“I never had any failures…just learning experiences.” ~ Thomas Edison
Seasons greetings from ABEC!
Congratulations once again to the 183 Arizona Higher Performing Schools! These schools have outperformed their peers in advancing their students toward college and career readiness in one or more content areas in all grades tested using the AIMS test. An additional 13 schools were All SUBJECT Higher Performers – outperforming their peers in ALL content areas and ALL grades tested. Among that list of 13, are H.L. Suverkrup Elementary School in the Crane Elementary School District, and Ganado Primary School, in the Ganado Unified School District, both schools of 100% low income. Something interesting is going on there. There are also four schools from Alhambra Elementary School District, and three high schools from Glendale Union High School District among the 13. What is going on in those schools enabling them to advance their students more quickly than others? We hope, over time, that those insights can be uncovered through analysis and these schools can provide learning experiences for others. My wish for the coming year is that schools take advantage of this opportunity to learn from each other, and as they do, ABEC will help by promoting their effective practices and engaging business partners to assist in advancing students toward college and career readiness.
The coming year moves us one step closer to new assessments of new standards. The Common Core standards are already being implemented in kindergarten and will soon move up into grade one and beyond. By 2014-15, the new assessments will be administered, and a new reality will sink in. Students will need to be performing at a much higher level. Teachers will be teaching more rigorous content. Parents, business leaders, legislators, the media, and community members simply must be educated on this transition. As I look ahead, I think ABEC will be in a good position to “educate others” on this and other important developments affecting education.
Have a happy holiday! And keep ABEC in mind when you make your New Year’s resolutions. Resolve to attend an ABEC meeting. Resolve to go to the ABEC Facebook page and comment. Resolve to encourage others to join ABEC. Resolve to attend the annual conference on June 4. In fact, put that date into your 2012 calendar now.
Sincerely,
ABEC executive director
The Council's mission is “to monitor progress towards Arizona’s rigorous education goals and determine if reform strategies are improving student learning, and to ensure the fidelity of implementation of Arizona Ready.”
Specific goals of the Council are to:
- Increase the percentage of third graders meeting state reading standards to 94% in 2020 from 70% in 2010;
- Increase the percentage of eighth graders achieving at or above basic on the National Assessment of Education Programs (NAEP) to 85% in 2020 from 67% in math and 68% in reading in 2010;
- Raise the high school graduation rate to 93% in 2020 from 73% in 2010; and
- Double the number of students receiving baccalaureate degrees to 36,000 per year.
The Council will also develop and utilize an online “report card” to review the performance of Arizona students and coordinate efforts to improve achievement. For a list of Council members, click here.
Arizona is one of seven states eligible for Race to the Top Round 3 Funds. This round focuses on supporting efforts to leverage comprehensive statewide reform (see the Arizona Education Reform Plan), while also improving science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Arizona is eligible to receive $25 million, which, in compliance with federal law, ½ will go to local education agencies (LEAs) and ½ to the State. Awards will be announced in late-December and monies will flow after the first of the year.
Arizona should also hear by the end of December whether it has been successful in garnering a Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Grant (RTTT-ELC), which would provide $70 million to Arizona over 4 years. The RTTT-ELC grant competition focuses on improving early learning and development programs for young children by supporting States' efforts to: (1) increase the number and percentage of low-income and disadvantaged children in each age group of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers who are enrolled in high-quality early learning programs; (2) design and implement an integrated system of high-quality early learning programs and services; and (3) ensure that any use of assessments conforms with the recommendations of the National Research Council's reports on early childhood. To read Arizona’s application, click here.
KAILIN'S KORNER: INTERN TO LEARN
By Kailin BiggerstaffA goal of ABEC’s Higher Performing Schools Recognition Project is to understand what the higher performing schools are doing to better prepare their students for life after high school, for college and a career. The preparation doesn’t end after graduating from high school, though. As a college student, I find the theme of career readiness still vividly present with class topics and the integration of internships.
When I started at ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication last year, I wasn’t expecting the professional atmosphere that exists around the downtown campus. The curricula are designed almost like jobs with a lot of assigned projects that involve tasks associated with journalism professions. Along with the classes, ASU encourages its students to participate in internships to gain experience, even offering credit as an incentive. I was hesitant at first to participate because I thought my entire focus should be concentrated on my schoolwork. But after interning with ABEC this semester, I now know why internships are strongly recommended.
Although my classes teach me the ins and outs of writing news stories, how to act ethically in compromising situations, and more grammar than I ever thought imaginable, the value of putting into practice what I have learned is utterly priceless. Professors, teachers and mentors recite stories of what they experienced in their professional careers, or what could happen when I finally step over the threshold into full adulthood, but there is nothing like experiencing it firsthand.
Interning with ABEC this semester has taught me a lot of useful tools that no class could weave into its curriculum. At ABEC, I was actually able to perform journalism-related tasks such as interviewing, writing and some experimenting with multimedia. I also learned valuable lessons such as the importance of having background information. I knew absolutely nothing of ABEC when I first started and in order to help with the website, newsletter and various events, I had to learn what ABEC is all about. Having an understanding of ABEC helped me with the writing and other tasks I was assigned. I also learned to think on my feet, be prepared for anything, and not to take criticism personally.
I am thankful for the opportunity to intern at ABEC and will miss it, but the skills I have learned while working here, formal and informal, will help me further my career and have confidence in taking the next steps. The internship ultimately taught me skills I would not have learned in the classroom.
Kailin Biggerstaff is a sophomore at ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and is interning at ABEC this fall.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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January 11, 2012
To RSVP, click here.
Monday, June 4, 2012
HOST SPONSOR:
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Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Arizona K12 Center
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ABEC MEMBER NEWS & NOTES
- Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP - Marty Shultz, senior policy director
- Ernst & Young LLP - Eric Lewis, senior manager
- Expect More Arizona - Pearl Chang Esau, president & CEO
- Helios Education Foundation - Linda Thompson, vice president and director of grants administration
- Rodel Charitable Foundation of Arizona - Jackie Norton, president & CEO
And several organizations on the ABEC board of directors changed their representative appointment to the board:
- Cox Communications – Gene Carl, manager public sector Arizona
- Pearson - Michael Miller
- Teach for America, Phoenix - John Fisher, managing director
Six ABEC members organizations made the 2011 list of the Phoenix Business Journal’s Best Places to Work in the Valley ... CONGRATULATIONS to:
- Adolfson & Peterson Construction
- Chasse Building Team
- Cox Communications Arizona
- Ernst & Young LLP
- McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.
- Sundt Construction
Congratulations to Intel Corp. on its recent honor by Expect More Arizona as the first recipient of the Excellence in Business and Education Partnerships Award for their commitment to improving education in Arizona.
ABEC salutes the 80 Arizona teachers who became National Board Certified Teachers in 2011! This is an increase of 10.4% over last year and brings the total number of Arizona teachers who are nationally Board Certified to 847. Considered as the “gold standard of teaching,” research shows that students taught by National Board Certified teachers consistently see the highest gains in achievement, and comprise just three percent of the national teaching force.
Applications are now being accepted for the Math & Science Teacher Education/Retention Industry Partnerships (MASTER-IP)Master’s Program and should be submitted by January 15, 2012. The MASTER-IP Program, a collaboration between the University of Arizona College of Education and Tucson Values Teachers, a nonprofit founded by the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, fosters a unique connection between the workforce and the classroom by giving teachers PAID summer internship opportunities with local businesses. Businesses gain from the professionalism and expertise of a teacher, and teachers bring their real-world internship experiences back to students. The Program is open to all Arizona STEM teachers. The Program is also seeking businesses in Maricopa and Pinal counties who may be interested in hiring a qualified teacher for the summer. For more information, contact the Director, Julia Olsen, at jkolsen@u.arizona.edu or go to http://www.coe.arizona.edu/tls/master-ip.
Communities in Schools of Arizona is seeking applicants to serve as coaches for its College & Career Success Program. These coaches will be part of the AmeriCorps program and facilitate the delivery of college and career readiness activities, service learning and recruitment of adult volunteers to assist with the program at 26 high school sites in Arizona in order to promote post-academic success. For more information, contact Sonia Cortina at sonia.cortina@cisarizona.org or visit www.cisarizona.org.
EDUCATION NEWS
Cheating by online students a concern – The Arizona Republic, 12/11/11
Cheating occurs in every school, but the freedom and lack of monitoring in online classes sharply increases the potential for cheating and plagiarism. It's not only students who are tempted to cheat. Parents of online students must log the hours their children spend learning online and doing homework offline. The log is used by schools to collect state funds and can be used to monitor the time a student spends on lessons. Parents can exaggerate or lose track of the hours. Read more>
Online schools face questions over quality, effectiveness – The Arizona Republic, 12/11/11
Doubts about quality plague Arizona's online schools. The largest online schools in K-12 lag the state averages among all Arizona public schools in most standardized test scores and in graduation rates. Turnover of students is high, which indicates many students have failed to get traction in mastering their courses or maintaining their motivation. Read more>
Scottsdale schools moves ahead on teacher evaluations despite clear guidelines – The Arizona Republic, 12/09/11
The Scottsdale Unified School District is moving forward with a new teacher-evaluation system that was mandated by the state Legislature last year. Senate Bill 1040 requires that school districts include quantitative data on students' academic progress when evaluating the performance of teachers and principals. The law says the achievement data can be one-third to one-half the total of the evaluation score. Read more>
Teacher Preparation Program of Rio Salado College receives $1.2 million grant – The Arizona Republic, 12/09/11
The Teacher Preparation Program of Rio Salado College recently received a National Science Foundation Noyce Scholarship Program award of nearly $1.2 million to support the recruitment and training of science, technology, engineering and math professionals who are interested in becoming science or math teachers in junior or senior high school classrooms in Arizona. Read more>
Craig Barrett, former CEO and chairman for Intel Corp., will lead Gov. Jan Brewer's newly revamped education council. Barrett – who has long been active in education reform – made headlines in March by blasting public education in Arizona, telling the governor and legislative leaders that the state's K-12 system was hindering economic-development efforts. Read more>
33 states, D.C., submit intents to nominate Green Ribbon Schools – US Dept of Education, 12/05/11
Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have submitted intents to nominate schools for the new Green Ribbon Schools awards program launched this past September. Schools nominated by state education agencies are eligible to receive the award. “We are excited about the potential impact the Green Ribbon Schools awards program can have in encouraging schools to improve their energy efficiency, create healthy environments for students and staff, and enhance their work to effectively prepare graduates for 21st century careers,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Read more>
Bill targets school leaders – The Arizona Republic, 12/03/11
Requiring principals to have at least five years of experience in the classroom would enable them to better help teachers solve problems and enhance the effectiveness of Arizona's public schools, a state lawmaker contends. Rep. John Fillmore, R-Apache Junction, said he introduced legislation carrying that requirement after three teachers in his district told him that some principals with less experience didn't sufficiently understand what happens in classrooms. Read more>
Issues in education: Forum examines how kids are taught and who's to blame when they don't learn – Maricopa Monitor, 12/02/11
Advocates of widely different approaches to education met to discuss public schools. Mike Holland, chair of the Casa Grande PAChyderm Coalition, which sponsored the forum, cautioned everyone to stay civil and listen to the other side. Read more>
Survey: Make Arizona schools priority – The Arizona Republic, 12/01/11
The Legislature's top priority next year should be to support public schools and impoverished Arizonans, according to survey results released at the Morrison Institute's third annual State of the State conference. A poll showed the strongest support, 91 percent, for making kindergarten through 12th grade education the top priority, followed by 81 percent who said the emphasis should be programs to help children in families living under the poverty level. Read more>
Education leader says getting 'less' from lawmakers won't do – The Arizona Republic, 11/29/11
The head of the state teachers association is challenging the state Legislature to declare its support for funding public education with an amount other than "less." Andrew Morrill, president of the Arizona Education Association, which advocates for teachers, addressed Scottsdale educators last week. "There are lawmakers out there who have an amount in mind for public education and that amount is 'less,' " he said. Read more>
Lawmaker’s education finance fix would revoke school statutes – The Arizona Capitol Times, 11/29/ 2011
A Heber Republican’s crusade to base K-12 finance on student achievement includes a proposal to get rid of the laws that govern public education. Rep. Chester Crandell asked the Joint Legislative Study Committee on Outcome-Based Funding to consider drafting legislation that would allow a pilot program to test his concept of funding schools as their students meet standards, but some members recoiled at his suggestion of exempting the trial schools from Title 15 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, which dictates how public education functions in the state. Read more> (requires login)
Lumina Foundation gives grant for education – The Arizona Republic, 11/27/11
The Lumina Foundation has awarded a $600,000 grant to a partnership including Phoenix College, Phoenix Union High School District and the city of Phoenix to help Hispanic students transition from high school to college to the workforce. Phoenix College will lead the implementation of the four-year grant, which is part of Lumina's recent $7.2 million, 10-state effort "to strengthen ventures in key metropolitan areas that show promise in improving the post-secondary attainment of Latino students," according to a statement from Phoenix Union. Read more>
SPECIAL REPORTS
Arizona Directions Report 2012: Fostering Data-Driven Dialogue in Public Policy – ASU Morrison Institute for Public Policy, 11/30/11
This report provides a framework for addressing key issues proactively. The data are presented in a highly graphic format with must-read information on Arizona’s competitiveness, individual action steps, opportunities for public-private partnerships, and public policy options – all rooted in a deep understanding that revenue-neutral options are especially important in the State’s current fiscal situation. Download report (pdf)>
Arizona Board of Regents 2011 Annual Report - Arizona Board of Regents
A new report that shows the wage gap continues to widen between college degree holders and individuals with only a high school diploma. In 2010, workers in Arizona with a bachelor’s degree earned $20,484, or 80 percent, more than those with only a high school diploma. Download report (pdf)>
States Could Empower Education Stakeholders with Data … but They Haven’t Yet –The Data Quality Campaign
This report, Data for Action 2011, shows that although states have made strong progress increasing their capacity to build and use data systems, they aren’t yet helping educators, parents, and other education stakeholders use the data to inform decisions to improve student achievement. Download report (pdf)>
More Than 40% of Low-Income Schools Don't Get a Fair Share of State and Local Funds, Department of Education Research Finds – US Dept of Education, 11/30/2011
A new report from the U.S. Department of Education documents that schools serving low-income students are being shortchanged because school districts across the country are inequitably distributing their state and local funds. The analysis of new data on 2008-09 school-level expenditures shows that many high-poverty schools receive less than their fair share of state and local funding, leaving students in high-poverty schools with fewer resources than schools attended by their wealthier peers. Read more>
Today’s Promise, Tomorrow’s Future: The Social and Educational Factors Contributing to the Outcomes of Hispanics in Urban Schools – The Council of the Great City Schools, 11/11
Hispanic young people are a growing part of the American landscape and promise to shape the cultural and demographic flavor of the United States for the foreseeable future. Yet, many Hispanic students are not doing well in our Great City Schools and our schools, in turn, are not doing well by them. Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) analyzed for this report show that Hispanic fourth graders read and do math at substantially lower levels than students with greater advantages and students who speak English. The situation is compounded by the fact that large numbers of Hispanic students live below the poverty line, do not have health insurance nor access to pre-school services, are unlikely to have a parent who has graduated from high school, are among the working poor, and face constant suspicions about whether they are in the country legally. Download report (pdf)>
Characteristics of GED Recipients in High School: 2002–06 – National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
Although the General Educational Development (GED) credential is often considered to be the equivalent of a high school diploma for students who do not graduate from high school, individuals with GEDs do not fare as well as high school graduates in postsecondary education, according to this new issue brief. Download report (pdf)>
The Arizona Business & Education Coalition (ABEC) is a 501(c)(3) organization providing a balanced forum for business and education leaders to collaborate and improve K-12 education policy, with linkages to pre-kindergarten and postsecondary education. Guiding principles include: increasing public awareness about the relationship between Arizona’s future workforce and the quality of the K-12 system; actively and effectively influencing education policy; and sharing responsibility for the growth of student achievement in Arizona. For more information, visit www.azbec.org. You are receiving this e-mail because you are a member of ABEC, have signed up to receive our eNewsletter, attended an ABEC or ABEC-related event, or have made direct contact with ABEC.
Copyright 2011. Arizona Business & Education Coalition. All Rights Reserved.