Recommended Goals for a Transformational Education Agenda for the State of Idaho

Vision:

Idaho is a global leader, providing high quality, cost effective education to its citizens.

Mission:

Idaho’s public education system is accountable for the necessary leadership, resources, capacity, and instruction to guarantee high achievement for all students.

Slogan: How Far Can We Go?

“How far can we go?” Let’s aim high!
“How fast can we get there?” Set timelines and milestones.
“How will we define success?” Determine performance indicators.

Goals:

These are overarching, broad goals accompanied by examples of performance indicators for benchmarking the success of short-term or long-term goals. Idaho will increase the level of public confidence in the education system through the use of performance-based assessments, accountability and measurement, transparent data, and a continuous improvement process.

• Idaho will have a system of broadband connectivity to every public school and the Idaho Education Network will be available in every school district. (2012)
• Idaho will have a statewide implementation of the student longitudinal data system by (2012). (Source 1)
• Idaho will develop a professional development plan that addresses the need for quality instruction, especially in upper-level and advanced placement courses. (2012) (Source 1, 2)
• A state-level data audit will be conducted that will increase data collection efficiency and quality. (2010)
• Idaho will have a teacher compensation plan that will tie pay to, in part, performance-based assessments such as student achievement gains, hard to fill positions, and leadership roles. (2012) (Source 1)

Idaho will have high student achievement standard

• Idaho will be among the top 20 states, as reported by Achieve, Inc., in regards to the rigor and relevance of its math and science requirements. (2014)
• End-of-course exams in math and science courses will be in place statewide. (2012) (Source 1)
• Idaho’s goal for reducing the dropout rate will be determined using federal policies and data from Idaho’s student longitudinal data system. (2012)
• Idaho will increase the availability of highly qualified teachers, with majors in their subject,  especially in priority subjects, by a percentage to be defined, using data from Measuring Up. (2012) (Source 1,2,3,5)
• The Idaho Education Network advisory committee will determine an increase in the number of upper-level courses in priority areas to be delivered via the Idaho Education Network. (2012) (Source 1,2)

Idaho will increase secondary students’ participation in advanced opportunity programs for postsecondary credits: AP courses, dual credit, Tech-Prep (professional-technical 2+2 programs), and others.

• All Idaho public high school students will have the opportunity to graduate with up to 30 college general education and/or professional-technical credits. (2015) ( Sources 1, 2)
•  Every Idaho secondary student will have access to AP, dual enrollment, or equivalent courses.(2011) (Sources 1, 3)

Idaho will have a high percentage of students go on to and successfully complete postsecondary education.

• Idaho’s postsecondary system (2-year, 4-year), working with the K-12 system, will create a uniform definition of “career and college readiness” for college-level algebra and other core subjects, as reported by Achieve, Inc. in its State Comparison Table (PDF).  (2012)
• Idaho standards and curricula will be aligned to postsecondary expectations that prepare students to meet or exceed the state’s definition of career and college readiness. (2012) 5
• Idaho’s accountability system will promote career and college readiness by providing relevant data, assessments, teacher support, and student performance indicators of course participation and success, achievement, and attainment toward career and college readiness  (as reported by Achieve, Inc.). (2012)
• At least 60% of high school students will register as full time or part time postsecondary students within one year of graduating high school, as reported by SBOE and NCHEMS. (2014) 3 (Note: Nationally, no measurement exception is made for students who chose to engage in community or other service immediately after high school; therefore, it is recommended that for this objective, Idaho include a second indicator that measures the percent of students who “register as full time or part time postsecondary students within three years of graduating high school.”)
• At least 50% of Idaho citizens 25 years of age and older will attain a postsecondary degree or certificate, as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (2015).  (In 2007, 34% of Idahoans 25 and over had an associate’s degree or higher. Source: American Community Survey, 2007.) 

Glossary

A bipartisan, independent, non-profit education reform organization based in Washington, D.C. and founded by the nation’s governors and corporate leaders. Achieve, Inc. is devoted to helping states raise academic standards and graduation requirements, improve assessments, and strengthen accountability. A college level course taught in the high school context using a standardized course syllabus aligned with the College Board Advanced Placement test for that course. A data audit is a fact-finding exercise carried out to identify what data an institution or organization holds, as well as how it is collected, processed, used, and stored. An organized system with special guidelines that allows high school students to take college-level courses. Dual credit, also called dual enrollment, courses are considered advantageous to students who want to get a head start on their college careers. In some cases, the student may be able to attain an Associate of Arts or equivalent degree shortly before or after one's high school graduation. Defined by the National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data (CCD) as those students who were enrolled in school at some time during the previous school year; were not enrolled at the beginning of the current school year; have not graduated from high school or completed a state- or district-approved educational program; and do not meet any of the following exclusionary conditions: transfer to another public school district, private school, or state- or district-approved education program; temporary absence due to suspension or school-approved education program; or death. (Source: NCES, http://nces.ed.gov/Pubs2003/100_largest/meth_def.asp) According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) (2009), “the status dropout rate represents the percentage of 16- through 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in school and have not earned a high school credential (either a diploma or equivalency credential, such as a General Educational Development [GED] certificate). NCES reports that a number of concerns have been raised in recent years about the definition and enumeration of dropouts and graduates nationwide; states and localities have varying ways of monitoring the educational progress of their students, including different ways of counting who is a dropout. (For example, GED recipients or other alternative completers such as certificate of attendance holders are sometimes considered dropouts, completers, or graduates.) National sources of information also have different definitions and source data for detailing dropout patterns. These differences in populations and definitions can lead to differences in reported rates and thus to different conclusions about dropout patterns. Assessments given at the completion of instruction of the course level expectations. End-of-course exams are used to measure student achievement and progress toward postsecondary readiness, identify students’ strengths and weaknesses, meet state and national accountability requirements, communicate expectations, and evaluate programs. Research shows that if students have teachers with effective instructional practices, there is a much higher likelihood that student achievement goals will be met. Characteristics of Effective Teachers (excerpted from EdTrust.org):

• The teacher is continuously learning to improve practice.
• The teacher has content knowledge. The teacher demonstrates mastery of the subject being taught.
• The teacher deeply believes in and demonstrates through words and actions, the worth and value of each student. The teacher demonstrates through words and actions the belief that all students can succeed.
• The teacher understands student needs and uses classroom practices that meet those needs. Instructional techniques focus on higher-order thinking skills. The teacher continually assesses students and adjusts classroom practice to enhance student learning.
• The teacher is able to manage the learning environment. The teacher positively motivates students and maintains a safe and productive classroom environment.

A system of statewide, high-speed, education-related internet connectivity to provide education stakeholders, especially teachers and students, with reliable and high-speed access to networked tools to improve their ability to communicate and learn in a more collaborative environment. A “system” is defined as a regularly interacting and interdependent group of bodies unified as a whole. For Idaho, the State Board of Education, the State Department of Education, all public K-12 and higher education institutions are the bodies that comprise the Idaho public education system.  Also interacting with the system are all “public” stakeholders in Idaho – communities, students, families, taxpayers, policymakers, employers, and related educational organizations. A data system that can track student information over multiple years and in multiple schools. Data from this longitudinal system is used to manage, analyze, and disaggregate information for the purpose of improving educational decision-making.   A national report card for higher education and fifty state report cards. Its purpose is to provide the public and policymakers with information to assess and improve postsecondary education in each state. The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education publishes the biennial Measuring Up Report, which includes state data categorized in the areas of Preparation, Participation, Affordability, Completion, and Benefits. Acronym for National Center for Higher Education Management Systems Systematic and direct observation of a student performance or examples of student performances and ranking according to pre-established performance criteria. Students are assessed on the result as well as the process engaged in a complex task or creation of a product. A performance indicator defines the measurement of a piece of important and useful information about the performance of a program expressed as a percentage, index, rate, or other comparison which is monitored at regular intervals and is compared to one or more criterion. A proof of completion for a prescribed course of study from an accredited higher education institution, including a one- or two-year certificate, associate’s degree, baccalaureate degree, masters degree or professional degree. Acronym for State Board of Education Acronym for State Department of Education A nationwide career development system offered in Idaho through the State Division of Professional Technical Education. Tech-Prep programs provide a high school student with an organized program of study that incorporates academic and career-related courses. Tech-Prep programs combine two years of high school courses and two years of college leading to an associate’s degree or certificate. The practice of regularly and openly conveying information to the public about the mission and goals, activities, accomplishments and decision-making processes of Idaho’s education system. The intent of being transparent and accountable is to make information about education in the state easily accessible to all stakeholders and to create external visibility, public understanding, trust, and confidence in Idaho’s education system.