Lawmakers Push Ed. Accountability Plan

The lawmakers set a basic benchmark- schools must show that every student has the opportunity to get an adequate education.

The easiest way to do that would be for a school to meet state standards for course offerings and teacher qualifications.

But committee co-chair Representative Emma Rous says some schools can’t do that because they don’t have a library, or not enough computers.

So the committee wanted to give schools more options.

TAPE: rather than have those schools fail....they can...look at student success and say, ‘maybe we don’t have enough computers, but we are providing an adequate education, b/c our students are doing well.’...they are coming to classes, they are getting good test scores, they are participating in extra-curriculars.

The Committee has issued its report, which soon will be introduced as legislation.

Members stressed that state accountability should be much more comprehensive than the federal program.

Unlike No Child Left Behind, lawmakers stressed the need to measure student performance that went well beyond test scores.

Potential measurements include physical fitness, student leadership, school projects.

But one question lawmakers likely will ask is whether the plan gives schools too much latitude.

For instance, one indicator that schools could use is ‘measurement of a school or district’s use of ongoing supervision and evaluation opportunities.’....whatever that means.

TAPE: squishy is a good word.

That’s Representative Ken Gould - a member of the Accountability Committee.

He reluctantly supported the report.

TAPE: the rubber meets the road where the classroom teacher deals with the student...I always wonder how well we can handle things on a statistical basis...there’s a lot of subjectivity in any system, no matter how much you try to nail it down.

To help nail down accountability, the report calls for the Department of Education to develop a point system the weighs the various factors.

Representative Rous says she expects DOE do put together a comprehensive formula.

TAPE: I think it’s very important that this point system be rigorous, and that the committee that develops the point system, sets bars that are high enough....I don’t want us to end up with a system where schools can game the system.

The committee has also laid out corrective measures.

In the first year, a school must work with DOE to put together an action plan.

After the third year, schools would have some of its budget redirected and could potentially change leadership.

Regardless, the state would not take over any school or district.

To enforce the new standards, school administrators and DOE would shoulder additional responsibilities.

Committee member Senator Peter Bragdon says he doesn’t like that part of the proposal.

TAPE: my thought is it makes it a little bit more burdensome....and given the sate’s fiscal situation, adding more things to do at the Department of Education, it’s probably not the time to do that.

Education Commissioner Lyonel Tracy appreciates the concern, but he is very excited.

He’s already directed his staff to start informally researching an accountability point system.

He says with confidence, the department’s going to make it work, it’s good stuff.

For NHPR News, I’m DG.