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 4 Assessment 4 Assessment--College Entrance Exams 3 Alaska Governor Sean Parnell's State of the State Address PROPOSALS Finance - Scholarships -- Invest $400 million in a fund that will pay for Alaska Performance Scholarships for future generations. Rural - Finance -- Support funding for five of the highest-priority rural school projects. ACCOMPLISHMENTS Assessments - College Entrance Exams -- More students are taking the SAT and ACT, with a 20 percent uptick in Fairbanks alone. Rural - Finance -- Funded the renovation of a school in Kwigillingok and replaced a school in Napaskiak. This was possible because of a 2-yr old law that provides fair school construction funding between urban and rural districts. Finance - Scholarships -- Created a merit scholarship (Alaska Performance Scholarship) that gives all Alaska's children an incentive to complete a more rigorous high school curriculum. http://gov.alaska.gov/parnell/press-room/full-press-release.html?pr=6011 Iowa Governor Terry E. Branstad's Condition of the State Address PROPOSALS P-3 Early Grades and Reading -- Use a new kindergarten assessment to measure whether children start kindergarten ready to learn and leave prepared to flourish in first grade. -- Assure that children can read by the end of third grade.  Otherwise, they will fall further and further behind.  An intensive focus on literacy means working closely with families and providing more support for reading and writing in schools starting in preschool, and continuing through kindergarten, first, second, and third grades. Because reading is so essential for later success in school, it is unfair to promote an illiterate child. High School -- Put in place end-of-course tests for core subjects that will demonstrate that high school students are ready to graduate. These will be designed with teachers, and will emphasize not just knowing content but being able to apply it. -- Require all juniors to take a college entrance exam, with the state covering the cost. In addition, they should have the option of taking a work skills readiness test.  This will tell us whether Iowa students are college and career ready for life after high school. Standards -- Continue to improve the Iowa Core —our state standards in math, science, English, and social studies. But well-rounded, healthy students need more than just these core areas. The Department of Education will also help for educators to develop new standards for music and other fine arts, character education, physical education, entrepreneurship education, applied arts, and foreign languages. -- Promote competency-based learning that personalizes education for each child, and begins the process of moving us away from the time-based industrial model of education. Teachers and Leaders -- Ensure a great teacher in every classroom and a great principal leading every building by being more selective about who can become an educator. A "B" college grade-point average for admission to Iowa's teacher-preparation programs is not asking too much. -- Require all prospective teachers seeking a state license to demonstrate content and teaching mastery to assure they are ready for the crucial work of teaching our children. -- Change the School Administration Manager program to provide more time for principals to be instructional leaders. Other staff can take on management tasks to free principals to observe and coach teachers in their classrooms. Technology and Innovation -- Encourage more schools to be innovative by establishing an Innovation Acceleration Fund.  Schools and partners will identify education problems and innovative solutions.  Competitive grants will fund the best ideas, which may be scaled up statewide. Youngsters need more opportunities to engage in real-world experiences–including internships–in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Doing well in these subjects is the gateway to fast-growing fields with some of the best-paying jobs—whether students are headed for career training or a two- or four-year college. -- Promote online learning that complements learning in traditional classrooms. Overarching goals: -- Adopt common sense solutions for Iowa's schools to give children a world class education and to again have the nation's best school system. -- Commit long-term to make Iowa ready to support the jobs and careers of the future–the very careers that will keep Iowans home and bring new economic opportunities to our state. ACCOMPLISHMENTS Finance -- Took the necessary steps to put the state's fiscal house back in order; ended dependency on one time revenue; funded a balanced budget using on-going revenue; and passed a biennial budget that funds most areas for two years. Leadership --Convened an education summit that brought together some of the best minds from Iowa, our nation, and the world -- Followed the summit with the release of an initial blueprint to start a statewide conversation on how to give kids the best education -- Hit the road to hold an unprecedented number of education town halls to engage students, parents, teachers, job-creators, and other Iowans in a true give-and-take dialogue about the future of Iowa's education system -- Revised the blue print into actual reforms that are before the legislature now. https://governor.iowa.gov/2012/01/gov-terry-e-branstad-delivers-2012-condition-of-the-state-address-to-the-iowa-general-assembly/ New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez's State of the State Address PROPOSALS Accountability -- Develop preliminary, baseline grades for New Mexico schools. By this summer, every school will receive an official letter grade – A, B, C, D, or F. Assessment - College Entrance Exams, Formative/Interim -- Assess kids from the 4th to 10th grades to catch kids before they fall too far behind. -- Pay for 10th graders to take the Pre-SAT. High-School - Advanced Placement, Drop-out Rates -- Expand access to Advanced Placement classes for low-income students. -- Raise graduation rates. Reading/Literacy -- Assess children early on – in kindergarten, first, second grade… -- Buy every New Mexico first grader a reading book of their very own. -- Encourage parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles to read to their children. -- Invest $17 million in reading reforms -- Ensure every child learns the basics and identify and help those who struggle before the third grade. -- Provide immediate help through tutoring and extra individual attention to students who are struggling. -- Put more reading coaches in elementary schools. Teacher Quality - Evaluations -- Develop a new teacher evaluation system. ACCOMPLISHMENTS Finance -- Protected classroom spending. -- School districts cut administrative waste and increased the percentage of their funding that went directly into the classroom. Demographics - Condition of Children -- Provided school clothes for kids most in need. http://www.governor.state.nm.us/uploads/PressRelease/191a415014634aa89604e0b4790e4768/stateofstate2012.pdf Assessment--Formative/Interim 1 At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention)--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 Class Size 1 Curriculum 1 Curriculum--Foreign Language/Sign Language 1 Demographics--Condition of Children/Adults 1 Economic/Workforce Development 16 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 High School--Graduation Requirements 1 Instructional Approaches 1 Integrated Services/Full-Service Schools 1 International Baccalaureate 1 Leadership 1 Leadership--Principal/School Leadership--Evaluation and Effectiveness 2 Leadership--Principal/School Leadership--Preparation 1 No Child Left Behind 3 Online Learning--Virtual Schools/Courses 5 P-16 or P-20 1 P-3 2 P-3 Child Care 1 P-3 Early Intervention (0-3) 2 P-3 Ensuring Quality 3 P-3 Evaluation/Economic Benefits 1 P-3 Finance 2 P-3 Governance 3 P-3 Grades 1-3 3 P-3 Health and Mental Health 1 P-3 Kindergarten 3 P-3 Kindergarten--Full-Day Kindergarten 1 P-3 Preschool 7 P-3 Teaching Quality/Professional Development 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 Promising Practices 1 Promotion/Retention 3 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--Facilities 4 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 STEM 6 Student Achievement 7 Teaching Quality 6 Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure 2 Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--Alternative 1 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--Evaluation and Effectiveness 16 Teaching Quality--Induction Programs and Mentoring 1 Teaching Quality--Preparation 3 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 Teaching Quality--Reduction in Force 1 Teaching Quality--Tenure or Continuing Contract 10 Technology--Computer Skills 2 Urban--Change/Improvements 1 Youth Engagement 1 356