USDE: List of States Making RTTT-Related Changes

Here's the list from the USDE to go along with the claim that 23 states have made changes to their laws to try and win RTTT funding.  Make of it what you will.  

Standards- States that have signed onto the State Standards Initiative Charters- States that have enacted legislation creating or expanding the number of charter schools Teacher Quality- States that have enacted legislation that ties/will tie teacher evaluations to student data or removed the “firewall” on student data. Teacher Contracts- New contracts that address student achievement in teacher compensation.

STANDARDS . 48 states and the District of Columbia have joined a national partnership led by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers to develop a common core of new, rigorous college and career-ready standards in reading and math. 

CHARTERS Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Utah, New York, and Tennessee have all altered laws or policies to create or expand the number of charter schools.Kentucky, Mississippi, and Idaho are considering similar legislation to create or expand the number of charter schools. South Dakota has created legislation allowing for the creation of a pilot Native American charter school if it receives a federal grant to do so.  

TEACHER QUALITY California, Wisconsin, Nevada, Maine, and Indiana have enacted legislation removing the firewall between student achievement and teacher evaluations. Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Louisiana, Delaware, Tennessee, Illinois,New York, Oklahoma, Arizona, and Ohio have enacted legislation that requires student achievement data to be used in teacher evaluation or tenure decisions. Minnesota and Indiana are considering similar legislation. Washingtonhas passed legislation to explore the use of student data performance in teacher evaluations. 

NOTABLE TEACHER CONTRACTS In Washington, D.C., Michelle A. Rhee and the Washington Teachers' Union have reached tentative agreement (4/7/10) on a new contract that would increase teacher salaries by more than 20% over 5 years thanks to private foundation donations. The agreement includes a voluntary pay-for-performance program that will allow teachers to earn annual bonuses for student growth on standardized tests and other measures of academic success, among other agreements. In Detroit, Michigan, the school district has forged a new model for teacher compensation that rewards successful performance, and the district has established “priority schools” to identify and turn-around struggling schools. New Haven, CT ratified a new four-year contract for its teachers, including a new teacher evaluation system that considers student learning gains in the assessment of teacher performance and that identifies and provides interventions for struggling teachers through a peer-assistance and review program . 

COLLEGES OF EDUCATION Florida, Colorado, and Tennessee are moving to join Louisiana as the only other states in the nation that will commit to evaluating the success of their teacher preparation programs by tracking the impact of recent graduates in the classroom. 

Comments

[alexander]

here's another list of state changes, though i'm not sure what it's original source was:

State Reforms Since Round 1

LEGISLATIVE CHANGES

Nevada (3/10/10) – The bill removes the firewall on student data in teacher evaluations.

South Dakota (3/12/10) - Legislation allows for the creation of a pilot Native American charter school if it receives Race to the Top.

Rhode Island (3/16/10) - Expands the number of charter schools from 20 to 35 and gets rid of the “% of student population” requirement for the number of charter schools permitted.

Utah (3/25/10) – The bill removes Utah's limits on charter school enrollment growth. Under the legislation, the growth of charter school enrollment will be based on how much money lawmakers appropriate, instead of a percentage of statewide student enrollment.

Washington (3/30/10) - The state passed education reform legislation includes a way for the state to intervene in schools that are failing, changes the way principals and teachers are evaluated, bumps automatic tenure rights to 3 years instead of 2 years for many teachers, and paves the way for nonprofit organizations to issue teacher certifications.

Maryland (4/8/10) – The legislature has passed a bill that requires public school teachers to work three years before receiving tenure — the current minimum is two years — and ties teacher evaluation to student achievement.

Maine (4/12/10) - Removes the firewall on student data in teacher evaluations.

Mississippi (4/27/10) – SB2293 creates a new process for transforming some failing state schools into “New Start Schools” and “Conversion Charter Schools.” The law allows the Mississippi Recovery School District to act as a state body to take over habitually failing schools. The district can turn the failing school into a school sharing some charter characteristics, upon approval of more than 50 percent of parents or guardians of students attending the school.

Wisconsin (4/29/10)

Governor Doyle has signed legislation that gives the state's superintendent of public instruction the authority to direct school boards in failing districts to adopt new curriculum, provide early intervention services for children, extend student learning time and implement professional development programs for teachers and principals. The law also requires the state superintendent to enact rules for how school districts and schools will be identified for this intervention. In addition, the law specifically requires that Milwaukee Public Schools draw up a master plan to analyze aging facilities and buildings, collaborate with non-profit organizations to provide social services and develop alternative routes to high school diplomas for at-risk students. The law also removes tenure for MPS principals, the only principals in the state to have such a protection provided by law.

Connecticut (5/5/10) - The state legislature has approved a school reform bill that would make high schools more rigorous, change teacher evaluations, empower parents to force change in failing schools and authorize the State Board of Education to replace local, elected school board members. Awaiting Governor’s signature.

Colorado (5/14/10) - Colorado lawmakers passed landmark legislation that would make it tougher for public school teachers to earn tenure and easier for them to lose it. Under the bill, which garnered bipartisan support, teachers would be evaluated every year and students' academic progress would count for half the instructors' overall rating. Awaiting Governor’s signature.

LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS

Kentucky (4/1/10) -The state Senate approved a bill (HB 109) that will allow for the creation of charter schools. The regular legislative session ended on 4/15/10 without any additional passage, but the legislation will likely be called into special session to resolve the state’s budget so charter schools may be taken up again.

Minnesota (4/19/10) - Governor Pawlenty had proposed linking teacher compensation and tenure to evaluations based in part (35%) on student performance. However, lawmakers failed to pass legislation before the session ended.

Louisiana (4/28/10)

Governor Jindal’s signature education reform bill, HB 1033, would require annual evaluations for teachers and administrators in which at least 50 percent of the review would be linked to growth in student achievement. It was passed by Louisiana’s House Education Committee and is now in the full House.

New York (5/3/10)
On Monday, May 3, the State Senate approved a bill lifting the charter school cap to 460, more than doubling the number of charter schools currently allowed under law (200). Also, more recently, state officials and union leaders struck a deal to tie teacher evaluations to student performance for the first time. The system will need legislative approval.

West Virginia (5/5/10)

The education portion of the governor's special session agenda would act on proposals from the state school board and Superintendent Steve Paine. Those proposals include expanding its existing "innovation zone" program to encompass many aspects of charter schools found in other states. Other changes proposed include performance-based pay for teachers; the ability to remove principals from low-performing schools in a timelier manner; higher pay for teachers who work in areas of critical need; and encouraging alternate paths to teaching.

New Jersey (5/7/10)

Education Commissioner Bret Schundler has introduced a package of reforms that includes merit pay for teachers. The commissioner’s list of reforms also includes giving parents more school choice and closing failing schools. And, teachers would have to wait five years, instead of three, to get tenure.

North Carolina (5/7/10)

State education leaders are considering raising the current limit of 100 charter schools to allow for a new kinds of charters, converted from established schools and started by school districts rather than independent groups. The idea signals a departure for Democratic state leaders with long-held stands against charter schools, including Governor Perdue, State Board of Education Chairman Harrison.

[Robbins]

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[Jamie]

What RttT-related change did Ohio make regarding student performance data factoring into teacher evaluations? We've passed no legislation here of the sort. Although SB 180 in the fall attempted to build student data into evaluations, the bill went nowhere.

Jamie