2012 State of the State Addresses Education-Related Proposals by Issue

The following summary includes education-related proposals from the 2012 state of the state addresses. To assure that this information reaches you in a timely manner, minimal attention has been paid to style (capitalization, punctuation) or format. To view the documents, click on the blue triangle next to the state. Accountability 7 Accountability--Reporting Results 6 Accountability--Sanctions/Interventions 3 Accountability--School Improvement 2 Assessment 4 Assessment--College Entrance Exams 3 Assessment--Formative/Interim 1 At-Risk--Alternative Education 1 Attendance 3 Career/Technical Education 7 Career/Technical Education--Career Academies/Apprenticeship 1 Choice of Schools 4 Choice of Schools--Charter Schools 11 Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Research 1 Choice of Schools--Vouchers 5 Civic Education--Professional Development 1 Continuous Impr/Performance Mgmt. 2 Continuous Impr/Performance Mgmt.--Promising Practices--Schools 1 Curriculum 1 Curriculum--Foreign Language/Sign Language 1 Demographics--Condition of Children/Adults--Welfare 1 Distance Learning/Virtual University 5 Economic/Workforce Development 12 Economic/Workforce Development--Research 3 Economic/Workforce Development--STEM 6 Economic/Workforce Development--Workforce Demand 3 Federal 1 Finance 24 Finance--Facilities 1 Finance--Federal 2 Finance--Funding Formulas 4 Finance--Resource Efficiency 2 Finance--State Budgets/Expenditures 2 Governance 3 Governance--Deregulation/Waivers/Home Rule 1 Health--Teen Pregnancy 1 High School 3 High School--Advanced Placement 3 High School--Dropout Rates/Graduation Rates 4 High School--Dual/Concurrent Enrollment 6 Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear's State of the State Address PROPOSALS P-3 --Continue restructuring preschool and day-care programs to ensure every child is mentally and physically prepared for kindergarten. Formalize the Early Childhood Advisory Council (created via executive order) through legislation. --Find funding to increase access to high-quality early education and care programs. Career/Technical Education and Governance --Propose legislation to move oversight of Career Technical Education to the state department of education (currently one program is operated by local school districts, and the other by the state department of workforce investment). This will enable the state to elevate the importance of this segment of the educational system, consolidate administrative staffs and improve the consistency of the programs by uniting them under one vision and leadership. High School Attendance --Urge passage, for the third year in a row, of legislation to phase in an increase in the mandatory school age from 16 to 18. ACCOMPLISHMENTS P-3 --Created a standard definition of school readiness, one that gives both public and private programs a consistent, singular mission. Created the Early Childhood Advisory Council to implement this readiness definition. Health --Saw a drop in the last 10 years in the number of middle-schoolers who smoke from 22 percent to less than 9 percent. --Improving dental care for tens of thousands of children by training more dentists in pediatric techniques and taking treatment to schools. Economic/Workforce Development --Next month, Kentucky will become only the 3rd state to begin identifying and certifying "work-ready communities." Career/Technical Education, Dual/Concurrent Enrollment --Increasing the quality of Career and Technical Education courses to integrate them more fully into the secondary education system, and give them a more rigorous academic foundation. --Signed a dual credit agreement to allow students in high school to earn college credit for approved courses, including in career and technical education. This will speed a student's path to a certificate or degree, reduce his or her costs and keep them in school by tying class work directly to their future careers. http://governor.ky.gov/Speeches/20120104SOTC.pdf Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant's State of the State Address PROPOSALS P-3 --Monitor the learning opportunities in licensed child care centers. --Combine the functions of the department of health and department of human services for inspection and monitoring of licensed child care centers, in order to streamline services and improve the state's ability to identify the quality of early childhood learning programs. --Gather additional information from ongoing programs such as Building Blocks, Excel by 5, Allies for Quality Childcare Project, and the Quality Rating System, to provide the metrics needed to determine best practices for early childhood learning. Charter Schools --Pass a charter school act. K-12 Finance --Make an executive budget recommendation that will level fund MAEP (Mississippi Adequate Education Program, state funding formula). --Seek to replace the funding for high growth areas. --Set aside 2% of state revenue to replenlish state's rainy day fund. Teen Pregnancy --Begin the public discussion of how to reduce teen pregnancy in Mississippi. --Governor has asked the director of the department of human services and the state health officer to provide, within 30 days, an aggressive plan to address the state's teen pregnancy rate and suggestions on how to curb it. Reading, Dylslexia --Put reading at the forefront of the state's educational plan. --Encourage teachers and parents who believe a child is dyslexic to seek assistance from the Mississippi Dyslexia Program at the department of education. Work to improve state response to this challenge to success. School/District Structure, Operations --Ask the legislature to pass the Education Administration Consolidation Bill, which mandates that districts' non-educational duties (i.e., centralized human resources, centralized purchasing, centralized transportation and other duties) be consolidated to one central county office by 2014. Teaching Quality, National Board Teacher Certification, Teach for America, Mississippi Teachers Corps --Make sure teachers graduate from college prepared to teach. Dr. Hank Bounds (state superintendent) and Dr. Tom Burnham (commissioner of higher education) are working to increase minimum entrance standards for teacher training programs at state universities. --Fully fund the national board certified teacher program. --Once data are available from a pilot program to quantify the characteristics of a quality teacher, recommend a teacher "Pay for Performance" program based on student attainments and not on subjective evaluations. --Make executive budget recommendation allocating $12 million toward Teach for America and the Mississippi Teachers Corps. Local districts will add a portion to this appropriation to keep participating teachers in the classroom. Dual Enrollment, Economic/Workforce Development --Ask the state department of education, the community colleges and the Mississippi Department of Employment Security to come together to implement a dual enrollment process to allow students on the verge of dropping out of school to enroll in a community college workforce training program. Economic/Workforce Development--Research --Create the Biomass Center for Excellence, a partnership of the public, private and education sectors to coordinate and promote biomass research, development and manufacturing. ACCOMPLISHMENTS n/a http://www.governorbryant.com/governor-phil-bryant-gives-his-first-state-of-the-state-address/ (scroll down to beginning of address) Missouri Governor Jay Nixon's State of the State Address PROPOSALS Charter Schools - Evaluations -- Pass a comprehensive charter school accountability bill that holds all charter schools - and their sponsors - to high standards of academic achievement and financial integrity. Finance -- Increase funding for K-12 classrooms. Teaching Quality - Recruitment at High-Risk Schools, Evaluation and Effectiveness -- Recruit our best college students to become teachers in those urban and rural public schools that have the greatest needs and hold them accountable for what kids are learning. Special Education - Autism -- Pass legislation to increase access to care by expanding the number of licensed professionals working with children with autism. Postsecondary - Financial Aid -- Provide stable funding for our state college scholarships, including Bright Flight, Access Missouri, and A+. -- Increase number of A+ scholarships granted to students from 12,500 this year to 14,000 next year. High School - Dual Enrollment; Career/Technical Education - Apprenticeships; Postsecondary - Financial Aid -- Expand Innovation Campuses which allow students to enroll in college courses while still in high school, and then participate in high-impact apprenticeships throughout the college curriculum. Corporate partners will underwrite tuition scholarships, and faculty and employers will partner to guide each student. ACCOMPLISHMENTS Student Achievement -- Students have shown academic improvement for four years in a row. Distance Learning -- Expanded the ability of a local school in Otterville to provide web-based classes using streaming video. Finance -- Maintained level funding for K-12 classrooms during difficult economic times. Teaching Quality - Certification, Alternative Preparation -- Put teaching certifications on-line. Special Education - Autism -- Passed legislation to ensure that children with autism get the therapy they need. Community/Technical Colleges, Economic/Workforce Demand -- Established new higher-education programs like Caring for Missourians, Training for Tomorrow, MoHealthWINS and our Nurse Training Initiative through community colleges in order to prepare thousands more Missourians for rewarding careers. -- Increased investment in our Customized Training Program by 50 percent. The investment allowed employers to provide on-the-job training to nearly 37,000 workers who are currently working at more than 300 Missouri businesses. Postsecondary - Enrollment -- Increased enrollment at public colleges - over the past three years, we've added 31,000 students. That's set a new record each fall. High School -- Added 110 "A+" schools (The A+ Schools Program mobilizes an intensive partnership among high schools, community colleges, students, teachers, parents, labor, businesses, and communities to give these students the motivation, skills, and knowledge to graduate from high school. The schools create an innovative and well-designed path from high school to high skill, high wage jobs). -- Increased the number of students enrolled in A+ schools by 30%. Postsecondary - Tuition Affordability -- Froze tuition in 2009 and 2010 at all public colleges and universities. http://governor.mo.gov/newsroom/2012/Gov_Nixon_delivers_2012_State_of_the_State_address Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber's State of the State Address PROPOSALS P-3 --Implement the recommendations of the Early Learning Council to: +Streamline disparate programs as part of a plan to ensure coordination and accountability +Consolidate boards +Get programs focused on outcomes for children and families. --Serve more at-risk kids and make sure they're ready to learn from day one. --Develop the capacity to measure program effectiveness before children reach kindergarten, and better transition them once they reach the K-12 system.  Accountability, High School--Dropout/Graduation Rates, Goal-Setting --Obtain an NCLB waiver and create a home-grown alternative that provides smart accountability and better paths to student success. Legislation to be introduced in February creates educational achievement compacts and is essential to obtaining a waiver. The legislation is also essential to meeting the state goal of 100% high school graduation for Oregonians by 2025; with 80% of those graduates receiving at least two years of post-secondary education or training; and 40% earning a bachelor's degree or higher. --Use achievement compacts to replace the federal, compliance-based approach with partnership agreements between the state and educational institutions – districts, community colleges and universities. The compacts express a common commitment to improving outcomes, but tailor outcomes to unique circumstances of individual districts. And they allow for the comparison of results and progress between districts with comparable populations. Class Size, Non-Core Curriculum --Reduce class sizes in K-12. --Add courses like art, music, PE and career and technical skills back into the curriculum. K-12 and Postsecondary Finance --Provide additional resources. Public education system is underfunded at all levels. --Do not let the absence of adequate funding foreclose a real discussion about how to more effectively spend existing resources. --Target existing resources to leverage points – like early learning, third-grade reading, and college completion – that are proven to significantly drive costs down. Postsecondary Finance --Expand the capacity of public universities significantly to accommodate tens of thousands of additional graduates. ACCOMPLISHMENTS P-20, Finance, Governance, Teacher Professional Development, Learning Options for Students --Created the Oregon Education Investment Board. --Created legislation promoting the professional development of teachers. --Created more learning options for students (dual enrollment, Advanced Placement, two-plus-two, International Baccalaureate). --In taking these actions, the legislature made the first steps toward a more student-centered system. For the first time, funding and governance will be aligned across the full continuum from early childhood services through K-12 and post-secondary education and training to achieve the state's educational, social and economic objectives.  P-3 --Created the Early Learning Council focused on restructuring the fragmented, inefficient way the state provides early childhood services. Currently, the state spends over $800 million every biennium on programs for children ages 0-5, yet 40% of Oregon children still arrive at school at risk because their needs were not adequately addressed. Continuing to support a system with these outcomes should no longer be acceptable. http://governor.oregon.gov/Gov/media_room/speeches/s2012/cityclub_011312.shtml Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin's State of the State Address PROPOSALS Economic Innovation -- Transform Vermont into the innovative education leader, where from early childhood to higher education to continuing education, the state trains employees for the prosperous jobs of the future. Dual Enrollment, Higher Education -- Proposing significant state investments in higher education and dual enrollment. ACCOMPLISHMENTS -- n/a http://governor.vermont.gov/blog-state-of-the-state-address Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell's State of the State Address PROPOSALS Dual Enrollment -- Promote greater dual enrollment in high school and community college. Finance -- Increase funding for K-12 education by $438 million over this biennium. Funding will go towards: + Communities in Schools program + For all 10th graders to take the PSAT + Hire more teachers in science, technology and math + Improve financial literacy + Increase dollars going to the classroom + Start up of new health science academies + Strengthen the Virginia Retirement System for teachers and school employees + Strengthen Virginia's diploma requirements P-3 - Reading/Literacy -- Fund policies to ensure all young people can read proficiently by third grade. Postsecondary - Finance -- Invest over $200 million in new funding for colleges and universities. -- Institute a dynamic new funding model for higher education. + Reward institutions for increasing the number of degrees, especially in STEM-H fields; improving graduation rates, and expanding practical research. + Require colleges to be more accountable and efficient by re-prioritizing 5 percent of their current general fund dollars by 2014 to meet the key policy goals enacted last year. School Calendar -- Repeal the state mandate that school divisions begin their school term after Labor Day unless they receive a waiver. Give local districts the flexibility to choose. School Choice -- Expand charter schools -- Require a portion of the state and local share of Standards of Quality (SOQ) student funding to follow the child to an approved charter school. -- Make approval process and acquisition of property easier for new charters. Teacher Quality - Evaluations and Employment (tenure) -- Implement an improved evaluation system. -- Remove continuing contract status from teachers and principals and replace with annual contract status. Virtual Schooling -- Ensure that a portion of the state and local share of SOQ student funding follows the student to the virtual school sector. -- Implement new regulations for accrediting virtual schools and teachers. Vouchers--Tax Credits -- Provide a tax credit for companies that contribute to an educational scholarship fund. ACCOMPLISHMENTS Finance -- Invested wisely for the future in education. http://www.governor.virginia.gov/MediaLibrary/Speeches/2012/SOC.cfm High School--Graduation Requirements 1 High School--International Baccalaureate 1 Instructional Approaches 1 Leadership 1 Leadership--Principal/School Leadership--Evaluation and Effectiveness 2 Leadership--Principal/School Leadership--Preparation 1 No Child Left Behind 2 No Child Left Behind--Flexibility 1 P-16 or P-20 1 P-3 Early Care & Intervention 2 P-3 Early Care & Intervention--Child Care 1 P-3 Early Care & Intervention--Health & Mental Health 1 P-3 Early Grades 2 P-3 Early Grades--1-3 1 P-3 Early Grades--Kindergarten 3 P-3 Early Grades--Kindergarten--Full Day 1 P-3 Early Grades--Preschool 7 P-3 Systems 2 P-3 Systems--Ensuring Quality 3 P-3 Systems--Evaluation/Economic Benefits 1 P-3 Systems--Finance 2 P-3 Systems--Governance 3 P-3 Systems--Teaching Quality/Prof. Dev. 1 Postsecondary 1 Postsecondary Accountability--Student Learning 1 Postsecondary Affordability--Financial Aid 7 Postsecondary Affordability--Tuition/Fees 1 Postsecondary Affordability--Tuition/Fees--Undocumented Immigrants 1 Postsecondary Finance 13 Postsecondary Finance--Efficiency/Performance-Based Funding 1 Postsecondary Finance--Facilities 3 Postsecondary Governance and Structures 2 Postsecondary Institutions--Community/Technical Colleges 6 Postsecondary Participation--Enrollments (Statistics) 2 Postsecondary Success--Completion 3 Postsecondary Success--Completion--Completion Rates (Statistics) 4 Postsecondary Success--Transfer/Articulation 1 Reading/Literacy 12 Rural 1 Scheduling/School Calendar 3 Scheduling/School Calendar--Extended Day Programs 1 School Safety 2 School Safety--Bullying Prevention/Conflict Resolution 1 School/District Structure/Operations--District Structure 1 School/District Structure/Operations--Facilities 4 School/District Structure/Operations--School Structure--Class Size 1 School/District Structure/Operations--Transportation 1 Special Education 2 Special Populations--Immigrant Education 1 Standards 2 Standards--Common Core State Standards 2 State Policymaking 7 Student Achievement 7 Student Supports--Integrated Services 1 Students--Promotion/Retention 3 Teaching Quality 6 Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure 2 Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--Highly Qualified Teachers 1 Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--Natl. Bd. for Prof. Teach. Stds. 1 Teaching Quality--Compensation and Diversified Pay 2 Teaching Quality--Compensation and Diversified Pay--Pay-for-Performance 6 Teaching Quality--Compensation and Diversified Pay--Retirement/Benefits 6 Teaching Quality--Employment--Reduction in Force 1 Teaching Quality--Employment--Tenure or Continuing Contract 10 Teaching Quality--Evaluation and Effectiveness 16 Teaching Quality--Induction Programs and Mentoring 1 Teaching Quality--Preparation 3 Teaching Quality--Preparation--Alternative Preparation 1 Teaching Quality--Professional Development 2 Teaching Quality--Recruitment and Retention 2 Teaching Quality--Recruitment and Retention--At-Risk Schools 3 Teaching Quality--Recruitment and Retention--High-Needs Subjects 1 Technology--Instruction 2 Urban--Change/Improvements 1 Youth Engagement 1 359