2003 LEGISLATORS RETREAT

SUMMARY REPORT

2003 NORTH CAROLINA LEGISLATORS RETREAT

On November 19-20, 2003, the James B. Hunt, Jr. Mark Musick, president of the Southern Regional Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy Education Board (SREB), America’s first interstate convened the first annual North Carolina compact for education, introduced the presenters Legislators Retreat, in partnership with Senate and moderated the discussions. The program President Pro Tempore, Marc Basnight; Republican began with David Grissmer, senior management Speaker of the House, Richard Morgan; and scientist at RAND Corporation, who provided a Democratic Speaker of the House, James Black. thorough analysis of student progress in subjects The 2003 Retreat presented a forum for legislative included in the National Assessment of Education leaders to hear from nationally recognized experts Progress (NAEP) as evidence of North Carolina’s and talk about educational equity, student assess- remarkable progress during the past decade. Kati ment and demographics and other critical issues Haycock, executive director of The Education facing North Carolina’s public education system. Trust, discussed ways in which North Carolina can The discussion encouraged legislators to re-exam- close the achievement gap between the state's ine goals for the state’s education system and poorest and most affluent students. Dr. Harold explore new strategies to keep the state on the Hodgkinson, director of the Center of road to continuous school improvement. Demographic Information at the Institute for Former Governors Jim Educational Leadership, presented information Hunt and Jim Holshouser “In most of the states in America, schools are co-hosted the Retreat. led at the local level. Here in this state, about the changing demo- Governor Mike Easley and legislators have done it differently; graphics of the state's stu- business leaders from our biggest educational improvements have dent population and how been at the state level. You are the leaders for across the state also schools could anticipate education in North Carolina.” attended and contributed this change. to the dialogue. Governor

University of North Carolina PO Box 9380 Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27515 919-843-4085 919-843-2557 fax www.hunt-institute.org

Representative Doug Yongue, Senator William Purcell and Senator Katie Dorsett 2003 NORTH CAROLINA LEGISLATORS RETREAT

MAKING MONEY MATTER Policymakers would do well to direct class size reduction North Carolina’s students have made significant gains based on dollars to the children who would benefit the most. NAEP scores. During the 1990s, North Carolina led the nation Grissmer’s research also shows that it is better to reduce class in progress in math and was third in the nation in reading at size than to provide teachers with an instructional aide. the fourth grade level. In writing, North Carolina was one of the Managing an assistant, he said, tends to add to a teacher’s top five states in the nation. workload instead of decreasing it. Dr. David Grissmer gave credit to North Carolina’s lawmakers Grissmer noted that the chief predictors of higher test scores – and business community for the state’s continued rise in NAEP called favorable family characteristics – include parent educa- scores. His research showed that both groups have been instru- tion, family income, the mother’s age at childbirth, single par- mental in creating new policies and programs and in establish- ent households and the number of children in the home. ing the infrastructure for education success. Lobbying by the When using favorable family characteristics as a measure, North business community has helped drive reforms which are Carolina has a challenging population to educate. research-driven and support accountability. ELIMINATING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP It is widely held that higher spending equals higher achieve- States across the country, including North Carolina, have made ment. During the past 30 years, per pupil spending nationally major strides in education during the last 20 years. Many stu- has dramatically increased. Grissmer’s research, however, has dents today leave high school with better skills in math and sci- determined that, after factoring out increased special education, ence than their peers did two decades ago. Even with these technology and social program costs, only 35% of the increased impressive jumps in math and reading scores, there are still funding has been directly applied to improving academic substantial gaps between white and minority students and stu- achievement. Based on his research, Grissmer has concluded dents from different family income levels. that the biggest return on education investment comes from allocations in four areas: Kati Haycock explained that currently one in three children in a fourth grade class is trapped at a “below basic” reading level. • Decreasing class size in lower grades Black and Hispanic children are over-represented in this group, • Adding more pre-kindergarten programs but many white and Asian middle-class students also cannot read at the most basic level. The same is true for eighth grade • Retaining more experienced teachers students in math. Mastering basic math and reading skills is • Providing additional resources for teachers fundamental to accessing all other types of learning, and not Statistics show that reducing class size by just three students having these skills in place by fourth and eighth grade has would predict a 6% increase in scores in enormous implications for students’ future economic status and states with high numbers of disad- career opportunities. vantaged students. Reducing class Haycock noted that when comparing students of equal sizes in elementary schools would achievement levels, those with higher family incomes are more translate to significant gains for likely to go to college; i.e. high-performing students from lower black and Hispanic students. income families are less likely to attend college than poorer

IN NORTH CAROLINA:

Vastly different populations between North Carolina has the 11th high- 20% of the 4th graders who took states create an unequal distribution est minority population in the the NAEP test have parents with of families and an uneven distribu- an education level below the tion of NAEP scores; this makes North Carolina has the 5th highest national average North Carolina’s gains in NAEP number of black students when North Carolina has the 5th highest scores even more impressive. When compared to states which partici- percentage of single parent fami- using this measurement, North pated in the NAEP test between lies when compared to other Carolina ranks eighth out of 47 par- 1990-2000 states taking the NAEP test ticipating states. Texas ranks first and North Carolina’s average family California ranks last. income is below the national average Governor Mike Easley

2 James B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy “Your presence here at this Retreat fulfills part of the dream and the hope of the Hunt Institute that our own policy makers in North Carolina would come together in a serious agenda, evaluating where we are, celebrating the remarkable progress we’ve made and never being satisfied that we have arrived at the place we want and need to be for North Carolina.” Molly Broad – President, University of North Carolina

performing students from higher while students who have two income families. Unless educators weak teachers consecutively may and lawmakers are prepared to never recover academically. If assert that children from higher educators can find a way to give income families are simply smarter disadvantaged students five good than kids from lower incomes, teachers in a row, the achievement there is something wrong in pre- gap could be closed completely. K-12 and higher education. 5. Make Good Schools Good for All Haycock put this information in Students context for North Carolina law- While there are many examples of makers, showing that the state is Governor Jim Hunt and UNC President Molly Broad good schools in which students above the national average in are generally high-achieving, many areas and has made enormous progress in others. North minority students in these same schools lag behind. Lawmakers Carolina ranks first in math across the board for progress made should closely evaluate the standards that schools must meet and is first in reading growth for white students and fourth for and re-define “high-performing schools” as those that close black students. In the last decade, North Carolina has made achievement gaps for all populations they serve. substantial gains in moving large numbers of children out of the DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS AND PUBLIC SCHOOL POLICY “below basic” learning category. However, Haycock detailed five actions necessary for continued progress: Dr. Harold Hodgkinson presented data that show the demo- graphic make-up of families in America is dramatically shifting. 1. Set the Right Goals Gone are the Norman Rockwell days of fathers working and Appropriately setting goals and benchmarks is one of the rea- mothers staying at home with the children. The largest numbers sons North Carolina has seen dramatic improvement. Based on of children are now raised by two different groups – two work- the success North Carolina has already achieved, lawmakers ing parents or single working mothers – meaning that people should begin to raise the standards of state assessments to bring other than mothers and fathers are responsible for a child’s them in line with NAEP. pre-K education foundation. Therefore, it is vitally important for 2. Develop and Follow a Systematic Approach to Teaching educators and policymakers to shift their focus to the preschool Systematic approaches to teaching and learning help poor and years to help children from all backgrounds achieve academic minority students make the largest gains. Schools that provide success. clear goals and a well defined scope and sequence of what stu- Children who live in poverty suffer from a lack of access to dents should know and be able to do have the most success. enrichment and summer programs. Schools that follow this approach do not wait until an end-of- When children are tested prior to grade test to see how students are learning. Benchmark assess- kindergarten, children in poverty and ments are conducted at regular intervals throughout the school from higher income families show the year to identify students who need targeted intervention and same achievement gap as when they teachers who may need coaching and additional resources to leave kindergarten. This gap grows meet the needs of these learners. drastically during the summer between 3. Make High School Coursework More Rigorous and Relevant kindergarten and first grade, as chil- Haycock’s data show that the nation’s high schools are in trou- dren from higher income backgrounds ble. Many students do not graduate and many who do are not are able to take advantage of greater equipped with the skills and knowledge to succeed in college educational opportunities external to or the workforce. Many other students are leaving high school school. Hodgkinson said that North not because it is too hard, but because it is too easy. The sin- Carolina is helping to close this gap gle strongest predictor of whether or not students will succeed through Smart Start and More at Four, in college or in the workforce is the quality and rigor of the but that gaps are still evident. high school curriculum. North Carolina has a more stable pop- Wake County Superintendent 4. Improving Teacher Quality ulation than states like Florida, but its Bill McNeal population is also more transient than Research shows that children who have three high quality states like Maine, which have such static school populations teachers in a row will excel, regardless of family background, that these states have been able to maintain high education

James B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy 3 2003 NORTH CAROLINA LEGISLATORS RETREAT

standards relatively easily. By house all the way to the school house. 2010, most public schools in CONCLUSION the country will have a major- ity of “non-white” populations The 2003 North Carolina Legislators because of the influx of Retreat was a unique opportunity for Hispanic and Asian students. state legislators to hear from national This creates instructional experts who presented research-based dilemmas for schools, particu- information about the status of school larly those in non-metropoli- improvement efforts in the North tan areas which are less- Carolina public schools and to seek equipped to handle demo- their advice as to what steps are neces- Governor Jim Holshouser, Senator Tom Apodaca graphic change. sary for continued progress. and Senator John Garwood Subsequent discussions throughout the Hodgkinson praised Governor Retreat remained focused on chal- Hunt and North Carolina legislators for their lenges at both the state and local level, and new strategies with efforts, noting that Governor Hunt was the first state leader who the potential to keep North Carolina on the road to greater suc- saw the need for a long-term strategy to affect and sustain edu- cess began to emerge. Based on program evaluations and pos- cational improvements. North Carolina has also done a good itive feedback from participants, the Hunt Institute will convene job of growing businesses and industries that fuel education the second annual North Carolina Legislators Retreat in the fall improvements. The Triangle area is the only place in the south, of 2004. outside of Atlanta, that draws the country’s new and important “creative class.” These are the type of people who demand a The 2003 North Carolina Legislators Retreat serves as a pilot quality education for their children and support education model for similar retreats across the country. The Hunt Institute improvements that are beneficial to all. believes that the format of the North Carolina Legislators Retreat holds great promise for other states to follow in having their A CONVERSATION WITH LOCAL SCHOOL LEADERS legislative leaders join in a constructive dialogue that can lead In addition to national experts, legislators had an opportunity to to significant educational improvement. By encouraging legis- hear from local education leaders about challenges facing their lators to gain access to the best available information on the sta- schools. A panel discussion, moderated by John Dornan, exec- tus of their education systems and to probe the implications utive director of the North Carolina Public School Forum, pro- educational research has for policy, legislation and investment vided an opportunity for Bill McNeal, Wake County Schools in education, the Retreat helps lawmakers make well-informed superintendent and National Superintendent of the Year; Rene decisions on how to apply resources to improve student Corders, principal, E. E. Smith High School; Joan Celestino, achievement. teacher, Mineral Springs A+ Academy; and Connie Brown, prin- The 2003 North Carolina Legislators Retreat was made possible cipal, Bruce Drysdale Elementary School, to focus on issues through the generous support of BellSouth, Blue Cross/Blue related to raising student performance. Shield of North Carolina, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the Joseph Panel members agreed that maintaining high standards and a M. Bryan Foundation and the Michael Brader-Araje Foundation. demanding and relevant curriculum taught by highly qualified teachers were clearly the most important factors in increasing student performance. A strong school principal, improved working conditions for teachers and potential incentives to attract master teachers to low-performing schools were also topics of discussion. While all aspects of the 2003 North Carolina Legislators Retreat received high marks from the participants, legislators were especially pleased with the opportunity to talk candidly with “North Carolina is nationally known for what we do local administrators and teachers about the many challenges in the legislature. This Retreat is a good place for lawmakers to take a deep breath and look at they face and to seek their advice as to how state-level policy- where it is we started and where we want to go.” makers can help them to meet those challenges. Such discus- sions can strengthen school improvement efforts from the state Governor Mike Easley

4 James B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy