Of the four executive orders that new Colorado governor (and new ECS chair) John Hickenlooper issued his first day in office earlier this week, one of them was to create a new P-20 council. The Governor's Education Leadership Council, which replaces the Governor's P-20 Education Coordinating Council created by former governor Bill Ritter, includes 17 specified members, and will be led by the lieutenant governor. This choice will perhaps provide some continuation of the council's previous work, as, in an interesting twist, the new lieutenant governor co-chaired the former council with the former lieutenant governor. The issues the council is charged with addressing resemble those the former council worked on--including school readiness, dropout prevention, and various aspects of postsecondary entry and completion.
Unlike the former P-20 council, which was largely comprised of K-12 and postsecondary practitioners from varied walks of life, the new council will include leaders of K-12 and postsecondary agencies/governing boards, as well as the chairs of the house and senate education committees. Interestingly, the new council will include at least two explicit early childhood representatives--the exec. dir. of the Early Childhood Leadership Commission (or designee) and at least one member representing an organization supporting or with expertise in infant health and development.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
New ECS report on P-20 governance
Released earlier this week: an ECS report on states that have fully or partially consolidated K-12 and postsecondary governance in a single entity. The report also identifies whether this single entity has authority over early learning in the state.
The report does not speak to the cost savings or student achievement gains realized through such a governance shift. There is little research on the impact of governance structures on administrative expenditures or student achievement.
The report does not speak to the cost savings or student achievement gains realized through such a governance shift. There is little research on the impact of governance structures on administrative expenditures or student achievement.
Monday, January 10, 2011
What are the skill sets needed to lead (or participate on) a P-20 council?
Part III of the discussion started in the Dec. 10 post: An individual working with the state of North Carolina on strategic planning for their education coordinating entity asked me, ""What are the skill sets needed to successful lead (or even participate on) a coordinating entity (P20 Council, Education Cabinet, etc.)?"
My initial answer: These are all generic to participation rather than leadership:
(1) Ability to see beyond interests of agency one represents (rather than paying lip service to seeing beyond interests of one’s agency!), in order to compromise as necessary to do what will serve students best;
(2) Not sure this is a skill set, but: A critical mass of the members need to have authority for implementation of the entity’s recommendations. If there are too many local, community, business, other members and not the key players with authority to see through policies, programs etc. once they have been agreed upon by the entity, the council will most likely achieve limited results.
(3) Somewhat distinct from #1 response above: Some understanding of the linkage problems beyond one’s agency—or at least willingness to learn, be receptive to, linkage problems other agencies face that may be a result of your agency’s operations.
And specific to leadership: Again, this is not a skill set, but not being seen as overly partisan. This may also help the council and the council’s policy changes stay in place when there is a change in state leadership from one party to another. This may be why some councils have chosen to have co-chairs. This link (admittedly needs updating) indicates the chairs in place when our 50-state scan was completed in 2008 http://mb2.ecs.org/reports/Report.aspx?id=2048 .
My initial answer: These are all generic to participation rather than leadership:
(1) Ability to see beyond interests of agency one represents (rather than paying lip service to seeing beyond interests of one’s agency!), in order to compromise as necessary to do what will serve students best;
(2) Not sure this is a skill set, but: A critical mass of the members need to have authority for implementation of the entity’s recommendations. If there are too many local, community, business, other members and not the key players with authority to see through policies, programs etc. once they have been agreed upon by the entity, the council will most likely achieve limited results.
(3) Somewhat distinct from #1 response above: Some understanding of the linkage problems beyond one’s agency—or at least willingness to learn, be receptive to, linkage problems other agencies face that may be a result of your agency’s operations.
And specific to leadership: Again, this is not a skill set, but not being seen as overly partisan. This may also help the council and the council’s policy changes stay in place when there is a change in state leadership from one party to another. This may be why some councils have chosen to have co-chairs. This link (admittedly needs updating) indicates the chairs in place when our 50-state scan was completed in 2008 http://mb2.ecs.org/reports/Report.aspx?id=2048 .
Friday, January 7, 2011
Mississippi's Education Achievement Council
2010 H.B. 1071 creates the Education Achievement Council, an entity that, while not called a P-20 council, has a membership and mission similar to many councils across the nation.
As stated in the legislation, the purpose of the council is "to sustain attention to the state's goal of increasing the educational attainment and skill levels of the state's working-age population benchmark to the national average by 2025." The 23 members of the council include K-12 and postsecondary leaders, legislative leaders, a representative of the governor's office, the president and CEO of the Mississippi Economic Council (the state chamber of commerce), and the executive director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health.
As stated in the legislation, the purpose of the council is "to sustain attention to the state's goal of increasing the educational attainment and skill levels of the state's working-age population benchmark to the national average by 2025." The 23 members of the council include K-12 and postsecondary leaders, legislative leaders, a representative of the governor's office, the president and CEO of the Mississippi Economic Council (the state chamber of commerce), and the executive director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
A P-20 council for New Mexico?
For years, New Mexico has had one or more staff designated for "P-20", and at one point had an "Alignment Task Force" (more details in the New Mexico entry in the ECS P-20 Councils database).
Now, New Mexico's recently released (and first-ever) State Master Plan for Higher Education (landing page here) recommends establishing a P-20 council through legislation "to facilitate, develop, and coordinate strategies to improve student success from preschool through college, including aligning high school standards, graduation requirements and college entrance expectations as well as addressing remedial and developmental issues." And in fact, this is one of the "priority recommendations" identified in the master plan.
Now, New Mexico's recently released (and first-ever) State Master Plan for Higher Education (landing page here) recommends establishing a P-20 council through legislation "to facilitate, develop, and coordinate strategies to improve student success from preschool through college, including aligning high school standards, graduation requirements and college entrance expectations as well as addressing remedial and developmental issues." And in fact, this is one of the "priority recommendations" identified in the master plan.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
New study: P-16 alignment needed
A recently released study suggests that P-16 alignment is needed to address disparate academic growth among different sectors of the education pipeline.
Published in the December 2010 American Educational Research Journal, the study, titled "Tripartite Growth Trajectories of Reading and Math Achievement:Tracking National Progress at Primary, Middle, and High School Levels" (abstract here), confirms a trend in which "American students are gaining ground at the pre/early primary school level, holding ground at the middle school level, and losing ground at the high school level." The study "calls for national P-16 education policy and research efforts toward sustainable academic growth and seamless educational transition."
Published in the December 2010 American Educational Research Journal, the study, titled "Tripartite Growth Trajectories of Reading and Math Achievement:Tracking National Progress at Primary, Middle, and High School Levels" (abstract here), confirms a trend in which "American students are gaining ground at the pre/early primary school level, holding ground at the middle school level, and losing ground at the high school level." The study "calls for national P-16 education policy and research efforts toward sustainable academic growth and seamless educational transition."
Monday, January 3, 2011
New Year, new P-16 council
Happy New Year! ECS' P-16/P-20 councils database will be updated soon to include the nation's newest P-16 council, Vermont's PreK-16 Council.
The council, established by 2010 H.B. 709, incorporates some of ECS' hallmarks of a well-established P-16/P-20 coordinating entity, such as: including an explicit early-learning member, legislators, and business representatives; meeting at least quarterly; securing some funds to support council efforts; and setting a numeric P-16/P-20 performance goal (that at least 60% of the state's adult population will have earned an associate's degree or higher by 2020).
The council, established by 2010 H.B. 709, incorporates some of ECS' hallmarks of a well-established P-16/P-20 coordinating entity, such as: including an explicit early-learning member, legislators, and business representatives; meeting at least quarterly; securing some funds to support council efforts; and setting a numeric P-16/P-20 performance goal (that at least 60% of the state's adult population will have earned an associate's degree or higher by 2020).
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