The Intersection of State and
Federal Education Policy
Presentation to the University of Pennsylvania
Graduate School of Education
October 10, 2011
Mitchell D. Chester
Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Selective History of the
Elementary & Secondary Education Act
• 1965 – War on Poverty: ESEA Initially Enacted
- compensatory education
President Johnson
• 1994 – Improving America’s School Act
– loose ends / loose means
President Clinton
• 2001 – No Child Left Behind
– loose ends / tight means
President Bush
Evolving Standards-Based Reform
Framework
Version 1.0 (Massachusetts – 1993)
High
standards
+
Substantial fiscal
reform & investment,
but . . .
Minimal state support
for curriculum reform
+
Assessment &
accountability
for results
A
s
s
e
s
s4
Steady Gains in Massachusetts
Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, Grade 10
84
80
77
70
60
50
40
38
30
20
24
10
0
19
98
19
99
20
00
20
01
20
02
20
03
20
04
20
05
20
06
20
07
20
08
20
09
20
10
20
11
Percent Proficient & Advanced
90
ELA
Math
Typical African American or Hispanic tenth grader
now scores above proficient, up 20+ points since 2002
Grade 10 ELA
Grade 10 Math
*Figures are scaled scores of average raw scores
The same is true of low income students
Grade 10 ELA
Grade 10 Math
*Figures are scaled scores of average raw scores
Validating Gains
State tests
NAEP
TIMSS
PISA
NAEP 2007 Overall Results
in Reading and Math
Grade 4 Reading: 1st in the nation
Grade 8 Reading: Tied for 1st in the nation
Grade 4 Math: 1st in the nation
Grade 8 Math: 1st in the nation
Selective History of the
Elementary & Secondary Education Act
• 1965 – War on Poverty: ESEA Initially Enacted
- compensatory education
President Johnson
• 1994 – Improving America’s School Act
– loose ends / loose means
President Clinton
• 2001 – No Child Left Behind
– loose ends / tight means
President Bush
Selective History of the
Elementary & Secondary Education Act
• 1965 – War on Poverty: ESEA Initially Enacted
- compensatory education
President Johnson
• 1994 – Improving America’s School Act
– loose ends / loose means
President Clinton
• 2001 – No Child Left Behind
– loose ends / tight means
President Bush
• 2011-12 – Name (college & career ready) ??
– tight ends / loose means
President Obama
Grade 4 reading
12
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Grade 8 reading
13
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Grade 4 mathematics
14
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Grade 8 mathematics
15
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Evolving Standards-Based Reform
Framework
Version 1.0 (Massachusetts – 1993)
High
standards
+
Substantial fiscal
reform & investment,
but . . .
Minimal state support
for curriculum reform
+
Assessment &
accountability
for results
A
s
s
e
s
s 16
Evolving SEA Role
From
Compliance and
regulation
Program
administration/proj
ect management
School-level
interventions
To
Catalyst for
improvement and
transformation
Scaling effective
classroom
practices/managing
for results
Building district
capacity to improve
schools
Evolving Standards-Based Reform
Framework
Version 1.0 (Massachusetts – 1993)
High
standards
+
Substantial fiscal
reform & investment,
but . . .
Minimal state support
for curriculum reform
+
Assessment &
accountability
for results
Version 2.0 (Massachusetts – 2008)
High
standards
+
Fiscal equity
+
Substantial state
support for
curricular/instructional
reform
+
Assessment &
accountability
for results
18
State & Federal Alignment?
MA Priorities
Educator effectiveness
Curriculum and
instruction
Accountability and
assistance
Supports for students
and families
State & Federal Alignment?
MA Priorities
Educator effectiveness
Curriculum and
instruction
Accountability and
assistance
Supports for students
and families
RTTT Priorities
Great teachers and
leaders
Standards and
assessments
Data systems to support
instruction
Turning around the
lowest achieving schools
Governance, Culture, Capacity
• Multiple authorizers
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Congress/USDE
State Board
Governor
State Legislature
Education constituencies (unions, professional organizations)
Business
Foundations
• Culture
• Capacity
– SEA
• Skill sets
• Competitiveness
• From managing projects to managing for results
– Intermediate units
Implications of Evolving Fiscal Landscape
• Four decades of increasing revenue
– Year-by-year increases, with few exceptions
– Reflected in CBAs, pension systems
• Massive economic restructuring
– International, national, state
• Productivity analyses
– Highest/lowest leverage investments
– Linking fiscal, program, & outcome data
• Funding
– Competition, options
Future of Education Policy
• Greater social good?
– Changing demographics
– Suburbanization of America
• Passive versus active federal role
– Reflected in 2012 presidential election
• Technology applications
– On-line education
– Software productivity potential
• Impact of fiscal stresses
– Taxpayer revolt
– Competition, options
• “Deschooling Society” (Ivan Illich, 1971) revisited