GOOD NEWS: NO NEED FOR ANOTHER STUDY
Clear goals should determine education funding
Governor Christine Gregoire has recommended and lawmakers have proposed legislation (SB 5441 and HB 1380) to fund a new study (at a cost of $1.7 million) to determine "how to best use the state's resources to fund education."

Legislators can save themselves the trouble (and save taxpayers money) by, instead, clearly defining the results expected from our public schools, and then requiring education agencies and districts to show how their programs and expenditures are efficiently and effectively advancing student achievement.

Right now, the Superintendent of Public Instruction has one outcome listed for an $8.6 billion "general apportionment" fund: "By 2007, develop and implement an improved K-12 education funding model, in partnership with the Legislature, school districts and other educational partners." Not a single word about the primary mission of public schools, which should be to provide students with a high quality education.

We don't need an expensive and time-consuming study (directed by a new steering committee and three new "advisory agencies") to identify the problem. It's already clear. Now we need to address it.

SETTING THE STATE UP FOR LAWSUITS?
Proposed legislation would open Pandora's Box
In our last issue we reported on HB 1484, a proposal that would allow school districts to request levies that permanently increase property taxes. And we mentioned that it would open a Pandora’s Box of constitutional issues related to funding equalization across districts.

A chart prepared by Neal Kirby of the Committee for Levy Equalization shows just how wide the gulf between counties could be. Compare San Juan and Yakima counties, for example. Given the assessed value of the property in each county, a tax of $0.75 per $1,000 assessed value in San Juan would net more than ten times the amount per-pupil ($1,794) as the same tax in Yakima ($170).

This violates the state constitution and invites lawsuits demanding more money from the state (i.e. taxpayers) to equalize the disparities.

DOING HIGH SCHOOL IN COLLEGE
The state's latest remediation rates
According to a report published by three state education agencies in December 2004, 55 percent of all recent high school graduates who go on to community or technical college in Washington state must take remedial courses in reading, writing or math. Twelve percent of the students who go straight to a four-year college or university are in the same boat.

“Remedial” means pre-college. It means students must spend time in college obtaining knowledge and skills they should have learned in high school. It means state taxpayers are paying twice to teach the same material. It means scarce college slots are needlessly filled with students who are not earning college credit.

“Existing statewide data are inadequate to tell the whole story,” says the report, “but system experts believe that the core issues are communication, student preparation and planning, assessment, curriculum, and teaching methods.”

Huh. What else is there?

Clearly the state needs to solve this problem. We have for years recommended that schools be required to pay the cost of remediation for their unprepared graduates. Senator Don Carlson attempted to do just that with SB 5139 in 2003, but by the time the bill made it through the gauntlet last year there was nothing left but a requirement that state agencies issue the report linked above. Our recommendation still holds.

BURNING RED FLAGS
State wants to drop norm-referenced tests
Superintendent Terry Bergeson is attempting to end Washington’s participation in the norm-referenced Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). If her proposed legislation (HB 1068 and SB 5071) succeeds, legislators will be burning some of the red flags signaling serious problems in our state’s public schools.

Norm-referenced tests safeguard our ability to get consistent and accurate data about student achievement. A quick comparison between the state’s ITBS and WASL trends shows that, while WASL scores have risen significantly in all grades since the test was adopted, ITBS scores have seen only modest gains in grade three, remained flat in grade six, and dropped slightly in grade nine. This is a red flag.

Good tests are invaluable tools for education stakeholders. We recommend that legislators maintain Washington’s participation in the norm-referenced ITBS, or adopt an equally valid and reliable diagnostic or value-added test.