Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

COMMITTEE ON JOINT EDUCATION

Date:03/13/2013
ATTENDANCE
Time:07:49 AM to 08:49 AM
Buckner
Court
Place:HCR 0112
Everett
Fields
This Meeting was called to order by
Heath
Senator Hudak
Hill
Holbert
This Report was prepared by
Johnston
Rachel Kurtz-Phelan
Kerr
Landgraf
Marble
Murray
Peniston
Pettersen
Priola
Renfroe
Scheffel
Todd
Wilson
Young
Hamner
Hudak
X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call
Bills Addressed: Action Taken:
Discussion on Achievement Gap
Discussion on Alternative Education Campuses		Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only
Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only


07:50 AM -- Discussion on Achievement Gap

Senator Hudak, Chair of the Senate Education Committee, called the meeting to order. Keith Owen, Deputy Commissioner, Colorado Department of Education (CDE), and Jill Hawley, Associate Commissioner, CDE, came to the table. They distributed a handout (Attachment A). Dr. Owen told the committee that his presentation focuses on why the Colorado public education system has a consistently large achievement gap. He stated that it is important to talk about the number of students who are not proficient in certain subject areas, as opposed to only looking at the percentage of students who are not proficient overall. He explained that the number of students who are proficient or advanced in reading and math has remained flat from year to year. Dr. Owen told the committee that Colorado as a whole performs well when looking at overall achievement; however, when achievement is broken down by socioeconomic status, there is a 30 percent gap in reading proficiency, and a 25 percent gap in reading proficiency between minority and non-minority groups. He explained that other sub-groups that show similar gaps in proficiency are English Language Learners and students with disabilities.





13JtEd0313AttachA.pdf13JtEd0313AttachA.pdf

07:57 AM

Senator Hudak asked Dr. Owen to comment on why Colorado's proficiency gap is larger than other similar states. He responded that Colorado not only shows large disparities between sub-groups, such as low income versus non-low income and minority versus non-minority students, but that the gap between the highest performing and lowest performing students is larger in Colorado than other states. The committee discussed the achievement gap in 3rd grade reading and writing. Ms. Hawley explained that there is a significant gap between white low-income students and minority low-income students. Representative Buckner asked if the gap between white and minority students is persistent at each grade level, and asked if poverty is less of a factor than race in student performance. Dr. Owen responded that poverty and race are both factors, and that poverty greatly impacts the gap displayed in each of the sub-groups.


08:08 AM

Committee discussion ensued about the challenges faced by schools in regards to achievement gaps. Senator Todd asked whether there is a difference between younger students who have attended early childhood education programs and those who have not, and whether this continues to have an impact on achievement later in school. Ms. Hawley talked about the achievement gap between students with disabilities and students without disabilities, and stated that the size of the gap varies by type of disability. She stated that districts are starting to focus more on students with specific types of learning disabilities, and added that English Language Learners have seen the most improvement in achievement over time.


08:17 AM

Ms. Hawley explained that a key strategy of CDE is to work with the lowest performing school districts, including priority improvement and turn-around districts, to bring the lowest performing students to proficiency. She stated that raising proficiency will increase the achievement levels demonstrated by the state as a whole.


08:21 AM -- Discussion on Alternative Education Campuses

Kim Dolan, Associate Director, Donnell-Kay Foundation, and Vinny Badolato, Vice President of Public Affairs, Colorado League of Charter Schools (League), came to the table. Ms. Dolan spoke about the mission of Donnell-Kay in regards to Alternative Education Campuses (AECs). She distributed three handouts (Attachments B, C and D), and stated that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work for high-risk students. Ms. Dolan explained that by law, AECs in Colorado must serve 95 percent of special needs and high-risk students. She told the committee about the types, location, and make-up of the 79 AECs that serve students statewide. Ms. Dolan discussed AEC eligibility and explained the need to focus on academic risk factors and specific school design features that are essential to the success of AEC students. She talked about performance and accountability, and stated that it is important to prepare students for college and career readiness, and that AECs have significantly higher student drop out rates than traditional schools.











13JtEd0313AttachB.pdf13JtEd0313AttachB.pdf 13JtEd0313AttachC.pdf13JtEd0313AttachC.pdf

13JtEd0313AttachD.pdf13JtEd0313AttachD.pdf

08:30 AM

Ms. Dolan concluded her presentation by talking about funding and resources for AECs. Mr. Badolato stated that the League is a strong advocate for AECs and talked about his involvement with the New America School, which is a system of publically funded charter high schools. Mr. Badolato told the committee about a stakeholder group, of which Donnell Kay and the League are members, that meets to discuss a wide array of policy options to enhance AECs throughout the state. He talked about the specific populations served by AECs, as well as several of the specific policy options discussed by the stakeholder group.


08:39 AM

Mr. Badolato explained that Colorado is one of a few states that have statutorily-required AECs. He talked about the challenges faced by AECs that impact student performance. Senator Todd asked if any AECs have a career and technical education focus. Representative Hamner asked about the difference between other alternative education programs and AECs. Mr. Badolato stated that in order for a school to become an AEC, at least 95 percent of its student population must posses at least one special needs or high-risk factor. The committee discussed the correlation between increased rigor and increased drop out rates, as well as the pilot study proposed by the AEC stakeholder group.


08:49 AM

The committee adjourned.