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 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 New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's State of the State Address PROPOSALS School Choice - Charters -- Reform the process for authorizing charter schools. School Choice - Vouchers -- Establish tax credits to provide scholarships for low income students in the worst-performing schools in the state to enable them to attend a better school, either out of the district or a private school. Teacher Quality - Seniority -- End the system of "last in, first out." If layoffs are necessary remove the least effective teachers instead of just the most junior ones. Teacher Quality - Tenure -- Reform tenure – by measuring teacher effectiveness, both with professional observation, and objective, quantifiable measures of student achievement – and then by giving tenure to those with strong evaluations, and taking it away from those whose ratings are unacceptably weak. Teacher Quality - Compensation -- Pay teachers more when they are assigned to a failing school or to teach a difficult subject. Teacher Quality - -- End forced placements. Teachers should not be assigned to schools without the mutual consent of the teacher and the principal. ACCOMPLISHMENTS School Choice - Charters -- Passed the Urban Hope Act. This new law will allow school districts in Newark, Camden and Trenton to partner with experts in the private sector to build and operate renaissance schools in these districts so in need of change. Teacher Quality - Retirement -- Reformed the pension system which led to every teacher's pension being more secure today. http://www.state.nj.us/governor/news/news/552012/approved/20120117c.html Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's State of the State Address PROPOSALS Accountability -- Improve our schools and ensure that every kid - no matter what zip code they live in - has access to a great education. -- Developing a uniquely Wisconsin school and school district accountability plan. -- Rate every school that receives public funds – be it a traditional public school, a charter school or a choice school – by a fair, objective and transparent system. -- Enable educators, parents and even employers to look at the scores of schools and school districts all across the state.  Reading/Literacy -- Fund screeners to assess every child entering kindergarten  so that teachers know the reading levels of each of their students and can put together plans to get kids reading at grade level.  -- Require the state's Young Star program which works with child care providers to include a new focus on reading skills and new training on early childhood education. -- Implement a more rigorous licensure exam for elementary education programs patterned after the highly successful program in Massachusetts. -- Create a Read to Lead development council to raise support for reading programs all across Wisconsin.  -- Ask more citizens to become a reading mentor. ACCOMPLISHMENTS Finance -- Balanced the $3.6 billion budget deficit with long-term, structural reforms. -- Decreased the school property tax levy for the first time in six years.  The total school tax levy actually went down by more than $47 million.  -- Allowed school districts to bid out their health insurance. That is saving school districts millions of dollars across the state. Teaching Quality and Compensation -- Allowed local school districts to staff based on merit and pay based on performance. -- Empowered local officials who were elected at the local level to make the decisions about their schools.  Reading/Literacy -- Joined with Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers [and several legislators] to put together and work with a Read to Lead task force – which was a diverse group of educators, reading specialists, parents and others from across the state to create a plan for improving the reading skills of students.  http://www.walker.wi.gov/Default.aspx?Page=d00003d4-91e4-4aeb-a13a-9f097ca9adcd 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