"What will It Take?" Progress Report

August 30, 2002

In 1993, Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1209 passed to create education reform in Washington. The act, commonly called the Education Reform Act of 1993, devised student learning goals with performance expectations for all students set at internationally competitive, world-class levels. While the Act captured the educational intent and expectations of the Governor's Council on Education Reform and Funding, the legislation did not consider the resources and funding necessary for successful implementation of these reforms.

The "What Will it Take" project is designed to identify the resources necessary for schools to fulfill the mandates of HB 1209, with a total dollar amount attached. At a minimum, class size, extended learning opportunities for students, closing the achievement gap, professional development for educators and teacher compensation will be considered. This project will provide a yardstick for the investments the state must make to ensure student and school success.

Washington's schools have made positive changes in the past eight years and with student achievement progressing significantly as indicated by improved Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) scores. However, based on the experience of other states, schools will begin to stall in their advancement. This phenomenon has already started to emerge in the seventh grade WASL scores. Without a significant increase in resources to support essential changes, schools and students are being set up for failure. While high expectations are required for children to succeed, Washington is slow in providing resources to meet continued success.

Oregon has addressed the resource adequacy question through their development of the Quality Education Model (QEM). The QEM determines the level of statewide resources needed for schools and students to meet the educational goals established in law, and provides a policy tool for decision-makers to use for developing educational budgets.

"What Will it Take" is an initiative undertaken by the Rainier Institute in coordination with numerous education and other groups interested in ensuring student success. The projects steering committee represents a cross-section of education reform stakeholders who will work together to draft recommendations and contract with fiscal and educational specialists for best practices and cost modeling.

"What Will It Take", under the direction of consultant Dr. David Conley, requires the completion of the following primary tasks. A progress report on each one is included.

I. Define and communicate a vision of a Quality Education

Our vision will encompass what Washingtonians value in the education of their children, the State's goals for the system, and what young people need to be challenged and productive students.

A draft version of the vision has been circulated to members of the Steering Committee for their review, with the expectation of finalizing the vision statement on September 24, 2002.

II. Identify the elements and components of a quality education for incorporation into elementary, middle, and high Prototype Schools, and identify the assumptions underlying the Prototype Schools.

Prototype schools will help us calculate the costs of a quality education. Elements and components describe how money is spent within each prototype. Total per-pupil expenditures for the prototypes are multiplied by the number of students in the state to generate a figure of the amount needed to fund a quality education.

Three types of prototype schools are needed to illustrate the effects of different types of fiscal support.
A. Baseline 1: What elements and components are currently being funded solely by the State?
B. Baseline 2: What elements and components are currently being funded by the State and levies?
C. Quality Education Model: These three prototype schools describe the education students would receive when it is designed to achieve the vision of a quality education described in Section I above.

The Baseline 1 model has been completed. District fiscal officers are completing a survey of current spending to develop the data for Baseline 2 in early October. Another work group will meet in mid-September to identify the elements and components that should be included in the Washington Quality Education Model. Work from both of these groups will be reviewed by the Steering Committee.

III. Specify the Characteristics of School Quality

The indicators of school quality describe how effectively and efficiently the Prototype Schools are functioning. They include many measures from research and best practices that, if followed will likely lead to a positive learning environment for students.

A draft version of the "Characteristics of Quality Schools" has been circulated to members of the Steering Committee for their review, with the expectation of final approval on September 24, 2002.

IV. Designate the Performance Measures and Standards used to identify the degree to which the Prototype Schools achieve the quality goals set for them in the vision.

The Quality Education Model must lead to measurable outcomes: student learning, program participation or behaviors subsequent to completion of public education, for example. The scores achieved by Prototype School students will be forecasted to calculate the time necessary for schools to move from their current level of functioning to those specified by the Performance Measures and Standards.

This work has not yet begun.
 

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