work

State Capitol -- Thank you Superintendent Barresi, Board members and guests.

That there is a disconnect between public school administrators and legislators about school funding isn’t news to anyone -- but there’s hope for a solution.

The disconnect is caused by a lack of detailed information available to lawmakers during the legislative budget process each year.

I’ll share a few observations with you this morning.

1. Data

As I’ve studied mounds of school financial data, many local school officials have cautioned me that the data might not be accurate because some school districts don’t always do a consistent job when reporting data.

I have found instances of this.

2. Carryover

Questions about carry-over funds have been around for years, and have been answered by generalized explanations that fail to account for the large number of diverse school districts.

For instance, districts do not receive state aid for the first month of the fiscal year and must use carry-over to pay bills during this time. But this does not begin to explain carry-over balances currently held by schools.

I’ll use Luther and Talihina Schools for an example -- two districts with very similar student enrollment, revenue, expenses and carry-over fund balances. Districts don’t begin to receive the bulk of their local funding until January -- six months into the fiscal year. Luther receives nearly 70 percent of its revenue from local sources compared to Talihina at only 10 percent. But both districts carry-over is virtually the same when it would appear that their cash flow needs are very different.

We currently have a one-size-fits-all set of rules on carryover funds but no two school districts cash flow needs are the same.

3. Formula

Through the funding formula, I can see relatively detailed information about the revenue each district generates for operations. I'm not able to see a corresponding level of detail about how that money is spent.

For example, the formula provides a weight or multiplier of .25 for each economically-disadvantaged student to cover additional support costs. Districts cite the increased number of economically-disadvantaged students when requesting additional funds, but I can’t see what districts’ actual costs are for these students.

What is the level of disconnect between the funding formula weights for these kids and what school districts actually spend educating them?

4. Enrollment

The formula also creates a disparity between school districts with increasing and decreasing student enrollment. School districts with declining enrollment can count their highest enrollment year for full funding for two years. But increased funding lags six months or more in school districts with increasing enrollment. The formula does not shift money to meet this need in a timely manner.

House Bill 1017 is more than 20 years old. The funding formula was passed more than 30 years ago. There are scores of separate funding streams for schools. Each of these laws is based on education staffing models, student demographics and economic factors that have changed significantly in the past 20 to 30 years.

It is time to take a fresh look at these issues and to provide the legislature and the public with the information it needs and deserves. This will help ensure that students get the maximum benefit from every education dollar spent.

(Above are the prepared notes for my public comments I presented to the State Board of Education and State Supt. Janet Barresi during the October 25, 2012, State Board meeting. This statement is only an overview and does not reflect all of my research and opinions on this topic. I will have more to say about education funding and will be providing more details as I continue my investigation of education funding and finance during the next few months.)

State Education Board Approves $289 Million Budget Increase Request

That Includes Funds for Reforms, Teacher Pay Increases

OKLAHOMA CITY (Oct. 8, 2012) – Oklahoma State Board of Education members on Thursday approved a $289 million Fiscal Year 2014 budget increase request for public schools to be made to the State Legislature late this year as lawmakers prepare for the 2013 Legislative Session. 

The budget includes dollars for statewide implementation of reforms, as well as funds for teachers and school personnel. 

"This request represents a substantial increase," State Superintendent Janet Barresi said, "but we will be be basing the increase in funds on performance. We're promising a return on investment to Oklahoma taxpayers."

Barresi said funds for schools will be tied to detailed performance metrics in areas such as gains in core subjects such as reading and math, results of a statewide Teacher and Leader Effectiveness system, and gains in closing the state's achievement gaps for minority students.

Additionally, with an increase in state aid to public schools, the state would anticipate that local superintendents would use a portion of the new dollars to boost teacher salaries. While the manner and method of teacher pay increases would be left to local decision making, Barresi said it was essential that budget talks this year include an emphasis on better teacher pay.

"The increased funds we're asking for focus on better pay for teachers and on results in our schools. It's time for a new conversation about our state's education spending that focuses on targeted strategies and clear-cut results," Barresi said. 

Barresi said the new budget request would also be tied directly to the state's C3 Plan to have all students graduating from an Oklahoma high school ready for college, career and citizenship by the year 2020. The C3 Plan has seven primary goals: an effective teacher in every classroom, and an effective leader in every school; an increase in the number of students in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) pipeline; and stair step readiness goals in kindergarten, fourth grade, sixth grade, high school and upon graduation.

Board members reviewed preliminary numbers in a special meeting Oct. 8 and voted to approve the budget Thursday. 

The budget includes a $234 million increase in state aid to public schools — from about $1.8 billion in FY 2013 to a possible increase of more than $2 billion. 

The budget request also asks for nearly $46 million more in the state's public school activities fund — targeting key areas for reform implementation such as third grade reading readiness, Advanced Placement teacher training, ACE (Achieving Classroom Excellence) end-of-instruction requirements remediation, additional money for the state's new Teacher and Leader Effectiveness System, and funds for the state's student information system to provide more precise information for teachers in the classroom. 

The budget increase also will go toward a competitive grants pool for schools to spur innovations and reforms throughout the state.

Oklahoma A-F School Report Cards Released

OKLAHOMA CITY (Oct. 25, 2012) – The Oklahoma State Department of Education on Thursday launched the historic release of first-time A-F School Report Cards, giving all schools in the state a grade of A, B, C, D or F – similar to grades given to students. More than 90 percent of schools across the state received a grade of C or higher, with nearly 50 percent receiving a B.

Grades are immediately available to the public for online viewing or download on the State Department of Education’s website.

“With today’s release, Oklahoma is entering a new era of accountability and transparency for our schools. This landmark first for Oklahoma gives parents and community members clear-cut information about the performance level of their local schools,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Janet Barresi. “These report cards are user-friendly, straightforward and fair. It is high time for parents to have access to this information as they seek to make the best educational choices for their children. Parents have a basic right to this information, and they should be able to find it easily.”

The report cards released Thursday represented 1 percent of schools with a grade of an F, 8 percent a D, 34 percent C, 48 percent B, 9 percent A.

The report cards show student achievement based on tests scores in subjects such as reading, writing and math. They show overall student growth, and whole school improvement, which consists of such things as student attendance, dropout rates, and advanced coursework. Schools earned bonus points for parent and community participation and for school climate surveys. 

“The A-F reform has strong support among parents and the general public,” said Barresi. “Parents are the first and best advocates for their children, and they speak for the students of our state. At the end of the day, this reform represents an opportunity for communities to gather around their schools to maintain success or to help them improve.”

The report cards originally were planned for release on Oct. 8, but the State Board of Education delayed the vote to take into consideration concerns voiced by a number of state school superintendents. The board on Thursday said those concerns had been thoroughly considered.

As part of this new reform, State Superintendent Janet Barresi also has launched Raise the Grade Together — an effort to help every school in the state improve and succeed.

Supt. Barresi will visit communities for Raise the Grade Together events, to bring together parents, civic, business and school leaders for constructive conversations about academic success.

The effort calls every stakeholder to raise the grade together by taking the mission of educating children as a community approach. Where weak areas in student achievement or attendance are exposed, parents and community members are asked to help schools by offering mentoring assistance or volunteering.

Raise the Grade Together began with a symposium for a variety of school leaders in September, along with the release of a resource guide, which can be downloaded by the public on the State Department of Education’s website.

Superintendent Barresi's Raise the Grade Together effort will include the following community visits:

• October 29, Bartlesville
• November 15, Altus
• November 19, Enid

State Board of Education Hears Preliminary Budget Request

Potential $289 Million Increase Would Include Funds for Reforms, Teacher Pay Increases

OKLAHOMA CITY (Oct. 8, 2012) – Oklahoma State Board of Education members on Monday reviewed preliminary numbers for a possible $289 million Fiscal Year 2014 budget increase request for public schools to be made to the State Legislature as lawmakers draw closer to the 2013 session. The Board will vote on a budget request at its next regular meeting on October 25.

The preliminary numbers board members reviewed Monday include dollars for statewide implementation of reforms, as well as funds for teachers and school personnel.

State Supt. Janet Barresi said the new budget request, if approved, would represent a shift toward demonstrating a return on investment to taxpayers by tying state funds for schools to detailed performance metrics in areas such as gains in core subjects such as reading and math, results of a statewide Teacher and Leader Effectiveness system, and gains in closing the state's achievement gaps for minority students.

Additionally, with an increase in state aid to public schools, the state would anticipate that local superintendents would use a portion of the new dollars to boost teacher salaries. While the manner and method of teacher pay increases would be left to local decision making, Barresi said it was essential that budget talks this year include an emphasis on better teacher pay.

"The increased funds we're asking for focus on better pay for teachers and on results in our schools. It's time for a new conversation about our state's education spending that focuses on targeted strategies and clear-cut results," said Barresi. "While the State Board will likely ask for more dollars, we'll do so within a responsible and productive framework. This budget request represents increases for programs and support for reforms, but we should tie those increases to accountability. In much the same way that our state's transportation department has been able to show real results to taxpayers by improving our roads and bridges infrastructure and investing in hard assets, we need to begin showing an educational end product that demonstrates success."

Barresi said the new budget request would also be tied directly to the state's C3 Plan to have all students graduating from an Oklahoma high school ready for college, career and citizenship by the year 2020. The C3 Plan has seven primary goals: an effective teacher in every classroom, and an effective leader in every school; an increase in the number of students in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) pipeline; and stair step readiness goals in kindergarten, fourth grade, sixth grade, high school and upon graduation.

Board members reviewed preliminary numbers that include a $234 million increase in state aid to public schools — from about $1.8 billion in FY 2013 to a possible increase of more than $2 billion.

The budget request would also ask for nearly $46 million more in the state's public school activities fund — targeting key areas for reform implementation such as third grade reading readiness, Advanced Placement teacher training, ACE (Achieving Classroom Excellence) end-of-instruction requirements remediation, additional money for the state's new Teacher and Leader Effectiveness System, and funds for the state's student information system to provide more precise information for teachers in the classroom.

The budget increase also would go toward a competitive grants pool for schools to spur innovations and reforms throughout the state.

A-F School Report Card Release Postponed

Oklahoma Capitol -- The State Department of Education has postponed the release of A-F Report Cards, and will reschedule the press conference that was initially scheduled for 1:30 p.m. today. 

The State Board of Education tabled a vote on the acceptance of the report cards until the October 25 full board meeting.

State Aid Allocation Increased to School Districts

The State Department of Education announced today that some state aid money previously held back to cover charter school enrollment is now being released to school districts. 

Some public school officials have engaged in unjustified, shrill criticism of Superintendent Janet Barresi over the amount of state aid money held back by the State Department of Education. They have largely failed to acknowledge that recent financial decisions are reasonable and responsible under current circumstances.

Last month the State Department of Education was required to set aside enough money to cover potential enrollment in charter schools, including some charter schools that were still in the application phase. At the time the initial allocations for school districts were required to be calculated the charter school enrollment numbers were not known. 

The Department of Education sent an email today notifying school districts of the amended initial aid allocation.

“As indicated this summer, now that August enrollment counts have been completed for public charter schools, the State Department of Education has adjusted initial state aid allocations and will be allocating an additional $9 million to all Oklahoma public school districts. Several public charter schools had lower enrollment numbers than initially anticipated, and several of the schools that applied for new charters this year will not open this semester.”

ACE appeals to be considered at special State Board of Ed meeting

Oklahoma Capitol - A special meeting of the State Board of Education has been called tomorrow, Friday, Aug. 3 at 10 a.m.

The special meeting was called so the Board could consider four Achieving Classroom Excellence appeals from Tulsa. These four appeals were held over from the last regular Board meeting. 

A law passed during the 2012 Legislative Session guarantees an appeal to the State Board of Education for students who are denied a standard diploma for failing to meet the ACE graduation standards. The special Board meeting is necessary because the law requires appeals to be acted on by the Board within 45 days. 

So far, the number of appeals submitted to the board is significantly fewer than was predicted by many who opposed the standards and were recently attempting to roll them back. The vast majority of the appeals received by the Board have come from students who were enrolled in school districts in Tulsa County. 

The class of 2012 is the first to have to meet the new graduation requirements. When the standards were passed in 2005, it was predicted that 22 percent of students graduating in 2012 would fail to meet the standards and that remediation costs would be significantly higher than has been the case. Early information indicates that more than 90 percent of seniors this year have met the standards. 

The board will hear public comment and is then expected to convene in executive session to discuss the appeals before returning to open session to vote.

The meeting will be held in the regular meeting room at the Oliver Hodge Building, 2500 N. Lincoln Blvd., Suite 1-20, Oklahoma City.

State Board of Ed Rules on ACE Appeals

Oklahoma City - The Board received recommendations on 26 appeals for waivers from Achieving Classroom Excellence graduation requirements. 

Of those, a committee appointed by the State Board recommended that approval be granted to two students, one based on verified evidence meeting the criteria for granting an exception to ACE graduation requirements, the other based upon evidence of the student being accepted into a selective university. The committee recommended that seven appeals be denied and that 16 appeals be dismissed based upon evidence that the students had either already met ACE requirements or had withdrawn their appeal because they had either not met graduation requirements apart from ACE or they have not yet been denied a diploma.

State Board of Education Approves $457 Million Activities Fund Budget

OKLAHOMA CITY (June 5, 2012) – Faced with standstill funding levels appropriated by the Oklahoma Legislature last month that directed more than $445 million to be spent on line items such as flexible benefits allowances for teachers and school support personnel, early childhood education, alternative education and bonuses for board-certified teachers, the Oklahoma State Board of Education in a special meeting on Tuesday afternoon approved an almost $457 million Activities Fund Budget for public schools.

The approved budget can be found online here.

The Board acted to restore a portion of funding for some items it had been forced to cut during last year's budget shortfall -- such as Great Expectations, funds for the FIRST Robotics competition and A+ Schools. It also protected funding for items such as the Oklahoma Arts Institute and Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom. 

But with only $10.5 million available to budget for programs that required millions more, the Board had to leave several key priorities without funding -- including dollars for reading sufficiency and adult education.

"The Board made the best of a difficult year," said State Supt. Janet Barresi. "We intend to immediately begin working to seek a supplemental appropriation from the Legislature next year to offset some very painful cuts. In particular, we'll be asking for a supplemental appropriation to help with reading sufficiency funds. With very few dollars available, the Board simply couldn't fund those items."

The board had made a budget request in December to the Legislature for a $157 million increase. Overall, the Legislature increased the total amount for the activities fund by $3 million.

Board Of Education Hears Appeals About High School Diploma Requirements

Story at News9.com

Scope of ACE Graduation Requirement Appeals Process Explained

Oklahoma City - The State Board of Education will hold a special meeting tomorrow to hear recommendations from the State Department of Education on students requesting waivers from meeting Achieving Classroom Excellence requirements.

ACE sets forth requirements that must be met in order for a student to earn a diploma from an Oklahoma public high school. The 2012 senior class is the first required to meet the new standards. 

Rep. Jason Nelson, R-Oklahoma City, authored an amendment to House Bill 2970 this past session that requires the State Board of Education to establish an appeals process for students who have been denied a standard diploma for failing to meet the ACE graduation requirements. Governor Mary Fallin signed the measure into law. It went into effect April 18. 

“Many of us in the Legislature believe it is important to provide an appeals process for students who spent 13 years in school and believe their failure to pass the required graduation exams are due to extreme circumstances,” said Nelson. “I appreciate the time and attention given by the State Board of Education and the State Department of Education on this issue.”

The State Department of Education has only received a few dozen applications for waivers so far. More are expected over the summer. HB2970 says that a student who has been denied a standard diploma shall have thirty days after denial to file a petition for an appeal to the Board.

“Quite frankly, I would expect very few waivers to be granted,” said Nelson. “The only guarantee in the amendment is the opportunity for students who don’t meet the standards and who are not granted a diploma to seek a waiver. Waivers should only be granted in extreme circumstances.”

Nelson said efforts by some in the Legislature to delay or roll back the ACE requirements were not successful but that there was strong bipartisan support for an appeals process requirement. 

“It would not be fair to the tens-of-thousands of students, teachers and administrators who worked extremely hard to meet the standards to have someone come along and tell them all that effort was for nothing,” said Nelson. “The students who met the standards should be proud of their accomplishment and we don’t want to take that away from them.”

HB2970 also requires the Board to collect data by school site and school district on the number of students petitioning for an appeal and the number of appeals approved by the Board.

“I’ve heard every reason imaginable to roll back the standards,” said Nelson. “Anecdotal information is important but that should not substitute for solid, complete data in defining the reasons standards are not being met by a small percentage of students. What is just as important as evaluating each student’s case is for the Board to gather information about the real causes of students’ inability to pass the required exams. This information is vital for law makers as they consider any potential changes to the ACE Standards. Right now we don’t have enough information to make intelligent changes to the standards.”

In 2005, when then Governor Brad Henry signed the ACE standards into law it was predicted that 22% of students would fail to meet the standards. Recent informal estimates indicate that by this past April more than 93% of this year’s senior class had met the standards. 

“I’ve heard some districts may seek waivers for their entire senior class,” said Nelson. “First, only students have the right to appeal - not school districts. Second, the State Board of Education was not given legal authority to grant any form of a general waiver. It would be irresponsible and outside the scope of the law for a school district to request a general waiver or for the State Board to roll back the requirements by granting blanket exceptions to the standards.” 

More information on ACE requirements:

Beginning with this year’s senior class, every student shall demonstrate mastery of the state academic content standards in order to graduate from a public high school with a standard diploma.

To demonstrate mastery in the subject areas listed below, all students must score Proficient or Advanced on the following End-of-Instruction (EOI) exams: Algebra I and English II; and two of the following five: Algebra II, Biology I, English III, Geometry and United State History.

Helpful Links:

State Department of Education Information on ACE

List of Approved Alternate Tests with Minimum Scores

Video of Q&A in the Oklahoma House of Representatives on March 14, 2012

State Board of Education Takes Show on the Road

Fort Sill to Host Board Meeting Next Week Over Two Days

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION 

FORT SILL ARMY BASE
500 UPTON ROAD, PATRIOT CLUB ARTILLERY ROOM, SECOND FLOOR 

LAWTON, OKLAHOMA

Sunday, January 15, 2012

AGENDA

1. Call to order and roll call – 4:00 p.m. 
2. Introduction of State Department of Education staff - Superintendent Janet Barresi 
3. Discussion and no action: Presentation on role and responsibilities of the State Board of Education – Lisa Endres, General Counsel 
4. Discussion and no action: Presentation on the rulemaking process and procedures – Kim Richey, Assistant General Counsel 
5. Discussion and no action: Overview of the Oklahoma School Code and education law - Lisa Endres, General Counsel and Kim Richey, Assistant General Counsel 
6. Break 
7. Discussion and no action: Legislative update, overview and process – Joel Robison, Chief of
   Staff and Jessica Russell, Policy Director 
8. Open discussion regarding any agenda item 
9. Recess for evening 

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION 

FORT SILL ARMY BASE
500 UPTON ROAD, PATRIOT CLUB ARTILLERY ROOM, SECOND FLOOR 

LAWTON, OKLAHOMA

Monday, January 16, 2012

AGENDA

1. Reconvene, call to order and roll call – 9:00 a.m. 

1. Discussion and no action: Presentation on Common Core State Standards & Oklahoma C3 Standards – Kerri White, Assistant State Superintendent, Educational Support and Marsha Thompson, Assistant State Superintendent, Instruction 

1. Discussion and no action: Presentation on the Reading Sufficiency/ Third Grade Graduation and Early Childhood Initiatives - Teri Brecheen, Executive Director of Literacy 
2. Discussion and no action: Presentation on A-F Implementation, Accountability and Assessments, and Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers (PARCC) - Maridyth McBee, Assistant State Superintendent, Accountability and Assessments 
3. Discussion and no action: Presentation on Teacher and Leader Effectiveness (TLE) - Alicia Currin- Moore, Executive Director, Teacher and Leader Effectiveness 
4. Break 
5. Discussion and no action: Presentation on the State Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) - John
   Kraman, Executive Director, Student Information 
6. Discussion and no action: Overview of Accreditation - Bob Neel, Executive Director, Accreditation 
7. Discussion and no action: Presentation on Achieving Classroom Excellence (ACE), ESEA Flexibility Request (Waiver), and REAC3H Network - Kerri White, Assistant State Superintendent, Educational Support 
8. Open discussion regarding any agenda item 
9. Adjournment