May 8, 2012

REP. ROJAS LAUDS HOUSE APPROVAL OF EDUCATION REFORM LEGISLATION

A member of the legislature’s Education Committee and the state Achievement Gap Task Force, Rep. Jason Rojas hailed the education reform bill approved Tuesday by the House, saying it will narrow the state’s achievement gap, labeled as the nation’s worst.

“With this legislation, we begin to change the status quo,” said Rojas, the East Hartford Democrat who also represents Manchester and Glastonbury.

“To guarantee the success of our state’s economy, we must close the achievement gap between our urban and suburban students,” Rojas said. “Connecticut cannot succeed if we do not increase achievement for all of the state’s students.”

The bill now goes to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who is expected to sign it.

Rojas said the legislation recognizes the value of early childhood education. The legislation (SB 458) creates 1,000 new pre-K School Readiness seats, focused in high need, low-performing communities.

Rojas was a co-author of a significant portion of the bill regarding improvements to how reading is taught during the early years of kindergarten to third grade. The components include the creation of intensive reading intervention programs for underperforming schools, the introduction of technology based reading assessments, which will improve the quality of assessments and the speed at which they can be given and provides resources for the addition of highly trained reading specialists in our most challenged schools.

“No longer are we going to accept chronically under-performing schools,” said Rojas, who recommended many aspects of the legislation.

The bill establishes the Commissioner’s Network, which provides the intensive supports and interventions needed to turn around 25 of the most chronically low-performing schools in Connecticut. It grants the state commissioner of education the needed authority to develop or modify plans with teachers and parents at “turnaround” schools, while respecting collective bargaining rights.

“My work on this bill began last July and I am proud to have been a part of this significant effort in improving education for our great state and communities,” Rojas said.

The legislation will result in the creation of 10 Family Resource Centers and at least 20 new or expanded School Based Health Centers to be located in education reform districts.

The bill reforms the teacher tenure system by increasing the frequency of teacher evaluations and linking tenure to evaluations. It also requires the education commissioner to administer an evaluation pilot program in 8 to 10 districts for the 2012-2013 school year.

Funding included in the bill:

• Increases for vocational/technical and vocational/agricultural schools, charter and magnet schools, and a new kindergarten through 8th grade science initiative. Increase funding to state charters from $9,400 to $10,500 per pupil, with an increase of $500 in both FY14 and FY15.
• Requires 2 of next 4 state charter schools to have dual language theme and requires public schools to include a total of 20 minutes of physical exercise in each regular school day for students in grades K thru 5.
• No changes to the ECS formula. Allows ECS Task Force to complete its work. Requires charter school grants to be added to ECS grants and paid through towns where charter schools are located (as per budget bill).
• Requires a study of potential efficiencies for small districts (fewer than 1000 students).

The legislation also deals with teacher preparation and evaluations:

• Requires teacher prep programs to provide classroom experience in 4 semesters.
• Creates a "distinguished educator designation" which requires additional education past master's degree, certain performance standards, may serve as mentor to other teachers. Permits local districts to tie salary and responsibilities to this new designation. Requires 5 years' experience to qualify.
• Requires commissioner to establish a teacher professional development program in reading instruction.
• Requires an applicant for a professional certificate to have a relevant master’s degree.
• Annual teacher evaluations.
• Requires commissioner to administer an evaluation pilot program in 8 - 10 districts for the 2012-2013 school year.
• Teachers who receive low evaluations to work with evaluators to develop improvement plan.
• UCONN will analyze, evaluate, and validate the pilot program and submit their results and recommendations to the State Board of Education.
• Adds the term “ineffectiveness” as grounds for dismissal.
• Length of time to attain tenure is 4 years and there is no automatic granting of tenure. Evaluations to inform tenure decisions and tenure decisions will be based on effective practice.
• Requires training of those being evaluated and those conducting evaluations before evaluations begin.