Maryland and The Southern Regional Education Board

Transcription

1 Maryland and The Southern Regional Education Board This report details Maryland s participation in SREB programs and services from July 2013 through July Appropriations from member states support SREB s core operations and general services. SREB leverages the long-standing commitment of member states to attract external funding for an array of targeted projects for educational improvement efforts in member states. Maryland receives a number of general services, plus access to programs funded by grants, contracts and fees for specific services. Leadership SREB Board Members, Maryland Martin O Malley, Governor Norman H. Conway, State Delegate William E. Kirwan, Chancellor, University System of Maryland Lillian M. Lowery, State Superintendent of Schools Catherine M. Shultz, Acting Secretary of Higher Education SREB Legislative Advisory Council Members, Maryland Norman H. Conway, State Delegate, Salisbury, LAC Vice Chair Sheila Ellis Hixson, State Delegate, Silver Spring Edward J. Kasemeyer, State Senator, Arbutus Paul G. Pinsky, State Senator, University Park SREB Community College Commission Members, Maryland Charged with recommending statewide strategies to strengthen the role of community and technical colleges in raising educational attainment in Southern states. Bernie Sadusky, Executive Director, Maryland Association of Community Colleges SREB Career and Technical Education Commission Members, Maryland Charged with recommending statewide policies to bring students intellectually demanding career pathway programs aligned to opportunities in demand in the SREB region. Norman Conway, State Delegate, Maryland General Assembly Kathy Oliver, Assistant State Superintendent, Maryland State Department of Education July 2014 SREB.org

2 Policy Goals for Education Monitoring state policies Monitoring, measuring and reporting through comparative and state-specific reports to assist education leaders and policy-makers as they shape public policy in education. SREB tracks trends and analyzes the progress of all 16 SREB states in each area in the Challenge to Lead 2020 Goals for Education and provides Legislative Reports that detail legislative and budget actions in each state. Maryland information is included in all reports, as applicable, and several are targeted specifically for Maryland. Reports published in : Maryland: Taking Stock and Moving Forward 2014 State Progress Report on the Challenge to Lead 2020 Goals for Education Workforce Development in SREB States: The Role of Two-Year Colleges in Preparing Students for Middle-Skill Jobs Focus on Compulsory Attendance Policies: About Age or Intervention? Notes on School Finance: Selected Information on Funding for Low-Income Students in SREB States SREB Legislative Reports and Legislative Briefing More information: or (404) College and career readiness Intensive work to help SREB states implement actions outlined in SREB s college- and career-readiness action agenda. 1. Adopt statewide readiness standards for literacy and mathematics skills. 2. Assess high school juniors to determine their progress toward the standards. 3. Offer transitional readiness courses and require juniors assessed as underprepared to take the classes in 11th or 12th grade. 4. Apply the standards in college in deciding whether students need learning support after admission. 5. Hold schools accountable for increasing postsecondary readiness. Maryland is one of eight states that have passed legislation supporting parts of the agenda. Maryland adopted comprehensive legislation last session on transfer and college readiness. SREB leaders consulted with Maryland legislators and policy-makers on this legislation and other readiness policies. More information: Dave.Spence@SREB.org (404) SREB.org/Readiness 2

3 Readiness Courses for Literacy and Mathematics SREB Readiness Courses teach the disciplinary literacy, writing and math learning skills young adults must have to succeed in college study and the work place after high school: how to think independently, read for information and solve problems. Students who test as underprepared will take the classes. Developed, reviewed and piloted by teams of educators and faculty from partner states, the courses are offered at no cost to all states. Maryland joined the consortium of states in 2013, after course development was completed. More information: (404) SREB.org/Ready Benchmarking State Implementation of Common Core Standards A multi-year study of how 15 states are implementing the Common Core State Standards. Maryland is a participating state. SREB staff conducted extensive interviews with Maryland stakeholders to gather detailed information about implementation for reports published in early 2014, which will be updated in late In January, Maryland agency staff attended an SREB webinar series for state education agency staff to discuss findings from the reports. The reports note Maryland as a leading state in instructional materials and professional development and a strong state for standards and assessments and accountability. More information: Kim.Anderson@SREB.org (404) SREB.org/1600 English Learners Conference on preparing English language learners for college and career, co-hosted in May 2014 by SREB, the National Council on La Raza and the Hunt Institute. A fact sheet for Maryland includes population trends, state and federal policies, and programs, standards and assessments for English learners. More information: Dave.Spence@SREB.org (404) SREB.org/1785 Educator effectiveness Helps states create policies that support teacher effectiveness so students learn more in the classroom. SREB staff are working with policy-makers and state agencies in all SREBmember states to help them translate current research on what works into evaluation systems that create an environment where teaching improves. 3

4 SREB educator effectiveness staff consulted with the Maryland Department of Education on lessons learned in the design and implementation of its new evaluation system. Staff gave a presentation on educator compensation to attendees at SREB s Legislative Advisory Council and legislative staff meetings. SREB also created an online tool for policymakers to track legislation related to educator effectiveness in SREB states. More information: Andy.Baxter@SREB.org (704) SREB.org/EE Postsecondary completion SREB and member states developed detailed recommendations for essential elements of state policy on a number of issues critical to college completion. Topics have included outcomes-based funding, technology, college readiness, transitional readiness courses, student transfer, dual enrollment, prior-learning credit and returning students. Maryland policy-makers and legislators participated in Regional Working Groups on these issues. They received two policy briefs in the Essential Elements of State Policy for College Completion series during : State Policies to Support a Statewide Collegeand Career-Readiness Agenda and SREB Readiness Courses: Transitioning to College and Careers. SREB staff participated in several activities in Maryland concerning completion. More information: Cheryl.Blanco@SREB.org (404) SREB.org/Completion State Services SREB State Services staff connect policy-makers with custom information, presentations and assistance on education issues as they arise. SREB staff visited Maryland to meet with legislators and staff and attend committee meetings in March, Custom information by request: Legislator: rigorous state standards Legislator and local superintendent: closing achievement gaps Legislator: comments on readiness and completion bill Legislator: adult completion Legislator: student assessment Legislator: state standards Media: year-round schools More information: Gale.Gaines@SREB.org (404) SREB.org/StateServices 4

5 Professional Development for Teachers, Principals and Counselors Literacy Design Collaborative A teaching framework to help students learn the literacy skills of college- and careerreadiness standards such as the Common Core. Teachers learn how to design assignments that engage students to learn subject content while advancing reading and writing skills. SREB s innovative training starts with exemplary teachers. As they learn to embed literacy into assignments, they work with other teachers to help them adopt the strategies. Maryland s participation in : Teacher experts trained by SREB: 4 Additional teachers trained by teacher experts: 12 Number of schools: 1 High Schools That Work Staff Development Conference Annual conference for thousands of school leaders, teachers and counselors from middle grades, high schools and technology centers across the country. The July 2013 conference theme was Graduating Students College and Career Ready. Maryland attendees at the July 2013 conference: 18 More information: Anna.Johnston@SREB.org (404) SREB.org/SummerConference College and Career Readiness Networking Conference Conference on the proven strategies of the Literacy and Mathematics Design Collaborative frameworks. Over 1,000 teachers and leaders attended the first conference in July 2013 to collaborate and share effective instructional strategies. Maryland attendees at the July 2013 conference: 3 National Professional Development Workshops Intensive two- to three-day workshops that address priorities for improvement. Attendees leave with a plan of action for their schools. During the school year, SREB offered Aligning High Schools and Middle Grades With Emerging Priorities for Readiness; National Technology Centers That Work Leaders' Forum; National Principals Institute; and Quality Teaching Institute. Maryland teachers, counselors and leaders who participated: 2 More information: Anna.Johnston@SREB.org (404) SREB.org/PD 5

6 High School and Middle Grades Improvement High Schools That Work Helps states transform public high schools into places where all students learn at high levels and complete at higher rates. Reforms create career pathway roadmaps for college and career readiness to meet regional and state work force needs. HSTW serves more than 1,350 schools in 30 states. Schools receive services through membership in the HSTW state network or through contracts for intensive, customized support. HSTW State Network Member states select schools to receive services. The fee for state membership in the consortium covers several services and visits. Fifteen schools in Maryland were active members of the HSTW network in Contracts for Direct Support Schools, districts and states contract with SREB for targeted school improvement services, such as on-site coaching, technical assistance and professional development. In Maryland in , one school contracted with SREB for direct services through HSTW. SREB delivered 30 days of on-site coaching and eight days of on-site staff development. HSTW Assessment Subject tests along with student and teacher surveys to establish baseline data, track progress and identify areas for improvement. Two schools participated in the 2014 HSTW Assessment in Maryland. More information: (404) SREB.org Making Middle Grades Work Engages state, district and school leaders in partnerships with teachers, students, parents and the community to raise student achievement in the middle grades. The network includes more than 600 schools in 20 states. Ten Maryland schools were active in the MMGW network in More information: (404) SREB.org/MMGW 6

7 Higher Education Programs and Services Tuition savings, access to uncommon degrees Academic Common Market Provides in-state tuition access to degree programs not available in a student's home state. Participating Maryland students, calendar year 2013: 714 Maryland ACM representative: Natalie Lopez, Online Education Analyst, Maryland Higher Education Commission A Maryland representative attended the 2014 Academic Common Market Meeting. Electronic Campus Partners with colleges and universities to give students access to almost 25,000 online courses and more than 2,500 online degree programs. Programs provided by Maryland institutions as of May 2014: 143 Maryland EC representative: Natalie Lopez, Online Education Analyst, Maryland Higher Education Commission Maryland representatives attended the 2013 Electronic Campus Annual Meeting. SREB Electronic Campus Regional Reciprocity Agreement Allows institutions to be authorized by their home state to eliminate need for individual approvals in SREB states where they serve students online. SREB states opt in to SECRRA. A new, nationwide system of reciprocity SARA, or the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement will be available to SREB states and will open more highquality online offerings for students and ease regulatory burdens on institutions. Maryland participates in SECRRA. Maryland representatives attended the 2014 SARA forum. SREB staff presented on SARA during a statewide meeting in May More information: Mary.Larson@SREB.org (404) SREB.org/1083 Comparative data 7

8 SREB-State Data Exchange Collects, compiles and publishes extensive statistics on postsecondary education. Postsecondary agencies in each SREB state participate and appoint coordinators Participating agency and Data Exchange coordinator: Maryland Higher Education Commission Jon Enriquez, Associate Director of Research and Policy Analysis SREB Fact Book on Higher Education One of the nation s most comprehensive collections of comparative data. The Fact Book keeps policy-makers informed with trend data for all 50 states on the population and economy, enrollment, degrees, student tuition, financial aid, faculty, administrators, revenue and expenditures. Maryland leaders receive the annual SREB-State Data Exchange Indicators Report, the SREB Fact Book on Higher Education as well as Maryland: Featured Facts from the SREB Fact Book on Higher Education, Fact Book Bulletins and special reports. More information: Susan.Lounsbury@SREB.org (404) SREB.org/Data Nursing education Council on Collegiate Education for Nursing Helps expand and strengthen schools of nursing to reduce the critical shortage of nurse educators needed to train the nation s registered nurses. The Council surveys institutions for nursing education trends and shares online graduate nursing courses. In Maryland, four institutions participate in the Council. Representatives from each institution, with leadership positions in the Council: Coppin State University: Marcella Copes, Dean, Workforce Diversity Committee Johns Hopkins University: Pamela Jeffries, Associate Dean Towson University: Kimberly Christopher, Chairperson University of Maryland at Baltimore: Jane Kirsching, Dean More information: Eula.Aiken@SREB.org (404) SREB.org/Nursing 8

9 Minority Ph.D. scholars SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program Supports minority doctoral students to improve the diversity of college faculty. Hosts the annual Institute on Teaching and Mentoring, the nation s largest gathering of minority Ph.D. scholars. Scholars funded by Maryland in : Institute attendees from Maryland: 81 Scholars Maryland has supported since joining in 1997: 41 Graduates since 1997: 28 Graduates currently employed: 24 Maryland-supported students have attended these institutions since 1997: University of Maryland-College Park University of Maryland-Baltimore County Johns Hopkins University University of Maryland-Baltimore More information: Ansley.Abraham@SREB.org (404) SREB.org/DoctoralScholars Interstate Cooperatives Educational Technology Cooperative Membership group of state K-12 and higher education coordinating and governing boards representing more than 800 colleges and universities and 3,100 school districts in SREB states. The ETC focuses member agencies and state policy-makers on using technology wisely, reports on educational technology topics and connects members. Maryland member agency and representative for the membership year : Maryland Higher Education Commission: Natalie Lopez, Online Education Analyst Maryland sent an attendee to the 2013 annual meeting, and Maryland s ETC representative helped determine SREB s 10 Critical Issues in Educational Technology. Confessions of the NOTYs: How Technology Helps Teachers Succeed helps policy-makers and teachers understand best practices of exceptional online educators. More information: Mike.Abbiatti@SREB.org (479) SREB.org/EdTech 9

10 Go Alliance An interstate cooperative that strives to increase high school graduation rates, access to education beyond high school, and postsecondary degree completion particularly for those who would be the first in their families to enroll. Go Alliance research, services and professional development focus on college access policy, support programs and communications strategies to motivate students to plan for and apply to college. Maryland participates in the Go Alliance. Representative: Melinda Vann, Maryland Higher Education Commission More information: (404) SREB.org/GoAlliance The Southern Regional Education Board was created in 1948 by Southern governors and legislators who recognized the link between education and economic vitality. To this day, the organization maintains its focus on critical issues that hold the promise of improving quality of life by advancing public education. The region s track record shows that setting goals and maintaining the commitment to work toward them make a difference. 10