New York State Senate Education Committee

Transcription

1 Testimony to New York State Senate Education Committee Regents Reform Agenda Presented by Heather C. Briccetti, Esq. President and CEO November 13, 2013

2 Chairman Flanagan and members of the Senate Education Committee, thank you for allowing the business community to weigh in on recent education reforms in New York State. My name is Heather Briccetti and I am president and CEO of The Business Council of New York State. We are the leading business advocacy organization in the state, with 2,400 members that include small and large companies, trade associations and chambers of commerce. Our member organizations represent over 1 million employees in every region of New York State. Introduction Education is an issue that is very important to Business Council members. In fact, at our annual meeting in September, our Board of Directors voted to create a board-level education policy committee that will focus on secondary and postsecondary education and workforce development. Having an educated, trained workforce is critical to the economic health of our state and nation. Unfortunately despite New York s great students and teachers our students are ill-equipped for the challenges of college and the work world. Approximately 37 percent of students who graduate high school are considered college and career ready. 1 Further, 40 percent of students entering community colleges in New York are in need of remedial education, at a cost of $70 million each year. 2 1 Based on English and math regents scores. Source: NYSED Office of Information and Reporting Services 2 Statistic from the State University of New York The Business Council of New York State, Inc. Page 2 of 7

3 Approximately 74 percent of students in New York graduate high school in four years, with much lower rates in the Big 5 school districts (New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers). On the national level, the U.S. is being outpaced by other countries. Note the following findings from a recent Harvard study on international and U.S. state trends in student performance: Between 1995 and 2009, students performance on math, science and reading assessments increased at a middling rate; approximately 24 countries have improved at a faster rate. Students in countries such as Colombia, Poland, Portugal, Germany and Lithuania improved at twice the rate of the U.S. 3 These statistics are troubling. Twenty-five years ago, the U.S. ranked 1st in terms of high school graduation rates. Now, we rank 20th. In order to stay economically competitive, we must support initiatives that foster a top-notch education system, including: Implementation of the Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS) and aligned assessments; Support for innovative high school models, such as the grade 9-14 Pathways in Technology Early College High School in Brooklyn; and Access to high-quality early learning opportunities. 3 Hanushek, E., Paul E. Peterson and Ludger Woessman. Achievement Growth: International and U.S. State Trends in Student Performance Harvard Kennedy School. The Business Council of New York State, Inc. Page 3 of 7

4 Common Core Learning Standards There are approximately 3.9 million unfilled positions in the U.S. This phenomenon exists, in part, because of a skills gap between the labor force and the skills that are needed for these open jobs. Business Council members frequently cite difficulties in finding qualified workers: As example, in a recent report, Microsoft noted that it had 6,000 open jobs in the U.S, 3,400 of which are for researchers, developers and engineers. 4 Seventy-nine percent of New York s jobs are middle or high skills; in other words, they require postsecondary education or training. And 34 percent of employers consider newly hired employees who hold only a bachelor s degree unprepared. 5 One step the state is taking to raise the bar for students and help ensure that they are well-prepared for college and the 21st century workforce is through implementation of the CCLS. The New York business community supports this initiative. The Business Council also commends New York State Education Commissioner John King for his leadership in making New York the second state to base assessments on the standards. Any roll out of a major reform such as this is always complex; however, the rest of the world won t wait for the U.S. to catch up in terms of student performance. The business community recognizes the urgency in implementing the Common Core The Business Council of New York State, Inc. Page 4 of 7

5 The CCLS are internationally benchmarked so students will be able to compete with the world s best students from countries like Finland, South Korea, and China. Contrary to what some may believe, Common Core establishes educational goals, not a national curriculum. Each state, school district, individual school, and teacher is free to develop curricula that will guide students toward the goals set for each grade. Because the CCLS are rigorous learning goals, school districts and individual schools have developed and are implementing assessments, curricula, instructional materials, and professional development for teachers and leaders that are aligned to the standards. The New York State Education Department recently released test scores from assessments based on the new standards and as expected there was a drop from previous years. Critics used this to justify a roll-back of implementation. However, we need to do just the opposite. The test results should serve as a wake-up call, and we need to ask ourselves what we can do to help New York students meet these more rigorous expectations. Innovative Education Models New York students need to understand how education is relevant to a career, understand their options and what is expected in the work place, and develop The Business Council of New York State, Inc. Page 5 of 7

6 communication, collaboration and critical-thinking capabilities. Innovative high school education models can help to achieve those goals. The Business Council has partnered with the Executive, IBM, the state education department and SUNY to foster the early college high school grade 9 to 14 model in New York State. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced 16 winners chosen through a competitive process that include public-private partnerships in all 10 economic development regions. Students will be able to earn associates degrees at no cost, and will be given hiring priority by participating companies. The Business Council supports the continued development of models that include a workforce development component and help students to hone soft skills, such as working in groups and critical thinking. Importance of Early Learning Research demonstrates that children who start behind, stay behind. The first five years are critical in brain development, and children learn more quickly during early years than at any other time. 6 Additionally, participation in high-quality early learning programs have a rate of return of at least $7 for each dollar invested, through a reduction in the need for remedial education, and increased earnings as adults. 7 The Business Council supports increasing access to programs that will lay the groundwork for all future education The Business Council of New York State, Inc. Page 6 of 7

7 Conclusion The competitiveness of New York s economy depends on building a skilled workforce. Research shows that if students in the U.S. performed at the same level in math as Canadian students, we would add $1 trillion annually to the economy. 8 In order to achieve this, students need an education system that will foster later success in college and the work world. Therefore, I urge the New York State Senate to: Support the continued implementation of the CCLS; Support the growth of innovative high school models, such as PTECH, that build on partnerships between education and business; and Support access to high-quality early learning opportunities. An investment now means less money spent later playing catch-up. Thank you again for the opportunity to provide testimony on behalf of The Business Council. 8 The Business Council of New York State, Inc. Page 7 of 7