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'08 Budget Discussion Proves Contentious;
Bacon Proposes "Scholarships"

After initial jousting over a one-day State Board meeting, what was scheduled as a 30 minute agenda item took almost an hour and a half, and even then the State Board only approved endorsing the Legislature's FY'08 funding plan for $149 million in new money by a 6-4 vote.  Voting to endorse were Steve Abrams, John Bacon, Kathy Martin, Connie Morris, Iris Van Meter, and Ken Willard.  Voting against endorsing were Sue Gamble, Carol Rupe, Bill Wagnon and Janet Waugh.

The defining issue was whether or not the State Board wanted to request additional money on top of the Legislative plan.  Various board members made suggestions to reallocate within the $149 million or to request additional money for programs to further State Board goals.  These included:

Abrams: reallocate money to fund all-day kindergarten in USDs not currently offering it.  After lengthy discussion about the merits of funding all-day K at 1.0 FTE through the general fund versus reallocating money for USDs who hadn't figured out other ways to fund all-day K, the motion was withdrawn.

Bacon: give "scholarships" to families to let them pay the rest of the cost of all-day K if they choose.  [In other legislative discussions, the term "scholarship" frequently has been used as a synonym for voucher.]  Suggestion, no motion made.

Waugh: implement 1.0 FTE for all-day K over 3 years.  Motion failed 5-4-1, Gamble, Martin, Rupe, Wagnon, Waugh for; Abrams, Morris, Van Meter, Willard against; Bacon abstained.

Wagnon: fund the mentor program for the second year of a teacher's career.  Motion failed 5-4-1 (same distribution of votes as above).

Waugh: make Parents As Teachers available to 1,000 more students.  Motion failed 5-4-1 (same as above).

Wagnon: increase at-risk weighting by 1%.  Motion failed 4-5-1 (Martin voted against, other votes as above).

Willard: fund KAL-TECH (program that provides leadership training for administrators) through agency allocation if money is available.  Motion carried 7-3, Abrams, Bacon, Martin, Morris, Rupe, Van Meter, Willard for; Gamble, Wagnon, Waugh against.

To see Board materials on the FY'08 budget, go to http://www.ksde.org/commiss/Aug_06_board_mtg_materials.pdf page 217.

Board Adopts Cut Scores, New Performance Labels for State Assessments

On a 7-1-2 vote, the State Board adopted recommendations for cut scores for the Kansas assessments.  Voting to adopt were Bacon, Martin, Morris, Rupe, Van Meter, Wagnon and Willard; voting against was Gamble; abstaining were Abrams and Waugh.

The scores were determined using a review process coordinated by KSDE and the Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation [CETE] at KU.  The process involved Kansas educators and included multiple standard-setting methodologies: bookmark, contrasting groups, borderline groups, and body of work. 

A "super panel" of 32 Kansas educators reviewed the results of the process and recommended the cut scores.

In addition, new labels for the 5 performance levels were adopted.  They are: academic warning, approaches standard, meets standard, exceeds standard, and exemplary.  "Meets standard" would be considered "proficient" for AYP purposes.

When questioned about the need for new labels, Dr. Tom Foster, assistant commissioner, explained that with the new tests and new cut scores, it was felt that new labels would help emphasize that the new levels and scores cannot be compared to the old levels and scores.

Gamble voted against the recommendation citing her concern that impact information on how these scores would affect AYP for Kansas schools was not presented.

Foster indicated that AYP graphs for reading and mathematics would probably be available at the September State Board meeting.

The scores for the general reading and mathematics assessments are included here.  Scores for KAAM, KELPA and the alternate assessments were also adopted.

General reading assessment, percent correct:

General mathematics assessment, percent correct:

Materials for this agenda item were provided at the Board meeting but are not currently available on the internet.

In other action, the State Board:

• Received model curricular standards for listening, speaking and viewing
• Visited the Kansas Historical Society for a presentation on the Kansas history project
• Heard quarterly reports from Kansas State School for the Blind and Kansas State School for the Deaf
• Began the regulatory review process for proposed regulations for seclusion and restraint of students with disabilities
• Received program standards for the new EC-K unified license
• Discussed recommendations regarding unlicensed personnel
• Approved a plan to change the method of election and voting of USD 102, Cimarron
• Approved a request from USD 308, Hutchinson to hold a bond election
• Approved visiting scholar license requests from
  o USD 348, Baldwin City - art teacher
  o USD 497, Lawrence - autism itinerant teacher

The next meeting of the State Board is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, September 12 and 13 in Topeka.

KNEA Legislative Contacts

Blake West, President
Peg Dunlap, Director, Instructional Advocacy
Mark Desetti, Director, Legislative and Political Advocacy
Terry Forsyth, Director, Political Action

The KNEA Lobby Team consists of elected leaders and staff. The Lobby Team welcomes member feedback on issues before the Legislature and on this site.