Foundation Budget Review Commission is BACK

After a summer hiatus, the Foundation Budget Review Commission is meeting today at the State House at 9:30 in hearing room A1 (which is in the basement, if memory serves). I'm heading in on the train to take notes.
As the initial report took up out-of-district special ed (though not to the degree necessary) and health insurance, they'll be looking at what's left at this point. The list they've put together is:

• in-district special education 
• low income increment
• ELL increment
• mental health/ wraparound services
• Professional development/common planning time/instructional coaches
• extended learning time
• technology
• full day preschool
• K-3 pupil-teacher ratios
• operations and maintenance
• inflation adjustment

They're also going to be looking at their effective use and efficiencies charge, and they've floated several items on tying expenditures to particular uses. 

Notes to come!



In

-

District SPED cost rate



Low

-

income increment



ELL increment



Mental Health/Wraparound ser

vices



PD/Common Planning Time/Instructional coaches



Extended learning time



Technology



Full Day Preschool



K

-

3 pupil:teacher ratios



Operations & maintenance



Inflation adjustment



In

-

District SPED cost rate



Low

-

income increment



ELL increment



Mental Health/Wraparound ser

vices



PD/Common Planning Time/Instructional coaches



Extended learning time



Technology



Full Day Preschool



K

-

3 pupil:teacher ratios



Operations & maintenance



Inflation adjustment



In

-

District SPED cost rate



Low

-

income increment



ELL increment



Mental Health/Wraparound ser

vices



PD/Common Planning Time/Instructional coaches



Extended learning time



Technology



Full Day Preschool



K

-

3 pupil:teacher ratios



Operations & maintenance



Inflation adjustment



In

-

District SPED cost rate



Low

-

income increment



ELL increment



Mental Health/Wraparound ser

vices



PD/Common Planning Time/Instructional coaches



Extended learning time



Technology



Full Day Preschool



K

-

3 pupil:teacher ratios



Operations & maintenance



Inflation adjustment

Speaking of extended learning time

...which you might remember was mentioned as part of the priorities set on foundation budget by the Worcester School Committee last week, in connection with increasing the low income allotment, there is a great report out from MassBudget on extended learning time. I'm particularly impressed by the nuances in the report, at time when "longer days! longer year!" appears to be the mantra. For example:

What matters is how time is used, not just the addition of more time.   Extended day schedules have been a critical part of successful school turnarounds when they have been used to support several effective practices. These practices include increased collaboration between teachers, more effective use of student data to target academic support, improved school leadership, and deeper partnerships with community organizations. 

And:

There are potential drawbacks with the strategy. These include the intense focus on test preparation that could be at the expense of broader learning, and the selection of kids based on better behavior and MCAS scores within range of proficiency. These students may not be representative of a wider population that also needs additional support. It also remains to be seen if gains from temporary academies will be retained over time. 

Plus:

Use of MCAS, PARCC or other standardized assessments is only one domain of outcomes to measure. Successful expanded learning initiatives have focused on health and wellness, built relationships between youth and caring adults, and provided hands-on career relevant learning opportunities.

More time for more test prep is NOT the answer. It's a nuanced conversation; let's make sure we're having it.

Every SINGLE thing?

Tangential, as the point of the article is not this, but I gasped aloud this morning when I got to the end of this comment in an article on extended school years:

“It is true that we have an unfair society, and it is true that kids who are coming from the poorer backgrounds and whose parents don’t do a lot of reading are losing reading skills over the summer,” said Peter Gray, research professor of psychology at Boston College. “But let’s look at other solutions.” He added, “Whatever job we give to the school system, they ruin it.”

(emphasis added)
I will resist the temptation to toss some psychology into why we'd have a professor of psychology making such a generalization, but...really, Professor Gray? Every single thing? Ever?

And regarding summer learning loss, be sure to read Alfie Kohn on just what it is we're losing.