Students at the Center
Vision 2015 demonstrates an unprecedented commitment by Delaware to address the most urgent issue of our time: securing a high-quality education for every child in the state by 2015.
Going forward, all policies and actions must answer the central question: How can we best tailor learning so that each student succeeds? With students at the center, the main changes must occur closest to the student - in schools and classrooms.
- Set High Standards, Develop a Common Curriculum.
- Invest in Early Childhood Education.
- Develop and Support High-Quality Teachers.
- Empower Principals to Lead Their Schools.
- Encourage Innovation and Parent Involvement, Require Accountability.
- Establish a Simple and Equitable Funding System.
- Set High Standards, Develop a Common Curriculum.
We must set our sights high, with challenging expectations for every child, coupled with high-quality curriculum and additional instructional time to give students the best chance to meet the higher standards. We know that students rise to the challenge. In fact, 82 percent of students say they would work harder if they were challenged more in high school. Recommendations include:
- Academic standards as challenging as the world's best
- A statewide research-based curriculum so that all Delaware students, no matter where they live, are using the same high standards
- Aligned content-specific teaching tools (diagnostic assessments, model lessons, pacing guides)and classroom-based professional coaching to help teachers meet each student's learning needs
- Assessments that measure individual student gains over time
- State funding for an additional 140 school hours a year for extra tutoring and/or enrichment, depending on what the student needs
- Implementation of the state's stronger graduation requirements
- Expanded online distance learning to allow true 24/7 learning opportunities
Delaware ranks 27th out of 50 states in student performance in reading and math. Our children deserve better. With high standards, strong graduation requirements and extra academic time, our students will be prepared for greater success in life. Setting the right goals is a critical first step to making Delaware public schools world-class.
- Invest in Early Childhood Education.
We must invest in early childhood education, targeting more resources to high-need children. Research demonstrates that experiences in programs like Head Start translate directly into long-term success in school, careers, and life. In fact, early education is one of the best investments we can make—the returns for society are measurable. Each dollar spent on early education saves society about $4-$7 down the road in other costs, such as incarceration and Medicaid. Recommendations include:
- Tuition subsidies for more low-income 3- and 4-year-olds to attend high-quality educational programs
- Required participation in the Delaware Stars for Early Success Program, which sets high-quality program standards
- Annual license renewals for all early child care and education providers to ensure consistent high quality
- Additional professional development for providers so that they have the knowledge and skills to serve our youngsters well
- Data systems to share information and follow the educational progress of students from prekindergarten through grade 12
- Increased coordination across service agencies for children from birth to age 3
Learning doesn't begin when children enter kindergarten at age 5 or 6. Research shows that the greatest brain growth and stimulation occur much, much earlier. Children who enter kindergarten unprepared are often two or three years behind their peers, and many never catch up. If we want to dramatically increase the percentage of children ready to enter college or the workplace, we must ensure that all children have a fair start.
- Develop and Support High-Quality Teachers.
We must develop and support great teachers in every classroom who are able to customize instruction to each and every child. Research demonstrates that great teachers are the most important influence in producing great students. Recommendations include:
- A new career path, with advanced positions such as mentor and master teacher
- Advancement based on performance according to clear standards, rather than years of service and degrees, with gains in student achievement as one measure of performance
- A negotiated statewide salary structure to reduce inequities across the state
- Incentives to attract teachers to high-need subjects, like math and science, and high-need schools
- Bonuses for strong school performance
- A formal evaluation process that measures teacher progress against clear standards and provides specific and actionable feedback
- Professional development based on the state's academic standards and focused on in-classroom coaching and mentoring rather than on isolated workshops
- New professional development centers to encourage the sharing of information and best practices
- Creative approaches to recruit and train an expanded pool of new teachers, including those who want to change careers
- More supports to help new teachers succeed, such as realistic course loads, assignments and class sizes
Almost half of new teachers leave the profession within the first five years. Vision 2015 can help change that and, in the process, ensure that all students have teachers who know their subjects well and how to make learning interesting and relevant.
- Empower Principals to Lead Their Schools.
We must empower principals to be great school leaders, with enough knowledge, authority and flexibility to get results. We know that great principals, working closely with teachers and families, are needed to support great teaching in every classroom. In Delaware 68 percent of principals will retire in the next 10 years. Recommendations include:
- Broader principal control of decision-making related to people, resources and time
- Increased accountability for student achievement and school performance
- The flexibility to choose from among approved providers of educational services
- A statewide leadership academy for world-class principal recruitment, induction, retention and development
- A statewide base salary schedule, with significant bonuses tied to student achievement
- More easily accessible data on student performance, staffing and finances to help principals make better decisions
Currently, principals often do not have decision-making authority over what happens in their schools. For instance, local district officials such as superintendents control only 8 percent of state funds and principals have even less discretion than that. Those closest to the students are in the best position to decide what will help their students most - as long as they are well trained to know what works best and then are held accountable for results.
- Encourage Innovation and Parent Involvement, Require Accountability.
We must encourage instructional innovation and require the accountability of all partners. Encouraging and helping more parents to be more involved in their children's education is a top priority. We also know that one size does not fit all. Parents, students and educators should have the freedom to choose the educational approach that will help all students reach the standards; this may mean a Mandarin Chinese–focused school for some...an arts magnet school...or science and technology program...or online courses...and so on. We also know that this will require us to create many new options; just improving current programs will not be enough to create the dynamic system we need.
And we must expect excellence from all sectors - teachers, principals, parents, administrators, business and community leaders, legislators, and students themselves - and reward it. Recommendations include:
- Multiple efforts to inform and involve parents and families, including leadership and advocacy training and an online Web portal to share school information
- A statewide Office of Innovation to share information on best practices and encourage new programs
- An "equity advocate" to ensure that the special needs of students are met with proper resources
- Stronger partnerships with community organizations and businesses to provide more support for students, whether in or out of school.
- A common scorecard that shares information about student gains, family-school interactions, fiscal accountability, and the satisfaction of educators, parents and students
- A stronger accountability system that focuses on student achievement, not just compliance with federal and state rules
- On-site school reviews and school improvement teams that can rapidly improve underperforming schools
- A commitment to identify and replicate schools and programs that work
Meeting the diverse needs of Delaware's 124,000 students requires creating multiple options; one size does not fit all. All students still must meet the same high standards, but they should have multiple pathways to get there. Parents should have choices about the educational approach that will work best for their children, plus better information about these choices. And parents, along with educators, business and community leaders, must share responsibility and be held accountable for the only thing that matters—student success.
- Establish a Simple and Equitable Funding System.
Finally, we must have a simple and fair funding system whereby resources follow individual students and are allocated based on their needs. We know some students, whether struggling or accelerating, will need more resources than others. Recommendations include:
- A weighted student funding formula that allows students who need more support (special education, low-income, gifted/talented, etc.) to get the support they need to reach the same high standards
- Funds distributed directly to districts and schools, giving principals flexibility for how funds are spent, along with the accountability for results
- State funding high enough so districts and schools do not need to rely on local referenda to meet Vision 2015 standards
- A negotiated statewide teacher salary schedule tied to the new career path
- Understandable budget information that is readily accessible to all, from principals to parents
- A common scorecard to hold schools and districts accountable for the academic results of their spending choices
- A careful analysis of how current education dollars could be spent more effectively
Overall, Delaware ranks 8th nationally in the amount of money spent per student, but only 25th in the percentage spent on instruction. The current system is very complex and shortchanges some students; Delaware's highest-funded district spends up to 45 percent more per student than our lowest-funded district. Changes such as these will make the system fairer, easier to understand and more effective. Some programs will require additional resources, while in other cases we will redirect funds to more productive uses.
These are the six building blocks on which our vision is based. Other states and school systems have adopted one or more of these elements, but Delaware will be the first to address them all in such a coherent and comprehensive way. That's Vision 2015. No exceptions. No excuses.
