2013 State of the State Addresses Education-Related Proposals by Issue

The following summary includes education-related proposals from the 2013 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 3 Accountability--Rewards 2 Accountability--School Improvement 3 Assessment--High Stakes/Competency 1 At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention) 6 Attendance 2 Bilingual/ESL 1 Business Involvement 3 Career/Technical Education 4 Choice of Schools 4 Choice of Schools--Charter Schools 7 Choice of Schools--Choice/Open Enrollment 2 Choice of Schools--Tax Credits 1 Choice of Schools--Vouchers 3 Civic Education 2 Counseling/Guidance 1 Curriculum--Foreign Language/Sign Language 1 Curriculum--Mathematics 1 Economic/Workforce Development 19 Finance 24 Finance--Facilities 3 Finance--Federal 1 Finance--Funding Formulas 1 Finance--Lotteries 1 Finance--Performance Funding 1 Finance--State Budgets/Expenditures 6 Finance--Taxes/Revenues 3 Governance 3 Health 2 Health--Mental Health 1 High School 3 High School--College Readiness 3 High School--Dropout Rates/Graduation Rates 1 High School--Dual/Concurrent Enrollment 2 High School--Exit Exams 1 High School--Graduation Requirements 1 Integrated Services/Full-Service Schools 1 Online Learning--Digital/Blended Learning 3 Alaska Governor Sean Parnell's State of the State Address PROPOSALS Accountability - School Improvement -- Focus on the low-performing schools that need the most help. Assessments -- Eliminate the TerraNova assessment, while leaving standards-based assessments in place. High School - Graduation Rates -- Raise graduation rate to 90% by 2020. Online Learning -- Offer more digital learning opportunities. Partner with school districts and the Association of Alaska School Boards on the Alaska 1-to-1 Digital Learning Initiative. Reading/Literacy -- Improve reading instruction for kindergarten through third grade. School Safety -- Continue working with local districts to improve school safety and security for Alaska's children. Teacher Evaluation -- Evaluate teachers based on student learning. ACCOMPLISHMENTS Standards -- Raised content standards. Postsecondary - Financial Aid -- Awarded Alaska Performance Scholarships to more than 4,600 young people. -- Fully funded performance Alaska Performance Scholarships. Full Text: http://www.gov.state.ak.us/parnell/press-room/full-press-release.html?pr=6345 Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie's 2013 State of the State Address PROPOSALS Digital Learning -- Advocate for a significant investment and commitment to support the DOE and BOE's Digital Materials Initiative to provide students with learning opportunities for the 21st century. Within the next three years, provide each of our public school students with current curricular materials on a digital device, such as a tablet or laptop. This initiative takes advantage of new technology for learning and the state's broadband infrastructure.Having students with curriculum materials on a digital device solves the problem of not having enough textbooks or obsolete textbooks. Finance -- Convene community meetings to solicit public input and feedback for the 21st Century Schools initiative--a public-private partnership that allows the Department of Education to lease underutilized lands for the purpose of generating income to be used to upgrade existing schools or construct new schools. Teachers, administrators, students, parents, community residents and other stakeholders will be included in the community meetings. P-3 -- Ensure all Hawaii's four-year-olds are healthy, socially developed, and cognitively prepared to learn and succeed on day one of kindergarten. -- Include $32.5 million for the Executive Office on Early Learning in the biennium budget for a school readiness program. ACCOMPLISHMENTS Finance -- As a result of our collaborative efforts, shared sacrifice and judicious administrative action, the year-end general fund balances for FY 2011 was $126 million, and for FY 2012 $275 million. For this year, which ends in approximately 5 months, we are again looking at a healthy positive balance. Student Achievement -- ­ Students demonstrated unprecedented gains in student achievement. Hawaii was the only state to show gains across the board in every subject and grade level. Full text: http://governor.hawaii.gov/2013-state-of-the-state/ West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin's State of the State Address PROPOSALS Accreditation -- Develop a new system of accreditation, so all schools will be held to higher standards (completed by the State Board of Education) Attendance -- Work with the Department of Education, the courts, and DHHR to coordinate truancy reduction efforts. Online/Digital Learning -- Integrate technology and digital learning into the school system. Embrace opportunities like Project 24, an effort led by former Governor Bob Wise, that will enable the State to make the best use of technology. P-3 -- Support the efforts of the Benedum Foundation to help establish a process for defining, once and for all, the components and costs of a quality ―birth through 5 program. P-3 - Childcare -- Appropriate $17 million to preserve childcare subsidies. P-3 - Preschool -- Require every county, within 3 years, to offer full-day 4-year-old preschool. Reading/Literacy -- Ensure every new elementary teacher is specially trained in reading. -- Make sure all current elementary teachers are prepared to help all students learn to read. Scheduling - School Calendar -- free local boards of education, in consultation with staff and the community, to design a calendar meeting the needs of adequate instructional time. Teacher Certification - National Board -- Reward and pay for teachers who seek and gain re-certification for the National Board. Teacher Recruitment -- Require that superintendents give more credence to recommendations from principals and teachers about who they believe is best qualified to raise student achievement. -- Make other qualifications count, in addition to seniority, when making hiring decisions. Teacher Professional Development -- Provide quality professional development on a continual basis. The State Board of Education should have the flexibility to oversee professional development. However, it should be delivered at the local level. Vocational Education/Workforce Training -- Begin workforce training in middle school and make available more vocational training to students not planning to attend college. -- Provides students access to counseling from community and technical college staff and be engaged with employers who are prepared to hire qualified graduates. -- Make quality vocational courses that prepare students to meet the high demands of today's job market a part of every school curriculum. To assure the needed quality, require every vocational school to have at least one program that meets the rigorous requirements of the Preparation for Tomorrow program of the Southern Regional Education Board. ACCOMPLISHMENTS N/A Full Text: http://www.governor.wv.gov/media/pressreleases/2013/Documents/2013%20State%20of%20State%20Final.pdf Online Learning--Virtual Schools/Courses 1 P-16 or P-20 1 P-3 4 P-3 Child Care 1 P-3 Early Intervention (0-3) 1 P-3 Finance 1 P-3 Kindergarten 4 P-3 Kindergarten--Full-Day Kindergarten 2 P-3 Preschool 16 Parent/Family 1 Postsecondary 5 Postsecondary Affordability 5 Postsecondary Affordability--Financial Aid 6 Postsecondary Affordability--Tuition/Fees 3 Postsecondary Finance 12 Postsecondary Finance--Efficiency/Performance-Based Funding 7 Postsecondary Finance--Facilities 1 Postsecondary Institutions 1 Postsecondary Institutions--Community/Technical Colleges 3 Postsecondary Online Instruction 1 Postsecondary Participation--Access 3 Postsecondary Success--Completion 4 Postsecondary Success--Developmental/Remediation 1 Reading/Literacy 13 Scheduling/School Calendar 2 Scheduling/School Calendar--Extended Day Programs 1 School Safety 9 Service-Learning 1 Special Education 4 Special Populations 1 Special Populations--Military 3 Standards 1 State Longitudinal Data Systems 1 State Policymaking 6 State Policymaking--Task Forces/Commissions 5 STEM 5 Student Achievement 5 Teaching Quality 5 Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--Alternative 1 Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--Natl. Bd. for Prof. Teach. Stds. 1 Teaching Quality--Compensation and Diversified Pay 5 Teaching Quality--Compensation and Diversified Pay--Pay-for-Performance 7 Teaching Quality--Compensation and Diversified Pay--Retirement/Benefits 3 Teaching Quality--Evaluation and Effectiveness 5 Teaching Quality--Preparation 3 Teaching Quality--Professional Development 1 Teaching Quality--Recruitment and Retention 7 Teaching Quality--Tenure or Continuing Contract 3 Technology 5 Technology--Devices/Software/Hardware 1 Youth Engagement 1 323