Education News in Alabama

February 22, 2006 (archive)

TEACHER TESTING

Subject matter testing for beginning teachers is now a reality in Alabama. Beginning April 14, new teachers candidates must provide proof of passing the PRAXIS II test administered by ETS (Education Testing Service) before being granted a teaching certificate. The PRAXIS II test is used in 43 states and is available in 30 subject areas.

At its monthly meeting in February, the State Board of Education adopted passing scores for the PRAXIS II test. At the meeting, Board members stressed the importance of attracting and retaining highly qualified teachers by ensuring that they are skilled in the subject area in which they will be teaching. In addition to new teachers, veteran teachers may opt to take the PRAXIS II test to meet the “highly qualified” status required by the No Child Left Behind Act. The tests are offered several times throughout the year giving candidates multiple opportunities to take the test and achieve a passing score.

FY07 EDUCATION BUDGET PASSES IN THE HOUSE

In legislative action last week, the House passed an education budget and sent it to the Senate for adoption. The record setting $6 billion budget includes a 5 percent pay raise for education employees and 7 percent for retirees. Last year, the legislature provided an increase of 6 percent for actives and 4 percent for retirees.

Key items to support improvements in the performance of schools include: an increase of $16 million for the Alabama Reading Initiative; $7 million for the Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative; $8 million to enhance the use of technology in instruction; $11.8 million for additional Special Education teachers; and $3 million to support English as a Second Language. An allocation of $1 million to increase offerings of Advanced Placement courses will be matched with a grant of an additional $500,000 from the National Governors Association. The school year will be lengthened from 175 days to 180 days at a cost of $79 million. This will allow students the opportunity to attend the same number of school days as most of the nation and will allow teachers to earn additional pay.

Two items that the State Board of Education and Governor had requested to improve school performance were omitted. Last year, the SBOE piloted the award of cash bonuses to schools that have at least 80 percent of their students living in poverty and were able to dramatically increase the number of children who were achieving at proficient or advanced levels. In an attempt to motivate continued improvement and teacher retention in those schools with the greatest challenges, the SBOE had requested $5 million to expand the awards to a larger number of schools; the adopted budget allocates only $350,000.

The SBOE and Governor also requested $650,000 to support their initiatives to improve school leadership and teaching quality. Policy recommendations from the Congress on School Leadership were provided to the State Board and Governor last May and implementation of several key policies, such as the redesign of college programs to prepare school leaders, is underway. The Commission on Quality Teaching began work in January with a review of successful efforts in other states. The requested funding would have provided assistance and research for the work of the commission and funding for piloting recruiting efforts to offset current and projected teacher shortages. No funding was provided by the Legislature for this important work.

The FY07 education budget passed by the House contains $337 million more in recurring expenses then the budget originally proposed by the Governor. Critics of the budget fear that the 6.2 percent growth required to support the larger budget won't happen. While growth has been strong for the past two years, the average annual change in education revenues since 1984 is about +5 percent according to the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA). PARCA issued its quarterly report last week, and the report contains proposed methods to improve the budgeting process and to stabilize planning for the future. The report can be found online at: http://parca.samford.edu.

PROMOTING MATH AND SCIENCE IN K-12 EDUCATION

For many years, the scientific and business communities have appealed for better math and science education for America's K-12 students. Recently, there has been a new urgency in the call for improving the quality of the nation's education programs in these areas. Congressional leaders, governors, corporate executives, and top scientists are speaking loudly on the issue, demanding an increase in attention and resources given to this critical area. In his State of the Union address, delivered to the nation on January 31st, President George W. Bush echoed this cry, emphasizing the need to vigorously promote math and science in America's K-12 education system. In his address, President Bush proposed the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI), which would provide $380 million in new federal funds to support the improvement of math, science, and technology in America's classrooms.

However, a recent survey reveals that most Americans are satisfied with the quality of math and science education provided for today's students. A recent survey found that 57% of parents say they have no problem with the math and science taught in schools. At the high school level, 70% of parents believe that schools provide enough for their children in these areas. The results of this survey will make more difficult the task of expanding the availability of rigorous math and science courses and encouraging students to take these courses.

Two recently released reports highlight America's need to bolster its math, science, technology, and engineering programs. The National Academy of Sciences co-published the report: "Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future." The report, available on online at http://fermat.nap.edu, urges a comprehensive and coordinated federal effort to boost America's education system in these areas. The Business Roundtable, an organization of business groups, released a separate report: "Tapping America's Potential: The Education for Innovation Initiative" (found online through their website: www.businessroundtable.org). Both reports stress the importance for schools to rigorously raise standards and increase the amount of math and science coursework throughout K-12 education.

The push for these programs at the federal level affirms Alabama's efforts to move forward on the state's promising program, the Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI). AMSTI is modeled after the successful Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI). By focusing on professional development and instructional methods, ARI and AMSTI are effective in raising student test scores and closing the achievement gap. Currently, the State Department of Education is requesting additional funding for its FY07 budget to further expand this program into classrooms across the state. More information on efforts to improve math and science can be found online at the Alabama Mathematics, Sciences, and Technology Education Coalition at: www.amstec.org.

IN OTHER NEWS…

"The Harmonies of Liberty: A Symposium on the Role of Religion in Public Life"

The University of Alabama School of Law will be hosting "The Harmonies of Liberty: A Symposium on the Role of Religion in Public Life." A number of national- and state-level leaders from civic groups, churches, politics and academic institutions will gather for a day of addresses and panel discussions and is open to the public. The Symposium will be held March 31, 2006 at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. For more information and registration for the Symposium, visit: http://www.harmoniesofliberty.org/

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