State ‘achievement gap’ shrinks in math but changes little in reading, study finds

South Carolina’s “achievement gap” between white and African-American students mirrors the rest of the nation’s, according to a federal government report released today. Although mathematics and
reading test scores have improved for both ethnic groups, the gap between the two has decreased only in math.

The new U.S. Department of Education study examined scores between the early 1990s and 2007 on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires states to participate in NAEP, which is the only assessment that allows apples-to-apples comparisons. State-by-state NAEP results are reported every two years.

Overall, South Carolina’s fourth- and eighth-graders score near national averages in math and slightly below national averages in reading. In 2007 NAEP results, South Carolina fourth-graders ranked No. 33 in the nation in math and No. 42 in reading. South Carolina eighth-graders ranked No. 28 in math and No. 41 in reading.

But the new federal study shows that significant scoring gaps persist between white and African-American students:
● Math, Grade 4: South Carolina’s 31-point achievement gap in 1992 (NAEP has a 500-point scoring system) had decreased to 26 points by 2007 (national gap, 26 points).
● Math, Grade 8: South Carolina’s 33-point gap in 1992 had decreased to 27 points by 2007 (national gap, 31 points).
● Reading, Grade 4: South Carolina’s 27-point gap in 1992 had decreased to 26 points by 2007 (national gap, 27 points).
● Reading, Grade 8: South Carolina’s 25-point gap in 1998 had increased to 26 points by 2007 (national gap, 26 points).

“South Carolina’s NAEP math scores have increased dramatically in recent years for both white and African-American students, and that’s good,” Rex said. “But when scores for both groups are improving, African-American students must improve at an even faster pace if we want to close the gap.”

Reading scores have not improved at the same rate as math scores, and Rex said a new statewide literacy initiative will be aimed at changing that.

“Reading and writing are the fundamental tools for learning any subject,” Rex said. “How can you learn U.S. History if you can’t read? So one thing we need to do is move away from the idea that
reading and writing should be a central focus only in English Language Arts classes. For many schools, that will be a major paradigm shift.”

The State Superintendent said that in recent years, South Carolina has emphasized reading and writing instruction in early childhood grades (K-3).

“But there’s a danger in assuming that fourth-graders have command of those skills, because if you do that, then reading and writing instruction can get a lower priority in grades 4-12. We need to do a better job of helping students who continue to struggle past their early childhood years.”

Deputy State Superintendent of Education Valerie Harrison said a key goal of the new literacy initiative would be making reading the responsibility of all teachers in all subject areas. To help do that, the Education Department will incorporate that goal into its regional professional development programs.

“If you’re a visual and performing arts teacher, we’ll show you how to incorporate reading and writing instruction into your class work,” Harrison said. “If you’re a financial literacy teacher, we’ll do the same thing. One example might be to have students ‘notebook’ their class work – to write about what they’re learning on a daily basis.”

Harrison also said the Education Department would convene a statewide literacy panel comprising educators, parents, business leaders and representatives of professional organizations. She said that panel would recommend policy changes and practical strategies aimed at improving reading and writing instruction, in addition to giving regular feedback to the state agency as the initiative moves forward.

African-American students’ 2007 NAEP scores

In math, South Carolina African-American fourth-graders’ average NAEP score was 221, just below the national average of 222. Eighth-graders average 265, significantly above the national average of 259.

In reading, South Carolina African-American fourth-graders’ average NAEP score was 199, below the national average of 203. African-American eighth-graders’ average reading score of 242 was just below the national average of 244.

The U.S. Department of Education said its next achievement gap report would focus on Hispanic students.

S.C. will assist common core standards project without governor’s OK, Rex says

State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex said that South Carolina hopes to participate “to whatever extent possible” in a national effort announced today that aims to develop common academic standards in mathematics and English language arts.

The state cannot officially join the Common Core State Standards Initiative, sponsored by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, because Gov. Mark Sanford refused to co-sign South Carolina’s application with Rex.

Governors and state education superintendents from 46 states and three U.S. territories formally signed on to the state-led process to develop a common core of state standards that will be research and evidence-based, internationally benchmarked and aligned with college and work expectations. South Carolina, Alaska, Texas and Missouri are the only states not yet admitted.

“I’ve been assured by CCSSO that South Carolina will not be excluded from these worthwhile discussions due to the governor’s refusal,” Rex said. “In today’s global economy, the idea of each state having its own unique academic standards makes very little sense.

“Even so, this isn't a top-down federal mandate. It's a collective effort of the states, which can adapt the common core standards to their individual situations and timelines.”

Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas, NGA’s vice chairman, said American students must be better prepared to compete with students from around the world if the nation is to maintain its competitive edge.

“Common standards that allow us to internationally benchmark our students’ performance with other top countries have the potential to bring about a real and meaningful transformation of our education system to the benefit of all Americans,” Douglas said.

The Common Core State Standards Initiative builds on recent efforts of leading organizations and states that have focused on developing college- and career-ready standards and ensures that these standards can be internationally benchmarked to top-performing countries around the world. The goal is to have a common core of state standards that states can voluntarily adopt. States may choose to include additional standards beyond the common core as long as the common core represents at least 85 percent of the state’s standards in English language arts and mathematics.

“Measuring our students against international benchmarks is an important step,” said Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine. “Today, we live in a world without borders. It not only matters how Virginia students compare to those in surrounding states - it matters how we compete with countries across the world.”

The NGA and CCSSO are coordinating the process to develop these standards and have created an expert validation committee to provide an independent review of the common core state standards, as well as the grade-by-grade standards. This committee will be composed of nationally and internationally recognized and trusted education experts who are neutral to - and independent of - the process. The college- and career-ready standards are expected to be completed in July; grade-by-grade standards work is expected to be completed in December.

Founded in 1908, the NGA is the collective voice of the nation’s governors. Its members are the governors of the 50 states, three territories and two commonwealths. CCSSO is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions.

Senate panel gives key endorsement to public school choice legislation

COLUMBIA – The Senate Education Committee today unanimously approved and sent to the full Senate a bill aimed at increasing the number and variety of choices available to students and their families.

The committee approved the bill on a 13-0 vote. Co-sponsored by Republicans Wes Hayes and John Courson and Democrats Gerald Malloy and John Scott, it would establish public school choice committees in the state’s local school districts and require that they create new instructional choices at the elementary, middle and high school levels within two years.

Each district’s public school choice committee would adopt a proposal for at least one cross-district choice within three years and present that proposal to its local school board. Implementation would be at the discretion of local school boards.

“Today nearly 60,000 students are participating in some sort of optional instructional choice offered by a South Carolina public school,” said State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex. “Our goal is to make those kinds of choices available to every child in the state – and to let parents drive the creation of instructional programs within schools that are fully accountable to the public and fully accessible to kids.”

The state’s public school choice programs currently include single-gender initiatives, middle college/early college, Montessori Education, evening high school, language immersion, academic academies, arts integration and international baccalaureate programs. South Carolina is the nation’s leader in single-gender education with nearly 220 schools offering that instructional option. More than 30 public schools currently offer Montessori instruction, with at least five more schools scheduled to begin next fall.

Shortly after taking office two years ago, Rex created an Office of Public School Choice within his agency. That office is staffed by experts who help schools develop single-gender classes, Montessori programs and charter schools.

Before it approved the public school choice bill today, the Education Committee sent back to subcommittee a bill that would subsidize private school tuitions with public funds, effectively killing the legislation for this session of the General Assembly. Similar bills have been rejected by legislators every year since 2004.

“At a time when our entire nation is focusing on transforming public education, it’s disappointing that here in South Carolina we continue to be distracted by this idea of taking public money and sending it to private schools,” Rex said. “This bill would have created two school systems: one that’s fully accountable to the public for academic performance and financial performance, and one that’s not. One school system that’s fully accessible to every student, and one that can pick and choose which students it wants to accept.

“It’s the quality of our public schools that ultimately will determine our state’s overall quality of life. I don’t know of a single company that was considering a move to South Carolina and asked the question, ‘How good are your private schools?’ ”

Governor signs resolution giving districts flexibility, but stimulus impasse still looms

COLUMBIA – South Carolina school districts struggling with state budget cuts will soon have more flexibility to manage their dwindling resources.

Gov. Mark Sanford today signed legislative resolutions that give districts more leeway to shift funds, furlough employees or renegotiate salaries for some retired teachers who have returned to the classroom. The measure also delays the deadline for districts to offer teaching contracts for next year from April 15 to May 15.

“This is welcome news for school administrators and board members who are up against the funding wall at this very moment,” said State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex, who asked the General Assembly to approve the flexibility measures at the start of the current session. “Realistically, though, this development is overshadowed by the issue of whether federal stimulus money will be available for schools over the next two years. As long as that decision is delayed, it has the same effect as a negative decision for public education and for our state.”

Rex said that even a one-month delay in the teacher contract deadline may be too late for districts making their 2009-10 spending plans. “Given the stimulus impasse, districts can’t build next year’s budgets based on dollars they might not have,” he said. “They don’t have a lot of confidence that a stimulus deal will be struck quickly enough to matter.”

Flexibility to allow teacher and administrator furloughs, along with the ability to transfer funds between mandated programs, will be useful as districts close out the current school year and look to preserve jobs, Rex said. He cited a planned two-day teacher furlough in Charleston County that reportedly will save the school district about $1.7 million.

“That could translate into nearly 30 saved teaching positions,” Rex said. “We’ve said all along that our focus is on saving as many teaching positions as possible and keeping the impact of these budget cuts away from the classroom. And beyond that, adding to the state’s overall unemployment rate is that last thing we need to do now.”

Additional latitude to shift program funds is another boon for hard-pressed districts that will allow more resources to be allocated for core academic functions. “Frankly, some of the categorical funding for mandated programs is inadequate now, especially programs that have been around for awhile,” Rex said. “Under the current circumstances, the money would be better spent on more critical needs now and next year.”

The resolutions signed today also give districts flexibility on the use of state lottery funds, and they also require districts to establish uniform methods in renegotiating salaries for some retired teachers who have returned to the classroom.

The measures also encourage districts to reduce expenditures by such means as limiting low-enrollment courses, reducing travel for district staff and boards, reducing and limiting activities requiring dues and memberships, reducing transportation costs for extracurricular and academic competitions, and expanding virtual instruction.

Teachers will join State Superintendent to discuss budget crisis on

A panel of classroom teachers will join State Superintendent
of Education Jim Rex Sunday night for a live discussion on how South
Carolina’s current budget crisis is affecting public schools - and
what can be done to improve the situation.

The special live broadcast of “In Our Schools” will air from 6-7
p.m. on South Carolina ETV stations across the state, and viewers can
e-mail questions to Dr. Rex and the panelists at
inourschools@scetv.org.

The teacher panel comprises:
● Jenna Hallman, South Carolina’s 2009 State Teacher of the Year
and a science teacher at Calhoun Academy of the Arts in Anderson School
District 5.
● Stephanie Seay, a first-grade teacher at Houston Elementary
School in Spartanburg District 5 and the 2006 State Teacher of the
Year.
● Genia Web, a Milken National Educator award-winning math teacher
at Lexington Middle School in Lexington District 1.
● Eric Wilkerson, a Milken National Educator and associate choir
director at Wando High School in Charleston County.

“We have short-term challenges and long-term challenges,” Rex said.
“Schools obviously need help in weathering the current crisis, and we
should provide that help whenever and wherever we can. But at the same
time, we need to start developing a more adequate and equitable way of
funding public schools. If we delay, then when the economy turns
around, we’ll be putting our tax dollars back into a system that
everybody agrees is broken.”

School Administrators Deny Bible Distribution

From the Libery Counsel

Naples, FL – Tomorrow is Religious Freedom Day, yet World Changers of Florida has been denied the right to distribute Bibles within the Collier County School District. Superintendent Dennis Thompson and Attorney Jon Fishbane have unreasonably refused to allow the group to set up tables offering free Bibles during non-instructional time. Liberty Counsel sent a demand letter on behalf of Jerry Rutherford, President of World Changers, asking for a reversal of the decision.

For the past two years Superintendent Thompson has granted World Changers of Florida access to District schools to make Bibles available during non-instructional time. Superintendent Thompson approved the distribution under carefully prescribed distribution procedures consistent with the law. However, this year the Superintendent had a change of heart. On November 10, 2008, Rutherford submitted his request for Religious Freedom Day but did not hear back from the District until January 7, 2009, when he was told that his request was denied. The delayed consideration and late decision denying Rutherford’s routine request raise the issues of unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination and violation of the Establishment Clause.

The decision to deny World Changers access appears to be based solely upon the fact that the materials are religious in nature. Other community groups are routinely permitted to distribute materials in Collier County schools. Limiting access to the forum based on religious viewpoint violates the First Amendment.

Religious Freedom Day has been recognized for the last ten years under both Presidents Clinton and Bush. The presidents have called upon Americans to “observe this day through appropriate events and activities in homes, schools, and places of worship.” January 16th commemorates the passage of Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom in 1786.

School Funding Discussion

A special live edition of the “In Our Schools” television program this coming weekend features a roundtable discussion on funding 21st century public schools in South Carolina.

The one-hour telecast airs at 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 17, on SCETV. “In Our Schools” is a series designed for parents, educators and community partners and produced by ITV, which is part of the Department of Education, with ETV’s assistance.

The Aug. 17 program will be hosted by State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex, who will lead a conversation with business, education and community leaders on the negative impact of property tax reduction legislation, on the shortfall in funding for education and on the need for comprehensive revenue and funding reform. Viewers can participate in the program by e-mailing their questions to inourschools@scetv.org.

Sunday night’s program will be repeated on Aug. 21 and 25 and on Sept. 8 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. on Channel 301 for taping by schools (unlimited rights).