Transforming Education System for Economic Prosperity

1. New MexicoEducation Speaker SeriesLos Alamos National Lab Foundation and Thornburg Foundation The SYSTEM : Education, Employment, and Economy Terry Holliday, Chair of National Board for Professional Teaching Standards April 10, 2019 Santa Fe, New Mexico

2. Results Attributed to Systemic Efforts • Superintendent of Iredell-Statesville Schools – 2002-2009 • 2008 Malcomb Baldrige Quality Award recipient • Lowered dropout rate from among highest in state to lowest in state • Raised graduation rates from 58% to 81% • Raised average SAT scores by 65 points • Improved proficiency on state assessments from 74% to 91% • Improved district academic ranking from bottom 25% to top 5% while expenditures per pupil were 2nd lowest in state • Improved teacher retention and working conditions

3. Results Attributed to Systemic Efforts • Kentucky Commissioner of Education 2009-2015 • Improved college and career readiness rates from 30% to 67% of graduates • Improved high school graduation rate from 68% to 89% (5th highest in nation) • National leader in implementation of college and career ready standards and accountability systems • Recognized as national leader in turnaround of low performing schools (for more details see new book – Without Trumpets: Continuous Educational Improvement Journey to Sustainability– Allred and Foster)

4. Recent “Systems Change” Efforts • Chaired 2014 CCSSO Task Force on college and career readiness • Coaching new state commissioners/secretaries of education • National collaboration to address teacher initial licensure, renewal, and reciprocity • Coaching states on Every Student Succeeds Act development and implementation • Coaching states on alignment of ESSA, WIOA, and Perkins plans • Coach for states implementing the JP Morgan Chase Foundation New Skills for Youth grant – focus on workforce readiness • Advocating for national measure of college and career readiness based on Lexiles and Quantiles • Chair of National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

5. National Conference of State Legislatures • No Time to Lose – How to Build a World Class Education System State by State • Released August, 2016 – I was honored to serve on panel moderated by Marc Tucker at the NCSL session in Chicago • State legislators from Hawaii to Massachusetts studied top performers in the world and nation • My honor to travel and study systems in Switzerland and Germany

6. No Time to Lose – Major Recommendations • Elements of a World Class System of Education • Early Childhood Investment • Investment in Supporting Struggling Students • World Class Teaching Force • World Class Standards, Curriculum, Assessments • World Class Career and Technical Education • Systemic and Collaborative Approach to Address All Components To ensure EVERY student meets goal of college and career readiness Thanks to LANL Foundation and Thornburg Foundation for Speaker Series

7. New Mexico Recent Actions/Events • 16% increase in education spending • Increased compensation for educators • Increased At-Risk formula funding • Increased funding for extended learning time • Increased Pre-K funding • Increased funding for instructional materials • Change in Governor and Secretary of Public Education

8. Our Challenge for Systemic Change in Education • Most parents are complacent and happy with their local school system • After many waves of education reform, the public is very skeptical of the term “education reform” due to lack of documented improvements (NAEP results flat, etc.)– there may be a better way to approach the critical issue - to paraphrase James Carville from the 1992 Clinton Campaign It’s the Economy Stupid I prefer – It’s The System or Lack of a System

9. WHY ECONOMY, EMPLOYMENT, AND EDUCATION – THE LARGER SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING? • Education drives employment and employment drives the economy • People are angry because system is not working in many places • Economic recovery since 2008 has been a haves vs have nots • Haves are individuals with some college • Have nots are high school graduates or less • Schools and education systems reflect the economic/employment system within which they operate • Wicked problem - You will struggle to improve local education system without improving local economic system and you will struggle to improve local economic system without improving education system

10. The American Dream Is No Longer A Reality for Many

11. WHY SYSTEM NOT WORKING FOR MANY? • Since 2007 U.S. economy has added 11.6 million jobs • 11.5 million of jobs added (99%) have gone to individuals with some college • Of the 7.2 million jobs lost in the recession 5.6 million were for workers with a high school diploma or less – these workers have seen recovery of 1% of jobs lost • Workers with high school degree or less have actually experienced a loss in wages when adjusted for inflation

12. Significant Shift in Jobs • Jobs that require postsecondary - healthcare services, consulting and business services, financial services, education services, and government services accounted for 28% of workforce in 1947 – today they account for 46% of the workforce

13. Significant Shift in Jobs • In 1947 over half of the workforce was employed in manufacturing, construction, and natural resource jobs that required a high school diploma or less. Today, only 19% of jobs are in these areas

14. Significant Shift in Jobs • Jobs that once only required a high school diploma now require some postsecondary – many HR screeners use postsecondary degree as a screener rather than actual skills attainment • Manufacturing jobs declined 32% since 1980, but, employment of workers with bachelor’s degree or higher increased by 70%

16. Through 2025, we will face a skills gap of 11 million workers with postsecondary education. 11 million

17. How Have States Responded and Lessons Learned • Over 40 states have adopted postsecondary attainment goals • A goal does not ensure systemic change or improved results • Accountability does not ensure systemic change or improved results • Top down solutions do not ensure systemic change or improved results • “Silver bullets” do not ensure systemic change or improved results • Local control does not ensure systemic change or improved results • Throwing money at problem does not ensure systemic change or improved results • 4 year degree is not the only solution – most “new” jobs will be middle skills • Public perception of “college or career” – need to change marketing from either/or to “future ready” and honor and promote middle skills jobs

18. State Systemic Models for Review • Tennessee • Rhode Island • Delaware • Kentucky • Massachusetts

19. State Systemic Models for Review • Common elements • Leadership – common vision and measurable goal built on; • Stakeholder focus and engagement with a guiding coalition of agency leads tracking; • Fidelity of implementation of strategic plans and action plans using a powerful; • Data system that drives continuous improvement in; • Training, resources, and support for modifying strategies/action plans; • Leading to improvement in processes and results at the strategic and operational levels

20. Challenges You Will Face to Systemic Change • Turf – power, money, control • “I was here before you came and I will be here after you leave” - Status Quo bureaucrats • I taught it – they just didn’t learn it (blame the level below) • “Leave me alone and let me teach” (local control) • Lack of data – no longitudinal data system (data privacy concerns) • “If it ain’t broke…..” • Too much too fast – just work on one thing at a time • Election cycles • Changes in leadership • Implementation with fidelity

21. How to Approach Education System Change Through Economic System Change • Every Student Succeeds Act Plan • Carl Perkins Plan • Higher Education Plan • Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act Plan • Economic Development Plan • Early Childhood Plan • LOOK FOR ALIGNMENT – Goals, Resources, Strategies

22. How to Approach Education System Change Through Economic System Change • Oversight Group to Ensure Alignment of Goals, Objectives, and Strategies • Governor leadership is critical • Common Vision and Common Goal that is easy for public to understand • Cross functional group of agency heads for Public Education, Higher Education, Workforce Cabinet, Economic Development Cabinet, Early Childhood Cabinet meeting on regular basis • Stakeholder Engagement in development and implementation of strategies – especially voice of key industries in New Mexico • Monitor implementation and results with strong longitudinal data system • Public reporting of progress • Respond to strategies not working • Leaders must be involved – attendance, public support, monitoring • Significant marketing effort to change public perception of “career readiness” • Ownership of “counseling” by all (educators, industry, higher education)

23. How to Approach Education System Change Through Economic System Change • Working Groups • Cross-functional – model the group that you want region/district/local groups to follow • Regularly scheduled strategy meetings and progress meetings • Specific implementation plans at state, region, district, and local levels • Feedback loop to oversight group • Utilize continuous improvement approach (PDSA, PDCA, etc.) • Local and regional groups follow WIOA or economic development organizational structure

24. Sweet Spots of the Systemic Changes Needed • Pathways and Standards – tied to state industry sector priorities • Employer Engagement – to develop standards and agree on credentials • Accountability Measures Aligned – credentials of value • Stakeholder Engagement – messaging to parents and students • Alignment of K-16 to career readiness – reduce duplication of efforts • Financial Flexibility (state can dedicate more funds to rural districts and districts with large concentrations of CTE students) • Innovation – shared space, staff, equipment and resources between employers, K-12, and postsecondary (Kentucky regional academy model)

25. Systemic Choices What will NM Choose?