EDUCATION COMMISSIONER RELEASES BUDGET ANALYSIS
(FRANKFORT, Ky.) – Today, Kentucky Education Commissioner Jon E. Draud released an analysis of House Bill 406, the biennial state budget bill.
“The passage of House Bill 406, the Budget Bill, by both the Kentucky House and Senate places a heavy burden on the state’s public school administrators, teachers, staff, parents, students and local communities,” said Draud.
“Kentucky’s stated goal is to have all of its public schools reach proficiency by 2014. Current projections show that approximately 37 percent of schools are on track to meet that goal. This means that nearly two-thirds of our public schools need help to reach proficiency, and the depth of need varies greatly from school to school. It is difficult to justify strong accountability for schools and motivate them to be successful when we do not provide them with the resources they need.
“Although the legislature developed the best budget it could with the monies available, Kentucky needs additional revenue. This is not simply a matter of the psychological impact of a budget bill that does not provide adequate funding for public education. This is the practical effect of a lack of funding for programs that have proven successful in helping students reach high levels of achievement,” said Draud.
Draud noted that the cuts to major P-12 programs will have a direct, negative effect on individual students and teachers:
The Extended School Services program, which provides extra help for students who are falling behind, will be curtailed. Students who are struggling will experience even greater disappointment and frustration.
The cut to professional development funds will hold back teachers and administrators, preventing them from improving their abilities to teach and lead.
School staffs, students and parents deserve safe environments, and a lack of safe schools funding will stymie efforts to reduce substance abuse and violence in schools.
Draud said he is particularly concerned about the lack of funding for a number of programs:
No money has been set aside for the Individual Learning Plan, which serves nearly three-quarters of the state’s public middle and high school students. Without funding, students and parents will be unable to fully access the program’s offerings.
There is no funding for the student information system, which collects attendance, enrollment, student transfer and other data. The SIS tracks the day-to-day operations of schools, providing data that is required to meet state and federal mandates.
Assessment projects, such as the end-of-course exams in higher-order math, the norm-referenced test for elementary schools and online assessments, are not funded. This will slow or stop efforts to provide the most effective ways to gauge student progress.
“HB 406 requires hard decisions by our public school administrators and this agency,” said Draud. “Which children will get the help they need? How are teachers going to get additional training? What happens to the momentum that many schools are experiencing on the road to proficiency, and what about those schools that are struggling?
“We’re beginning to hear the first rumblings of a bleak forecast. The Council for Better Education notes that many districts will be forced to cut back on staff, depriving students of instructional services. Other advocacy groups have expressed fears that the ground gained in Kentucky will be lost without increased financial support,” said Draud.
“Even if P-12 education was spared any lessening of funds, Kentucky would still lag behind other states in the area of school finance. And, although spending great amounts of public money doesn’t guarantee high achievement, there is a direct correlation between careful use of state funding and high student performance,” said Draud.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, based on 2003-04 data, Kentucky ranked dead last in per capita expenditures of state and local governments for public schools. For each person in this state, approximately $1,100 was spent on P-12 education that year. The average nationwide was slightly over $1,500.
Draud offered a challenge to the state’s policymakers and citizens. “Let’s stop thinking of education and economic health as simply having a tenuous connection. They are inseparable. The viability of one has a direct effect on the strength of the other.”
The Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center issued a report in October 2007 that provided a snapshot of Kentucky’s educational standing, compared to other states. The center concluded that, “… these data show real educational progress, compared to our past and relative to the nation. Kentucky has moved from the bottom fifth of states in educational performance in 1992 to just ahead of the bottom third in 2005. However, comparing Kentucky to the top-10 states in 2005 reveals that the Commonwealth still has far to go in almost every facet of educational attainment and achievement.”
In an average school year, Kentucky spends about $43 each day to educate our children. That’s about $7 an hour. On average, Kentuckians working in jobs where a high school diploma is not required make about $7.37 an hour.
“Do we place so little importance on education that we are only willing to pay an amount that is equivalent to salaries for the most menial occupations?” Draud asked.
“This is not so much about financial support as it is about a philosophy that children are important and that their education should be our primary concern,” said Draud. “HB 406 does not reveal the legislative concern for children, families and communities that I know exists.”
* * * * * * *
The Budget Bill (HB 406 SCS, 2008 General Assembly)
What it Means for Teaching and Learning in Kentucky
* Individual Leaning Plan (ILP)
This year, 248,000 of the 342,700 middle and high school students are using their ILPs; implementation is ahead of the projected target for full utilization by the class of 2012. This is a 72% adoption rate. Students have accessed over 59 million career and college readiness pages this year. Mandated by state regulation for the graduating class of 2012 and beyond, the ILP is designed to help students bring together their academic achievements, extracurricular experiences, and career and education exploration activities. This enables students, parents or guardians, teachers and counselors to work together to develop a course of study that meets the student’s needs and goals.
Needed = $750,000 each year
Appropriated = $0
* Student Information System (SIS)
Procured through the Finance and Administration Cabinet’s mandated bid process, the SIS is used by schools and districts to provide all facets of administrative management, including student enrollment, attendance, grades, health, behavior, special education plans, program participation and the maintenance of those records as students transfer between districts. The data support student progression toward proficiency and serve as the foundation for distribution of state funds.
This system relies on modern technology to provide, in efficient and effective ways, real-time data to teachers, school administrators and parents as well as to state and federal agencies as required by law. Without this modern robust system, data would not be readily available to inform instructional decisions and policies, and compliance with state and federal mandates would be jeopardized.
The requested funding is for the operation of a new SIS that is currently being implemented. The old system will no longer be available after June 30, 2009. Lack of operational funding for the new system in 2009-2010 will mean that the services referenced above must either be funded by taking resources from other programs and services or that SIS services will no longer be available, impacting every student in every school in the Commonwealth, since these services potentially would have to be calculated by hand by each school district as was done prior to having a technology-based system.
Needed for operation in 2009-10 = $7 million
Appropriated = $4 million in bond funding for completion and implementation; no operating funds
* End-of-Course Exams
State statute requires development and administration of end-of-course exams in geometry, algebra I and algebra II by May 2008. End-of-course exams are intended to ensure that students complete rigorous math courses and provide a consistent level of course content across the state. The goal is to broaden use of end-of-course exams in the next two to four years.
Needed: $3,161,400 in 2008-09 and $4,215,900 in 2009-10 for operations
Appropriated = $0
Or
Needed: $860,000 in 2008-09 and $1,800,000 in 2009-10 for extending the pilot work
Appropriated = $0
* A Uniform Norm-Referenced Test (NRT) in Grade 3
The elementary grade 3 NRT is required by state regulation to enable a national comparison of how Kentucky 3rd graders do on a reading and mathematics test.
Needed: $750,000 in each year of the biennium
Appropriated = $0
* WorkKeys and ACT Retakes
There are statutory and Budget Bill requirements to offer the WorkKeys test to 12th-grade students and an ACT retake without charge to 11th-grade students who qualify for free and reduced-price meals.
Needed to fund this additional work = $650,000 – nearly $800,000 more than the current $1.4 million, which is used for the ACT test taken the first time by all 11th-grade students. This amount is needed in each year of the biennium.
This year, 248,000 of the 342,700 middle and high school students are using their ILPs; implementation is ahead of the projected target for full utilization by the class of 2012. This is a 72% adoption rate. Students have accessed over 59 million career and college readiness pages this year. Mandated by state regulation for the graduating class of 2012 and beyond, the ILP is designed to help students bring together their academic achievements, extracurricular experiences, and career and education exploration activities. This enables students, parents or guardians, teachers and counselors to work together to develop a course of study that meets the student’s needs and goals.
Needed = $750,000 each year
Appropriated = $0
* Student Information System (SIS)
Procured through the Finance and Administration Cabinet’s mandated bid process, the SIS is used by schools and districts to provide all facets of administrative management, including student enrollment, attendance, grades, health, behavior, special education plans, program participation and the maintenance of those records as students transfer between districts. The data support student progression toward proficiency and serve as the foundation for distribution of state funds.
This system relies on modern technology to provide, in efficient and effective ways, real-time data to teachers, school administrators and parents as well as to state and federal agencies as required by law. Without this modern robust system, data would not be readily available to inform instructional decisions and policies, and compliance with state and federal mandates would be jeopardized.
The requested funding is for the operation of a new SIS that is currently being implemented. The old system will no longer be available after June 30, 2009. Lack of operational funding for the new system in 2009-2010 will mean that the services referenced above must either be funded by taking resources from other programs and services or that SIS services will no longer be available, impacting every student in every school in the Commonwealth, since these services potentially would have to be calculated by hand by each school district as was done prior to having a technology-based system.
Needed for operation in 2009-10 = $7 million
Appropriated = $4 million in bond funding for completion and implementation; no operating funds
* End-of-Course Exams
State statute requires development and administration of end-of-course exams in geometry, algebra I and algebra II by May 2008. End-of-course exams are intended to ensure that students complete rigorous math courses and provide a consistent level of course content across the state. The goal is to broaden use of end-of-course exams in the next two to four years.
Needed: $3,161,400 in 2008-09 and $4,215,900 in 2009-10 for operations
Appropriated = $0
Or
Needed: $860,000 in 2008-09 and $1,800,000 in 2009-10 for extending the pilot work
Appropriated = $0
* A Uniform Norm-Referenced Test (NRT) in Grade 3
The elementary grade 3 NRT is required by state regulation to enable a national comparison of how Kentucky 3rd graders do on a reading and mathematics test.
Needed: $750,000 in each year of the biennium
Appropriated = $0
* WorkKeys and ACT Retakes
There are statutory and Budget Bill requirements to offer the WorkKeys test to 12th-grade students and an ACT retake without charge to 11th-grade students who qualify for free and reduced-price meals.
Needed to fund this additional work = $650,000 – nearly $800,000 more than the current $1.4 million, which is used for the ACT test taken the first time by all 11th-grade students. This amount is needed in each year of the biennium.
Appropriated = $1.4 million for each year of the biennium, which already must be used for the first-time ACT takers; no funding for ACT retakes or WorkKeys
* Online Assessments
Online assessments need a development period that includes distribution of hardware (dedicated servers) to each school district in Kentucky and a formative assessment approach to develop the abilities of districts to use online assessments to measure ongoing student growth through the year.
Needed: $8 million to cover costs of hardware and development of formative assessments
Appropriated = $0
* Alternate Assessments
Federal laws (No Child Left Behind and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) require that students with severe and profound disabilities participate in state-mandated assessment and accountability programs. States must provide this student population with an appropriate alternate assessment for any assessment that is required of all students. Alternate assessment programs are reviewed by the United States Department of Education. Federal approval is required for states to receive federal funding.
Needed: $1 million
Appropriated = $249,400
* Knowledge Management Portal (KMP)/KIDS
The KMP will provide targeted instructional resources, including standards-based units of study, lesson plans, curriculum maps, assessments and other educational resources. The portal also will offer a collaborative workspace that teachers can use to share best practices, develop test items and expand their professional skills.
Through the KMP, the Kentucky Instructional Data System (KIDS) will provide longitudinal student tracking with enrollment and assessment data; interoperability of data systems across district and state databases; a data warehouse that combines demographic, assessment and financial data; and more.
Needed = $6.25 million over the biennium for bonding
Appropriated = $0
* Extended School Services (ESS)
ESS funds are used for the purpose of operating a program for students having short- or long- term academic difficulties. ESS programs offer extra instructional time and may take a variety of formats including after school or before school programs, evening sessions, Saturday learning opportunities, summer programs and/or intersessions. Some schools may offer ESS programs during the regular school day.
Needed for funding to be level with 2007-08 = $31,859,500
Appropriated = $13,228,700 in each year of the biennium
* Professional Development (PD)
Professional development funds are used to provide opportunities for teachers and administrators to participate in activities that improve their abilities to address the specific learning needs of the students in their classrooms and schools. Each teacher must complete a minimum of 24 hours of professional development each school year in order to meet their contractual obligation to their districts.
Needed for funding to be level with 2007-08 = $15,034,700
Appropriated - $6,242,700 in each year of the biennium
* Safe Schools
Safe School funds are used to provide funding to school districts in an effort to support substance abuse and violence reduction programming. This program is the primary funding source for prevention activities in these areas and provides funding to all school districts within the state. Much like initiatives at the federal level, this program seeks to prevent violence in and around schools and support programs that prevent the illegal use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs through a school and community based environment.
Needed for funding to be level with 2007-08 = $10,378,300
Appropriated = $4,709,300 in each year of the biennium
* Teacher Professional Growth Fund
This fund is used to provide funds to prepare teachers in grades 4-12 to work with other reading and mathematics teachers as coaches and mentors. The funds are used for training costs and materials, as well as providing funds for release time and travel of coaches.
Needed for funding to be level with 2007-08 = $3,925,300
Appropriated = $994,700 in each year of the biennium
* KIDS Now – Early Childhood
KIDS Now provides health screenings, immunizations, family support and early childhood services for healthy and safe children to provide the foundation that will enable school and personal success. For both 2009 and 2010, funds are reduced by more than 20%. This money goes to several different cabinets and departments, including the Department of Education.
Needed for funding to be level with 2007-08 = $27,968,908
Appropriated = $23,795,800 in each year of the biennium
* Early Reading Incentive Grants/Read to Achieve
These grants are used to provide funds to schools to implement research-based reading diagnostic and intervention programs. The early reading intervention program selected by the funded school must be based on reliable, replicable research and offer short-term intensive one-on-one or small group instruction in essential skills necessary for reading proficiency. A highly trained, qualified, certified teacher must be hired specifically to provide these intervention services. The appropriated funding does not allow funding for any additional schools and may reduce the number of schools that receive funding.
Needed for funding to be level with 2007-08 = $23,558,100
Appropriated = $22,558,100 for each year of the biennium
* Teacher Raises
Teacher salary increases are needed to catch up with the average of surrounding states and to keep pace with inflation. Last year, the cost of living rose four percent. Meaningful teacher salary increases enable recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers.
Appropriated = only a 1% increase for each year of the biennium
SOURCE: KDE press release
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