ESSA state plan still pending approval by the U . S . Department of Education
The State Board of Education and California Department of Education had hoped to have the state ’ s plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act approved in September 2017 . However , there have been several rounds of discussions and negotiations with U . S . Department of Education officials since the beginning of the year .
The state resubmitted for the third time California ’ s consolidated State plan on May 30 , and state officials were notified last week by the U . S . Department of Education that they are requesting clarifying and additional information to ensure California ’ s plan meets all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements .
JANUS
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deductions to pay for union dues shall be directed to the employee organization rather than the governing board .
• The governing board must rely on information provided by the employee organization regarding whether deductions for an employee organization were properly canceled or changed and the employee organization will indemnify the public school employer for any claims made by an employee for deductions that were made .
• A recognized employee organization that certifies the authorization shall not be required to submit to the governing board a copy of the employee ’ s written authorization in order for payroll deductions to be
The outstanding areas of concern include 1 ) clarifying information on the state ’ s measurement of interim progress for Academic Achievement , the graduation rate , and progress in achieving English language proficiency , 2 ) lack of sufficient information as to how the chronic absenteeism indicator is calculated and how it will meaningfully differentiate among schools in California , and 3 ) clarifying information whether CDE will identify Title 1 schools for additional targeted support and improvement by the beginning of the 2018-19 school year .
In the California plan , CDE noted that it will begin identifying schools in 2021 ,
made .
• A public employer is required to meet and confer with the exclusive representative regarding the content of a communication prior to disseminating a mass communication to the employees or applicants concerning the employee ’ s rights to join / support or refrain from joining / supporting the organization .
• If an agreement cannot be reached and the employer still chooses to disseminate the mass communication , the employer shall distribute information provided by the exclusive representative at the same time to the employees .
• The date , time and place of an employee organization shall not be disclosed to anyone other than the employees , the exclusive representative , or a vendor that is contracted to provide a service for purposes noting that is the first time the state will have schools with consistently underperforming subgroups from which to identify schools for additional targeted support . It is anticipated that CDE will make revisions to the ESSA State Plan to conform with the federal government requests , and will ask the SBE to approve a revised plan at its July 11 meeting . It is anticipated that this will be the last round of revisions needed before California ’ s plan is approved . Three other states are still pending approval .
For questions or feedback , please contact ACSA Legislative Advocate Martha Alvarez at malvarez @ acsa . org .
Equity and sustainable achievement can be built for all K-12 students
By Amy Dujon and Learning Sciences International , an ACSA Partner4Purpose .
This is an exciting era in education . We ’ re all starting to realize that the most effective way to prepare learners for the uncertain sands of the new economy is to take a bold step : to move from teacher-centered to student-centered classrooms with rigor .
This isn ’ t just another fad that will come and go ; this work requires each teacher to unlearn and relearn deeply ingrained pedagogical techniques that have placed the responsibility for all learning in the teacher ’ s hands . In turn , students are now encouraged to struggle productively so they can build the resilience and self-reliance they ’ ll need for success in college and the global workplace .
To bring about this second-order change , we need to equip kids with soft interpersonal and critical-thinking skills . Through partnerships with schools throughout the US , we ’ re seeing the results of these instructional shifts and gaining a clear picture of teachers ’ challenges . Specifically , we ’ ve identified two things that teachers tend to do to help students that actually hinder learning .
Rescuing
A struggling child ’ s first instinct is to rely on adults to tell him what to do . Kids know that if they keep waiting or ask enough questions , someone will eventually help them . Far too many teachers encourage this pattern , asking leading or loaded questions until they arrive at the answer for the students . It ’ s human nature to assist others who are struggling – especially children – but to get students using higher-order thinking skills , we need to break this habit .
When I was the principal of Acreage Pines Elementary in Florida , my teachers had a lot of difficulty changing this behavior . Some would physically step away from kids when they caught themselves rescuing . Some even wore rubber bands that they could pop as a reminder . I ’ m certainly not advocating self-abuse , but visual or physical cues are definitely helpful . Once students accept that they need to rely more on peers and less on teachers , they unlearn the habit of waiting for answers .
This pattern is also prevalent among teachers and leaders . When teachers aren ’ t sure which strategies to use or how to execute specific techniques , they ’ re inclined to wait until a principal , coach or other observer tells them what to do . As with students , it ’ s critical to create an environment that helps teachers engage in the productive struggle and rely on their peers to find solutions .
Robbing
Traditional instruction is full of robbed moments . It may seem kind to spoon-feed information to students , tell them what to think and provide experiences that require right and wrong answers , but in the long run , the lecture-focused format robs them of valuable opportunities to think critically , assimilate information and draw conclusions .
Children are fully capable of determining what ’ s important – and they need to get even better at doing so . It ’ s our duty to structure lessons around discovery rather than rob them of high-level learning by telling . I can ’ t stress this enough : It ’ s our duty .
New-economy skills
In “ Who Moved My Standards ? Joyful Teaching in an Age of Change ,” Michael Toth describes the shifts that teachers need to make to help students develop “ new-economy skills .” He strongly emphasizes the notions that :
• Students can ’ t be directly instructed into becoming critical thinkers and problem solvers .
• Too much support can prevent students from developing critical-thinking skills .
At Acreage Pines , our teachers worked diligently in their PLCs to plan lessons to move students toward effective team-centered problem solving . Little by little , students also become increasingly comfortable with engaging in their own interactive teams . There , they practiced academic language , improved their verbal and social skills and provided emotional and academic support for team members – fellow students .
Worth the effort
What surprised us the most was how all students flourished in the learner-centered setting . With the support of their peers , disadvantaged children and those with disabilities learning in inclusion classrooms became skilled at using academic vocabulary and honing their own thinking skills . At the same time , higher-achieving students deepened their understanding as they mentored their classmates .
The shift from teacher-centered to student-centered classrooms made our entire school an exciting place to be . That kind of enthusiasm is contagious , and it makes me so happy to know that other administrators have toured Acreage Pines and resolved to replicate the work in their own buildings .
There ’ s nothing more rewarding than being at the forefront of such an influential and important transformation – one that will change the trajectory of the future for countless children in classrooms throughout the country .
Amy M . Dujon is the author of “ The Gritty Truth of School Transformation : Eight Phases of Growth to Instructional Rigor .” Dujon is a National Practice Leader with Learning Sciences international and works with districts and leaders across the country to embrace the core shifts that foster student equity , student autonomy , critical thinking , and real-world learning at every grade level . Dujon is a former director for leadership development , principal and teacher . She holds a MS . Ed in educational leadership , a BA in drama education , and is currently pursuing her doctorate .
This article was originally published by ASCD SmartBrief under the title Building a student-centered school .
of the orientation .
• Regarding the employee orientation , the Legislature declares that a limitation on the public ’ s right of access to the meetings is balanced by protecting the privacy of employees .
ACSA is working closely with the law firms of Atkinson , Andelson , Loya , Ruud and Romo ; Fagen Friedman and Fulfrost ; and Lozano Smith to provide information to you regarding this new legislation .
In addition , we are working together to get out an immediate update on the Janus decision once the court releases it , and are preparing a webinar in order to answer some of the most anticipated questions from you . ACSA will continue to provide answers to your questions as you move through the implementation of the Janus decision and this legislation .
FROM THE
Executive
Director
June 25 , 2018 EDCAL 3
It ’ s important to recognize the achievements Gov . Jerry Brown has made for our public schools and students during the last eight years , although there is still work to be done before he leaves office .
The governor enacted the Local Control Funding Formula in 2013 and committed to fully fund it and return Proposition 98 funding levels to pre-recession numbers . He ’ s created equitable funding and improved student opportunity by giving district leaders increased funding flexibility . As a result of that commitment and the voters ’ support for Propositions 30 and 55 , the state has invested more than $ 18 billion through LCFF and close to $ 7 billion in one-time discretionary funds .
The creation of LCFF granted greater discretion to those closer to the state ’ s 6.2 million students and empowered them to make decisions on limited resources . The Local Control and Accountability Plan has promoted greater communication and engagement with the school community and stakeholders . School districts statewide have developed these multi-year strategic plans to consider goals , actions and services that support student growth and achievement .
Most importantly , the state ’ s movement towards a robust accountability system aligned with LCFF state priorities gives local communities a more accurate indication of how students are doing and identifies specific areas in need of targeted support .
While we welcome a strategic tool that increases engagement and incorporates stakeholder input , we know parts of the LCAP are flawed and it has become more of a lengthy compliance document . Local decision-making has been better for students , but the LCAP template must be simplified . The state must consider more flexibility in allowing districts to use supplemental funds for at-risk students based on the results of the California School Dashboard . The Legislature should also consolidate reporting requirements that are no longer relevant .
There are other unresolved issues that must be addressed by the next governor . These challenges include increasing the overall funding level for public schools with more reliable funding , tackling the chronic educator shortage , and investing additional resources to equalize funding for services supporting students with exceptional needs .
We think all the accomplishments from the past eight years will be in vain if nothing is done to address these challenges . ACSA is co-sponsoring Assembly Bill 2808 , which would set new LCFF funding goals starting in 2019-20 . This investment will continue to help districts provide high-quality instructional and enrichment programs and ensure schools have additional funding to meet escalating fixed costs such as pensions . AB 2808 assures that the LCFF will continue to be the mechanism by which local educational agencies will receive future growth in funding . For the sustained financial health of California ’ s 1,000 + school districts , we believe the governor must sign this legislation .
Gov . Brown has the opportunity to cement his legacy across many fronts . We now challenge him to set a new LCFF trajectory before he leaves office and guarantee the public school system he committed to in 2010 is strong after he leaves office .
– Wesley Smith