Education Committee Senate & House

Here you all on the end over here we're going to ask you to what is your turn if you would push that button and then all of you'll be on our Speaker. So let me see let's start with ms Glover from Mabel veil you would identify yourself please for the record and you'll be recognized. Good morning I'm completion clever principal at Mabel the elementary school. It is a pleasure to be able to be here before you today maybe well elementary school is located in southwest area of little rock with approximately four hundred and seventy five students about sixty four percent of those students are African American twenty six percent of those students are Hispanic and about seven percent of those students are white or other. About three years ago we set out to change the culture environments in expectations for all students and staff we engaged in our very own peels the academy what we had a solution tree consultant come into the building and begin the work with us on collaborating for better results. After six sessions with doctor berry we were hungry for more and the opportunity arose for us to apply for the PLC grant through the state and we did just that we already had a guiding coalition that was formed with our work with doctor beer it and once we were awarded the grant in June we were excited to continue the work. Last year was our first full year with the grants and it has been more than I opening. We have changed our master schedules to insure all grade levels are line eighteen time to collaborate for more than one day we have also made time in the day for school wide interventions for students who need the extra support. I was able to take my special education team. To Seattle for the yes we can conference where they came back and were on fire about collaborating with general education teachers I was able to take my guiding coalition to face a bill where we attended the overcoming the achievement gap trap. With doctor Muhammad we were so motivated we knew the whole school needed to hear doctor Muhammad Dr Mohammed will actually be with us on this Saturday. Teachers are taking time out of their Saturdays to collaborate review best practices and engage in professional development all because they see the importance of collaborating and becoming students of new learning as well we understand that the school is appeals the but it is what we do in those collaborative team meetings that make a world of difference one final thing. Our specialist team which is comprised of several members of singletons like art music P. E. medias bad teachers they all came together last year AS one collaborative team this group of educators worked hard in implementing house rules for the entire school their goal was to help me reach my goal of no more than sixty disciplinary referrals for the year. We reached our goal of only having thirty two disciplinary referrals we also celebrated one another because we knew and understood that this was true collaboration and it's a all of us working together to achieve this goal so I say that to say to you today thank you for the opportunity to be a part of this process we are striving every day to become a model peels the school and to use what we are learning to help other schools in the district in the state thank you. Thank you very much okay well let's see I'd what we need I do need to do is I need to recognized mayor George McGill who is our former house of representatives person from Fort Smith so we welcome you here you're sitting on the other side of the table this time yes but we're glad to have you here thank you George. Okay let's see miss Candace Johnson from Benton. Good morning in my. Johnson I am actually from regular Menteri and west Memphis Arkansas and I would like to. Let you guys know from a teacher's perspective how have I grown as an educator through practicing. Practicing and a professional learning community has been a life changing experience within my career my knowledge of content has deepened and my educational practices has been transformed during my first year of practicing and a professional learning community I was taught how to break down essential standards. This process revealed clear expectations as to how to teach in master essential standards while engaging in this process with my colleagues I learned the true meaning of collaboration we engaged in meaningful conversations and work focused on student learning. With the establishing learning targets for each a central standard and Berkeley aligning them interventions and extensions became clearer and easier to facilitate with purpose. Once house state standards were broken down I participated in designing unit plans of study these plans allocated time for initial instruction re teach opportunities as needed risk free assessments and interventions and extensions. And collaborative teams we created common formative assessments quick checks in common summative assessments the data obtained from these assessments were insightful never did I have to worry anymore about after teaching the standard why a student. Couldn't master it as I navigated through teaching the standard I was able to pinpoint where my students were by accessing their learning targets along the way. Not only was this data used to inform my instruction but also open the opportunity to share best practices A marks my colleagues. Meaningful test driven interventions and extensions were taking place students were even actively involved in their learning I created student tracking sheets. Or agents central standard that had their learning targets listed as well after taking an assessment and receiving feedback from Maine students were able to log of their own progress and reflect on their performance students were able to communicate what they were learning what they were doing well with as well as what did they need additional support. The experiences I have gained a through participating in a professional learning community warranted transformation traditional norms and practices were eliminated every year I participated in our professional learning community I was eager to gain and applied new found knowledge overall I'm must say participating in a professional learning community has empowered me as a teacher I have strength in my knowledge of content collaboration and best practices witnessing the changing culture practices and growth is rewarding and for this I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to participate and a professional learning community thank you. Thank you very much. Excellent. Okay let's see miss Lori Griffin printable Bowman elementary school. Now we have to share sorry. Good morning. I'm Laurie Griffin the principal involving elementary in Fort Smith and I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for changing education Arkansas you are putting Arkansas on the map and we are so grateful. I've seen this process transform to different schools I led the process in two thousand seven in Ozark where we became a model school it was about results. When we have results in Arkansas we change lives. And we set our children up for success. In Ozark we went from a CD two in a through the process Senate Bowman elementary in Fort Smith we went from a CD two one one hundredth of a point from in a hi and we during the review I was just hoping they would find that one little glitch but they didn't that we still have room to grow. Teacher retention is so important in Arkansas and this process has made a difference I've seen it happen in two different schools rule in an urban school. In Ozark we went five years without losing someone. Teachers wanted to be there we value them they felt that and it bomb and we with three years this year we had a teacher moved to a mental our middle school transition is happening next year and so one teacher wanted to have her choice of where she went so she decided to move on before the transition happens and she's forced to move that people want to be there. Resistant teachers. I just cannot tell you how it has changed their lives professionally and personally it changes personalities and that is hard to do and dispositions I had one of the strongest resistors in the district in our school and through this pilot at the very end last year she stood up in a faculty meeting in front of the whole entire staff and thanked the administrators for giving her that collaborative time to work with her team to make a difference for her kids. It's we we've seen results in our E. L. L. population we just recently got some great results on the other twenty one kindergarten proficiency is so hard to achieve in kindergarten. And the state had six percent proficient our district had four percent proficient in kindergarten involvement had eighteen percent proficient and that is the year we need to catch them it's not third grades kindergarten that we need to set them up for success this process helps us do that our special land referrals have the priest and fifty percent we went from twenty three special ed referrals to twelve this past year and only two were for resource teachers are changing their minds that they want to try to save these children and keep them out of special ed and so we had tea and referred for speech which we eventually dismiss those most of the time SO two for resource and our whole school was in I don't even think about that and qualified one just qualified so what a difference it is making special ed. Our students and trauma. We in a professional learning community the culture is so positive and people feel it when they walk through the door and they've seen these both of the schools transform and when kids and trauma committee other scared at first and they just don't know what to expect they feel the love of our entire staff wrapping our arms around them and by the second or third day of school they are running in those doors ready to come in to learn. So. Legislators thank you so much for making a difference in Arkansas and we help you continue to support us thank you. Thank you very much. Okay let's see Mr Josh will ray from each point elementary school. Hold on a second. Forgot your all right thank you so much let me start by just said again my name is Josh ray on the principal at east point elementary agreeing with and I want to begin by personally thank you this is in my fourteen years of education the single most impactful experience that I've had as an educator it's it's transfer on me for the rest of my life I'll tell you just a little bit about our story but I I first want to talk about your investment and to make sure that you hear that this is not a program or tool this isn't something that a school can put in a box and put on the shelf and not return to this is a process by which we tackle adult behaviors and belief systems by issues that we might not have even realize were there and personally in our school it's it's been a process whereby we've gone through understanding are systemic discrimination and and some of the ways that we had a unintentionally decided that some students couldn't learn through that process we're developing teacher leaders we've had all over twenty of our teachers that have presented that have visited other schools and I know that one of the concerns of this funding is that is just supporting individual schools why I would like to use our teachers and staff as an example our district is now adopting this and multiple schools as a result of you all supporting our school and they've been to it for other districts outside of ours but I I want to get back to our personal story at east point we have for the last several years been in a or a B. school in fact we're we're blessed that when we get our be were were always a little disappointed that that A is is really the only thing that we feel like we should accept but what we realized through this process is that we had to start by committing as adults that we would achieve high levels of learning for every single child in our school and I will tell you that that process was painful for the men and we. One of these point elementary because what we realized as we started to examine our that in a way that we had never done before was that we were hiding behind our young men and women of privilege and that we were failing our students who were special ed students and who were students of poverty and to give you an example again as a primarily a school we found out that only four percent four of our third grade students were proficient in reading and two years that members increased to thirty six percent and fourth grade we had seven percent of our students who were proficient reading that number was thirty nine percent the last time we had a chance I sit here that sharing those numbers with you and it hurts me a little bit but I can honestly tell you that before this process I would not have been able to tell you the number of our special ed students who were reading on grade level and now I can tell you that it's increased sometimes almost ten fold by the grade level thing that we noticed is that our students in poverty we're not achieving at the same level as our students who didn't face that same challenge and what we realize is that on average those students were twenty percent or more behind their peers in their state assessments the last the most recent data we had is that on average we were four percent behind our peers and in third grade math and in fourth grade math our students in poverty actually outperform their peers that happens as a result of adults taking a look at their individual students and deciding we are not reaching this child we're not reaching this child how do we change our process to make sure that every single child in our school learn to high levels and I would assert that as a state and as a country there's no greater investment right now then. Taking the time to invest in teachers to look at individual students and to change their behavior on behalf of every single child so again I personally thank you I thank you on behalf of the students of east point elementary in Greenwood because you've changed a whole lot of lives and I I feel like this is only going to continue to grow so thank you so much for your support. Thank you very much. Okay let's see. Robin. Dawson and I think you're in. Down here let me. Good morning I'm robin das and I am the principal at Spratling elementary school in Fort Smith Arkansas I want to thank and the legislature and the senators that were at house of representatives for Lang is candidate have this opportunity to speak with you thank you and Representative Eubanks for inviting us and giving us on the agenda for to say something we feel like it's so important that we want you to hear so badly am I also want you to know that our department of education in Arkansas is one of the highest quality that there is our leader and Johnny cay it has been amazing to work with us and and the office of special services and programs Missy Wally she has made at the department of ed look like the softer side of Sears so and we enjoy working with higher so please know that they're doing a fabulous job working with us in the schools I want to tell you about a place called Spratling elementary it's located in Fort Smith Arkansas it's a fantastic place but there's some things you need to know about Spratling Spratling is ninety eight point six percent poverty not only that we are highly colorful and we change that we we like being very colorful we are the number one school in Fort Smith public schools out of all twenty six schools for Papa for poverty we're number one we. So you got the number one it's something right and so we're number one and we embrace that we take that challenge I want you to know that posts Brandling is fifty four percent Hispanic and fifty four percent those are almost all exclusively non English speaking homes that the children are bilingual but the homes are non English speaking we then have nineteen percent African American we have ten percent Asian either and then we have sixteen percent Caucasian that the color fullness of Spratling so my students by all accounts should become a statistic by looking at research they're the ones that you can look forward to to be coming as statistics they stay in a cycle of poverty they do not get high school diplomas and in some cases they go to prison even as early as junior high they're put into the juvenile systems. They are. bombs that's what they are. Well what other students in Arkansas are looking for hot spot to do their digital learning on their technology my kids are looking for a hot meal. Other kids are looking for hot spots my kids are looking for a hot hot. While other kids are looking for hot spot my kids are looking for hot water. And my other kids are looking for a hot spot my kids are looking for electricity plug it's hot that gives them electricity because you see my kids they don't have the basics of life they don't have what you have and what I have and what I had growing up in a middle class home in Arkansas I grew up with the farmer my dad's a farmer any with southern Baptist pastor and we didn't have a lot but we had everything we needed not had never had to worry about food but my kids every day they don't know when they go home what they're gonna eat. So that snack pack they get on Friday that equals Friday night dinner that's what that means and they hope party days that those could serve at a cupcake so that we don't serve those on the tray and we take those back to the class stream so that they have a Cup cake for their party day that's what things look like it's Brandling my kids don't have regular needed necessities like socks they don't wear underwear on a regular basis because she don't have to have it they also don't have a way to clean their clothes which is why at the school two years ago we bought a washer and dryer so things are a little different there. Can imagine the students they don't come to school. Ready to learn. They have other things on their mind. And in the past we've struggled with how the teacher my staff that's been their their season that had him for a long time and I don't have a problem with retention they want to be there they let those kids and we struggled with how to help on. Well. At one point Spratling was struggling to the point that we had a D. on our report card you know that thing that goes out in the paper that says to everybody what kind of school you are and people make perceptions over that spending elementary had a big go D. right in front of their name. Was it didn't tell about our clientele but a lot of people made a lot of judgments off of that and not stamp was working hard. And we just didn't know what to do but let me tell you through your decision you right here set in these chairs your decision to fund the professional learning communities through a company called solution tree because you did that. Things are a little different it's battling today while you're sitting here and they're set in there and take about that. Now my students have a guaranteed Bible curriculum they'd have that before before you made that decision they didn't have access to a strong system of intervention one because we didn't want to we didn't know how we didn't know. They have a staff now that has the skills and resources that they need to in order to meet their curricular natives. That before. A college degree in education doesn't give you all the skills you need sometimes you need a professional to come in and sit down beside you to guide you and help you with these kids and that's what happened because you decided it was gonna happen. Well. These teachers now care about seeing them to proficiency the teachers are no longer silos just as you've heard all them say they're working in collaboration collaboration is the norm and I truly believe that all kids can learn at high levels now. What is the Beals the process done for lari down collar Laurie she won't like it it's Lowery. Larry is the fifth grader it spreading she's at school today. She is one of my self contained special ed students from a classroom of one to fifteen ratio. And she has been in special education most of her school career. That she's been there in third grade when we tested her in she was tested at this state mandated assessment she tested out as a pre primer. For all of you that don't know that's before god created the world. It's that far back okay she wasn't with this in reading she wasn't being said that for success. Well. Due to our training and because you decided it's binding was going to get some funding in other schools across the state. Solution tree came in and said. We've got to get these special ed kids learning at high levels they helped us know to start taking those special ed kids out of that that last sentence being stuck in that room with eight kids and three grade levels never making gains and put them in the regular classroom for two content area today literacy in math Laurie got to do that she started that last year. And guess what when she did that her school is improved not only that her self confidence improved herself it is see her student efficacy improved she started setting goals and she started getting her goals and guess what on an interim assessment that we had. She actually scored proficiency on one part of that test. The gentleman that had never happened in her last time. And had you not done what you did. That when that happened for Laurie. It wouldn't happen she wouldn't of got that opportunity. By. Right now right this minute where you're sitting and I'm sitting. Lowery is sitting in a fourth grade classroom. She is getting the rigor of literacy and math content at the grade level. And Laurie is learning now. She still has support but she's learning how levels and those kids I was telling you about that are destined to be your statistics I would say about them. I have a group that mayor McGill Thames and meets with on Fridays it's a leadership group them up with now these from a problem kids he's them up with our medical college in our community. Because we are putting them on the track for them to be in that medical school one day. That's going to happen you just hold your breath and wait and watch and call me because it's going to happen just AS mayor if you don't believe me not only that that school that was the D. guess what it's up to be and we are happy about it. So Mr green wood can have his say we all about are busy okay. And to those students who were not prepared. Those students are now a part of a national PLC model school. You'll change lives when you made the chance to fund this program you didn't change the last. You saved a life don't forget it we need your support and if you ever start to waiver call me. Our visit with you. Okay. So let's see miss Julie Wallace and I think you're on. One. It doesn't want to go on. Yeah. He has the magic touch. She on are you one. Okay. At C. seven the. Are you on when I got here and I saw the agenda that I was going to follow up robin I thought oh gosh. She's dynamic yes she's very passionate but I love her passion so I'm I'm Julie Wallace on the principal at Quitman public schools and I'm here to talk to you about PLC's about professional learning communities so something that you need to know about professional learning communities is it's not initiative it's not a fad and it's not a program and it's not any of these things because it's about people. And it's about a way of doing and so professional learning communities do something different than what programs do they focus on people because we believe that people are what drive to work. So I want you to think about maybe a positive and a negative experience you've had with school and it may be something that you yourself as had maybe it's something your children of gone through a sibling something like that but think about a positive and a negative experience you've had with school. And I want you to think about that a teacher in any way shape or form make that experience positive or negative. And I'm gonna say that the teacher was probably involved in some way. Teachers have the power to change lives and they have the impact to save lives so just as robin spoke about the bills he process saving children at her school I've also done the same at my school and And not just a little bit about my journey I started in Greenbrier and I was a green Braeside elementary and they were part part of the first cohort and I'd spirits the change in that school and experience to change the teachers had and the way that they the way that they did everything because peel sees a way of life it's not just a way of doing a certain part of your day it's a way of changing your whole day and then when I went to Quitman I told them I would not come equipment unless we applied for this cohort because I bill believe so strongly in the power the disco **** had on. Changing lives and Buckley I got the job equipment and likely we we receive the grant two to be in the Cold War when I came to quit when we were at the school as well. And that was not okay but where we were equipment as they were okay with just being mediocrity they were okay with just getting along the way they've always done and so because of the work with solution tree they realize we do we can do better and our kids deserve better and so when that started changing the culture started to change in our school we started to go fast and when I say we went past we wouldn't pedal to the metal and we started changing lives and when I first came to Quitman. I didn't really understand the deep seated culture around special education and I think it's interesting that almost everyone on this panel has spoken a little bit about special education and and we didn't plan that so but it's because we know that special education. That we're in a I cross the situation with that there's a teacher shortage in special education there's a teacher retention problem in special education and our special education numbers continue to to rise and so we have to do something about that and when I came to Quitman that it was it was that the special education just kept coming up it kept coming up as a problem and how are we going to fix that and what are you going to do about it so the the very first time I met a teacher her name is Amanda Jones. And I met her and she was very cold and I could tell that she did not want to be at school she did not want to be a teacher and she did or not want me there. And so I was like okay how are we going to work on this how are we going to change this so I went to her and they had always. For ever since I guess the beginning of course of Quitman public school they had done read they'd done resource and so they were pulling kids out when you're pulling kids out during a core class those kids will never catch up. So if I have a third grader and I'm pulling them out during third grade reading to teach them want to kindergarten level. What are they going to be when I when I finish their grade. First grade maybe. I will never be on third grade. So we began inclusion so go to a man and I said hi Amanda you know what do you think about inclusion would you be interested in and you know helping lead this charge of inclusion and she said no I don't think so. Okay well so let's try again so I'm body heard then to be on the guiding coalition because at that time our guiding coalition which is our leadership team did not have a voice for special education so I went to her again and I said Hey I want you to be on our got in coalition special education department needs a voice I said you need to be that voice so she was like okay I guess and so I could tell she was still called issues coming around. Little did I know that that led to her being on the governing coalition she then led the charge of inclusion. And she asked to meet with me and February or March. Now any of you that have ever been an education you know that when a teacher asked to meet with you in February or March it's one of two things thirty they're pregnant. Or they're gonna quit. So I'm assuming that she's going to quit. And and I don't know I'm I'm sure most of you struggle with finding good special education teachers that truly to care about kids that are willing to do the work. So she comes to me and she just immediately starts crying. And also what's you know what's wrong with how can I help you and she said. I she said I have to be honest she said when I started this year we were in at back to school PD she said I had my calendar and she said I was going to put an ex for every day that I was finished with this job because at the end of the school year I was leaving education and I was never coming back I don't care if I had to go work at Walmart about how to go work at the dollar store I was never coming back to education she said for eleven years I have done nothing but but spin in a rut and never got out of it. And so she she said but I'm here to turn in my calendar to you because I'm down with that I'm here to change lives. And so I'm I'm committed to this process I'm committed to the school and I'm committed to these children and let me tell you that she is one of the best teachers that we have on staff. With you walk into a classroom you have no idea that she's a special education teacher. She is amazing with kids and you have no idea which kids have special needs in which kids don't because they're all in there together. And so she has been a teacher leader for this is our starting her third year now and it is locked a diamond that has just been. John for in through and so I'm thankful because of anything we saved her life and she's able to save other children's life because of that and so because of this process and because of what you invested in you have truly change logs and I just hope that you continue to see that it's worth worth the the money and the effort for that thank you. Thank you these are wonderful stories wonderful stories and a great example I guess one of my questions and George McGill would you would you have some words to say. Let me see let figure out what seat you're in. What do you think yes. What's the number. Four okay. Thank you thank you A the morning to all of you senator good to see you again and to many of my former colleagues good to see you to and staff members of. Speaker Gillam gave me the opportunity to. Requested I go to Atlanta. And take a look at the PLC program and I accepted that went to Atlanta and spend a few days visit with the people was solution tree and I heard the program and reported back to him. That. It please give it a chance. And when the pilots first came out we were fortunate fortunate to get to schools that were part of the program. barman Lynch branding elementary. Spreading was a failing school. And our approach them with the idea that. The state of Arkansas. Wanted to pilot program. And they were counting on spreading. You have to state. With education and how will they would perform. Would determine the six success of faith you. Of this pilot program. Almost certain the staff and the students fail to important. That the state had selected them. To be a part of something new something different and something that would impact to state. And it's amazing what happened. very pleased with the results thank all of you for for investing in it. And. And they've turned out to be a great school rate and is evident in the students and I see them frequently I I go to school every day would do a mentoring leadership program for boys and girls we mentor I worked in the school system we do work product cross the three hundred children in school system. But the bottom line is. When your winter. Very rarely do you have to explain anything. Spratling is a winner barman is a winner there being highlighted across the city energy means and it means something to all the key is in is really change the culture at the schools they now have a culture of excellence. In everything they do. The children their behavior. The thirst for knowledge and the programs it dead the schools are implementing and at the rate they're performing is attracting the attention of business. Record retention across the city to participate in partner with them in educating our children is expanded beyond the school Graham. The program that you allow them to participate in it may not work in every school but my comment to you is if it's working make sure those schools that have an interest in and this program give them a chance and once that administration that school you get a complete by at. And people willing to take a chance on something new something different. Solution three we provide those solutions and ideas that will make it work very proud of our schools and again make sure that the schools that want. Make sure is available to the again it may not be successful in every school with those schools that are willing to commit to it. And give it a try so like getting a new head coach you he's got a new system of way of doing things when the players and the coaches by into that. You get success medication so it's working in our schools again thanks to all my colleagues will make it happen for us and the evidence is great program we're going to do with the medical our goal is to attract young doctors starting in the fifth grade we're going to a partnership with them with or do some virtual learning in the oscuro patches school allow their training deals with how you treat a patient the kindness and attention you give a patient in those of soft skills will be teaching those young kids and sure enough we're going to get one and that medical school we already have one of our schools on one of us to is on a full scholarship at Harvard so we're very pleased with our program the support we get from the school system to so with that again thank you very much and I hope you continue support for PLC's in Arkansas. Thank you very much. Okay US senator Chesterfield women. Well thank you madam chair and good morning to everyone and. After yesterday this is certainly a breath of fresh air. Here's something positive about education and the ability of children when given the opportunity to learn. A I hope that does some of the questions I generated help to bring you here because I still want to know how the program is many value waited could you speak to that for me our teachers evaluating this program each year how does that happen because it's always been an area of concern. To whom ever. And from what I understand education north west is a company that comes in and evaluates the programs process in each school their national company there a value waiting solution tree and how they're working with our schools and then. we have plans that we have to fill out with our coaches are solution three coaches and we have goals that we have to meet so we're evaluating do we meet these goals at the end of each semester In our results that's how you evaluate anything as the results that were all getting so someone may want to add something else to that. And that that is helpful to me because I needed to know whether or not because I've I've seen the formative evaluations but I haven't seen the summative evaluations and that's always a concern of mine to see this summative and I assume that that's coming I've asked the state department to share that with me they share at the formative evaluations miss Glover is Mabel bill the only school in the little rock school district that has solution tree. no actually a Watson elementary there in cohort for but we were the first school in Gulfport three for the little rock school district yes thank you Mr. Who. The house is in little rock school I think it's Missy Wally here yes March come up an issue for gore couple sense. She may have some better answers on the. Well. You don't mind if I could just finish one that's fine we're just going to have her upper she can set it that other one right there if you want to or whatever that's fine whichever one you want to. I think this glove again as a my question what was the first question it was the first question you asked that were really want to make sure we got that clients. Which which Babel bill. A cohort three we were the first school and then this year Watson elementary in the in the little rock school district work was awarded a grant for these come with that they're just starting all right and what changes did you say you would sing hi African American students doing with the program under tier schools schools going up attendance going up all of that absolutely of course we weren't able to do the big somebody if a this year we really were looking at being able to see what types of changes as far as that number result but I can say from the year prior when we did it on our own our own up we had a solution we have solutions for you to come in we just kinda it was just a little academy just give us a teaser of what it was we did go up six percentage points point six percentage points just from the peace that we have we we did this from the two thousand eighteen US summative ACT aspire to two thousand nineteen we did go up so I'm confident that had we tested this spring we would sell results as well are you beginning to get rid of the doubting Thomas over here perhaps as. And could you tell me to my right right young lady over here. Thank you rob rob. You have that right rice beer that that we that we need an education what do you think is the key is that the expectation that's the key. Or. Both the knowledge and the expectation couple together is one more important than the other. The Senator Chesterfield I can tell you without any reservation that the process is about high levels of learning for all it doesn't matter if you are rich if you are poor if you are black if you are white if you are purple it does not matter and so the expectation expectation on the staff is that there will be high levels of learning for all in that is transformed into students and their for that Stapp operates at that in that is senator Chesterfield that is not always been the case. That day now they operate in that mode that every kid will learn at high levels that smile Lowery right now is set in that classroom learning at a high level where she never did before but yes it is how learning for all well yesterday we heard a report that said to black and brown keys because of the demographics of the reason it's. It seems to me that their own test scores were down. Of I'm sorry say that again we were in a meeting yesterday for the information to me was that the reason black and brown key it's and not doing well is because you're black and brown and I've never bought into that so could you tell me what kind of progress you've spoken to me about the progress of some of your nineteen X. students and your African American students could speak to a little bit more. Yes and my building is almost exclusively brown and black and so and. In my building had has been highly successful so I'm not by any in the back I don't know who said that but I'm not bond with their sales okay I don't I don't know what that where that came from it has nothing to do with that absolutely nothing now does it matter that they come from poverty doesn't matter they don't speak English in their home doesn't matter that they didn't have language acquisition at three years of doesn't matter there's not print in the home does it matter they don't have experiences outside the school yes that is a factor we column nice to know that is nice to know. It does not affect though what you can do with that student engaged in the learning process from eight to three thirty. And we can put more in eight to three thirty in some schools across the nation put the and when they get it eight three thirty in the go home and get it because the we can't count on that we don't count on past three thirty are learnings done eight to three thirty and so anything after that is frosting on our cupcake but we don't count on that so yes they have made tremendous gains senator Chesterfield has nothing to do with being black or brown it has to do with the opportunity to learn and being given a system of intervention where they have a safety net and every every little pace that they have it's in I. E. P. for every kid in that school it's an individual education program for every kid and you teachers don't know how to do that without some help but solution tree the process of of a professional learning community teaches the educators how to do that and that is your button and not putting. You are right lady. Thank you madam chair. Okay let's see senator Elliott. Hold on. I just I was there is another person and they're trying to comment madam chair of that matters before I ask my question the go ahead. You want me to go ahead of you want her to go ahead go ahead okay I just wanted to add to the black and brown it is kid by kids skill by skill and. The state looks at these big summative assessments that we take and write our schools but there are so many data points in the professional learning learning community process to look at that show students are succeeding in moving they might have testate as ID that week they might be sick the week of the summit of but we have our black and brown students in our school some of them are moving to reading let two grade levels in reading in one year so we are seeing the move. Go ahead joint. All right. I are you just a I have a couple questions and thank you all for being here today this I really appreciate it out the how are you handling age as you. put time together for teachers to collaborate and I might add that something teachers have been asking for for years and years and years I don't know why we haven't done it and and you know is it bothers me that it had we have to wait on somebody from the outside before we will hear teachers voices and I think that's something we need to remember going forward Is how how was prep time the and handled and to make sure teacher still have the prep time as you as you do the collaboration that's that's a really good thing that's happening how's that working out. What state are you in. Say. Okay go ahead and our school what we did we got our leadership team together because collaboration was another thing that our teachers have had requested of our administrative staff so we had them start by helping us build a schedule together and then we started figuring out the pieces so are extracurricular teachers we rotate them at the start of the day so our teachers have common planning time but then they have an additional collaborative time but once a week that backs up to their common planning time that starts the day so on that particular day RP teacher a music teacher will get those students and have that extra time we do some leadership skills and some social lessons in that time that allows a teachers to have dedicated collaborative time and then they have their common plan behind that is well so they can go right into that and then if if I might just real quickly back to senator Chesterfield question at this point we do not have a lot of racial diversity but as we started to have this conversation around learning for all we realized in particular that we had a a growing number of African American young men in our school and we were reaching those students and so because of this process we've we've now hired our first two African American male teachers in our school we started buying books for our students to read that feature African American characters and and we're helping them to find people that they can relate to of their race because that's something that we just had never had that conversation part prior to that and that became something that we learned as a process of looking at that data. Alright thank you and my my other skews me my other question has to do with I I I don't remember who it was I think maybe it it might of been robin or it we're talking about The teachers were not doing what they didn't know what how to do whatever And that sometimes we are we have bias cities I think that was mentioned that we don't even know that we have and that's just one of the most difficult things in the world that we can't almost can't get a conversation about it people get angry A thank you there being accused of something and and teachers are no different ands because that's just a part of society I is soon in this question about about to ask you that you are prepared to go forth on your own and you won't for ever beats depended on solution tree and how were you prepared to deal with the situations and when. When you have to try to explain to somebody I'm not point a finger at you I am not saying you're less than but when you don't know about the structure will in equities that you mentioned robin and how that affects the kid we don't know about the systemic things that have held people back for years and years and how that comes into a classroom A how are you prepared to deal with that going forward but built into is there something you're not going to be a solution tree dependent of the rest of your careers. What you. Eight. I'm. Going back to that question and also the question the Judas previously I feel like a lot of that has to do with the culture that we build our school and so having a culture of collaboration around everything that we do around all of our systems I know that when I started an education about fifteen years ago it was the prince will make all the decisions and so the principal was the one that decided when you're gonna teach this what you're going to teach who if you collaborate with anyone but but now you know it's it's a team effort and so are guiding coalition which is our leadership team like Josh Josh should said we make the decisions about schedules together we make the decisions about what essential standards are we teaching and when we make the decisions about what dispositions to children need to know and what disposition so the teachers need to have in order to make this work and so being able to collaborate together and make these important decisions are gone coalition makes decisions from about how we spend our money to how we spend our time to what we're doing in the classroom and I think that that is what makes a difference and in our successes of where we are as and I speak for all of us because I know that's how all of this work because of that culture collaboration thank you a my my last question as I wanna answer that we have a couple of teachers here that's what it says on here is that correct. I just one okay well then I want to ask you a question. How much prep time do you have on your own to do all the things that I know that teachers need to do to be prepared and call parents and all that good stuff. Well When we went through this process our administrator realized how important it was for us to have that protected time and so they built a master schedule in which every great level team was a lot at like a double block of time you know and so were you would normally have like a forty minute pullout puree it for your students will once a week every grade level gets a double block in that is what they use for their peel see time and during that time you were able to really dig into assessments what you're teaching sharing best practices looking at students sample work to know how to go forth and so that state real that deep collaborative time where it is even the other four days of the week where you have your forty minutes it's kind of hard to dig deep into things in such a short period of time and so during those other peers of time that we're not doing that deep collaborative work you can use that if you need to meet with the parent or call appearance so like that time is just kinda allocated across where you can count to get it all done as needed but you also have that much need to protect the time with your your grade level no one is that forty minutes each day that you get your protected time for the peel C. L. just for you as a teacher yes ma'am have you for nine every every day he or you may support yes and is that the same amount of time you've been having or is that different now it's always been just five days a week forty minutes but now we have four days a week forty minutes but that one that fifth day it's eighty minutes due to an elementary or high school elementary that was okay phone sorry okay all right okay because that was a gross I know that that I okay I was confused. No that's because I was thinking how I think about high school house. Forty minutes a day alright thank you so much and and thanks for being here yes ma'am thank you thanks madam chair hi I have a I have a question somebody had mentioned about discipline now the discipline is going down a quite a bit and that some of the numbers are really getting really really low is separate uniformed cross all of the all of the peel see schools. Well that's great that's great that's what we want to hear and I know George as work with some of them and I I appreciate what George does with the schools up there would be somebody like that in every school that could come in and to be a mentor so we need to really search for more of those but thank you. Did you have a comment. Glad I'm something great that even came out of going through this PLC process interventions is not just academic like wait created like a behavior team and so we even had targeted things that we did with that population is Wales so intervention can be more than just academics and so even intervening on behavior has been helpful. I have I had a comment to you and represent. What state are you I'm I'm on okay and I wanted to respond to you and Senator Elliot it's question about sustainability I want to give you a little comfort and senator and Elliott I want you to know that the state department three Missy Wally's and division they have this they have purposely fought the sustainability issue because we are going to you at I was in cohort one we've already moved out of our three years we're on our own now however they were thinking about how are we going to spread this to the state how are we going to sustain this process and so her office has set up a state wide guiding coalition of all the and I know it was all that at. Co hort one and then there's also people in there from cohort to you in court three that guiding coalition also add developed through her leadership statewide grade level teams so we have teams at every grade level from kindergarten all the way to twelfth grade of teachers across the state and they're the ones that develop that play book that you might know about that that's out there first for schools also we are doing webinars every month for people that know the process that have internalized it we're putting it out there for schools and districts that didn't have that opportunity and we are having five hundred seven hundred people at the end those webinars and it's on the the basics the puzzle pieces of PLC and we are the ones that understand the biases and how this process doesn't allow that to enter and so I think it's going to continue through us carrying those flags on three with the state in this purposeful thing they designed to make sure it's the state and. How many of the school districts are are part of this. I'll say program. We're at forty four now. Or disclose the strings if we had well we cover one just exited on their three years which goes back inside the question that senator Chesterfield at. Cation northwest in the some of the data it was set up to do it after three or processing covert one just finished a third year process but because they just finished their third year processing code came along that at a city as far was not given so they're going to extend it one more year so we'll get that some of the data at the end of next year after that third year of testing but we have the cohort one just accident there's their time so now we're Calvert two three and four so I guess actively involved in the cold. After that thirty four. Districts and schools and. Super super. Okay let's see Representative makes you have a question. Yes thank you madam chair thank you all for being here this morning I actually represent green bar east side elementary so as miss all set I've got to see firsthand exactly how this program works in the difference is made so I've been sold on this program from the very beginning it's a great program out question I have is with the onset of the virus there's a lot of soul distance learning going on how have you modified the program to take into account virtual learning and still be able to continue the good things that the PLC allows how are you all handling that. That's to whoever wants to jump. Well I can say that we decided last year whenever we you know went to I am I that our central standards are essential standards it doesn't matter where they're being taught so it doesn't matter if you're teaching B. as soon or if you're teaching in person kids are going to receive the same quality instruction and so I know that our teachers are video going themselves teaching lessons and then that are recorded that they're uploading for our students to see so it's not. You know someone that doesn't know our kids and and is maybe in a different state or anything like that but that us I know that one of one of these ladies spoke to the essential standards that they went through and determined and so that's what we're using during this time period and that's what will use when covered is over so the are you still able to get that one on one time to get that a you know the to meet the needs of the students that you would normally if they were in yes it's not like I said they're they're video in themselves and and uploading those and then our teachers are also meeting with our students that are at home weekly just in a one on one setting okay are thank you. Okay alright seeing no further you have a question yes. Hold on any it's not going in three years you roll off the program. The plan is to continue the practices that's correct right so we gonna go back after three more years to see how that first cohort be IT state department. Yes that is the plan and right now we're not going even though they're out of the Cold War we could we set up a network of these administrator so we meet twice a year will still come together because the plan as when they started the S. three years ago or when we started this three years ago its collective commitment of how are you gonna stay share this out with the state so now when when you you accepted this PLC project is I I've got a commitment to the state after the as to how we're going to share so that plan is to continue the work but to keep up with the cohorts as they they accept the work if we know. That this works. In the preparation of learning. If we know that this process makes a difference in the success of children. Wow we not instituting it in institutions of higher at the prepare I kits to teach. That is a great question and that is something that we are working on so as the higher ed institutions had to submit their Dr Pfeffer was very proactive this and she started setting up I guess February of last year and she's here to on setting up where they had to bring the and the are include professional learning communities within their sell by this year so they have submitted their evidence of how they're including that in the teacher prep programs so they submitted it in July first and we're review and those single under those and we'll have the other conversations but they have started participating in the professional development and setting up partnerships with the schools to get their teacher prep programs into watchin insert the cells and how long do you think that might take because we're losing children that we as we speak so I just need to know about how long do you think it will take are we moving solutions trees as we've increased our funding we in and are we moving them also into the department of higher it could teach them how to do what these young people have already learned how to do well I mean obviously I'd love for it to be faster than what it is but and I think all of them will say that we have within our education twenty five twenty fifteen years twenty eight years this is something that the practice the learning by doing as really set him because when we became practitioners of it is when we opened our eyes to it so getting that to someone who's not a practitioner of it is going to be a little bit hard but we're going to do everything we can to try to get them to that part of it but I think the partnership with the schools is these cohort administrators step out of the cohort then that's what we can use them to help in the teacher prep programs across the state in every area and set up a partnerships were schools work together in the committee to observations of the schools and as kids go as young people go into of their teacher training. and they are they are selecting schools to which to send those young people are getting ready to end the profession I we emphasizing that we send them to places where the understand that all keys can earn. Because if we are not it is not on our teachers it is on our training our professional development to make sure that the tools are there. For the efficacy of learning all children thank you all so much as is such a much brighter day for me than it was yesterday I appreciate. Okay let's see. Of. Representative sprayer. Good morning thank you madam chair of I would like to follow upon a question that was discussed on yesterday with respect to closing the achievement gap. And of. One of you can see if you can answer this question for me it was discussed of yesterday that we have the ACT aspire in their different performance levels of that students of. Performance on that test there either Exceeds ready. Close in need of support so my question to you all the is during your leadership team meetings do you actually have discussions regarding those children that or. In need of support and close. And as a result of that put type of actions do you take. I'd say absolutely we do and then that's where the intervention for coming in we see where the student is then and what's unique about a city is by and that you to be a is the kind of breaks down exactly where student needs and what they school board in need of support on in the week in group though students based on those needs and give them the support that they need so we're looking at that that's part of the collaborative team meetings that teachers all right R. E. in every day or have they choose to within that week but those are the things that they're doing they're looking at the date at the breaking it down there seeing in this grade level what one group of students need to support and the time that that we built into the master schedule for the intervention time that's what they're doing that's what the kids are getting so follow up with me so what are you finding are you finding that they are moving the key it's absolutely the when you give them what they need right then they they and then they succeed With testing I mean it is it's blanket you know it's just everywhere so once you kind of break that data down thank you can kind of see all he missed this you know and that it could be a teacher air but that's that's the great thing about the peels the prices is that teachers are able to look is the my class about fifty percent of my class didn't perform will that's the teacher that's the teacher if I need to go back I that's something that I need to brush up on my skills with there may be another teacher her class score ninety percent on what did you do those of the conversations that are happening inside of those collaborative team meetings so the and in closing the achievement gap thing and so when you are having those discussions in those meetings you know those children are and you're able to address those children and specifically address those needs that they have before them absolutely so then US senator Chesterfield. That may be your answer. Thank you okay city she will answer. Eighty three eighty three. A Representative Allen what she wanted to I'm sorry I'm sorry go ahead. I would just like to add on to what she was saying we I guess pre cold it should I say. Our school implement it what we call a win time what I need and so based on what those students need and with us embrace an idea that all of our kids are all of our key it's it's not like with this is your classes is your key it's in this my class this is mine well based on what those students need we broke the we brought them up based on I guess what they actually need and so we were sharing students across grade levels they did know you know I'm going to this great for this or I'm going to this teacher for that they didn't allocations based on skills what do we need to get those foundational skills in get the student to moving and so the groups are fluid so as they are mastering what they need there they're pushing in and out of group so they're not just stagnant out that that might help bring some clarity as well. This. Yes ma'am. So the senator L. it asks the question whether are there high schools that are involved in this or is it just all elementary schools well you've got a high school our whole districts involved. So I'm from kindergarten all the way through twelfth grade okay good in our high school is involved. High school or. I'm both. Yeah. It's all her. Well there's another there's another one of me and he's back in our school. We we code principal and so when I first came to the district I was just the elementary principal but we realized very quickly that we my strength for his weaknesses and vice versa and so we co principal K. twelve and it's very interesting to see it work across the whole district. Our district was named the first model school for Arkansas a couple weeks ago so that was pretty exciting well it seemed to me that if students get used to this in a and elementary school and you don't have it when you move when they moved to the six grade seven grade high school. That therefore we lose some. If we don't continue this whole process so well is there a plan for continuing this. Go ahead. I just wanted to share that in our district we had a student go to junior high and the teachers told them we can tell which kids came from your school and had those interventions because they were doing so well so there is that I think there is a plan to continue and it's continuing on in our district our entire district is implemented the process now we have a model high school. In our district well it seems like you you just need that whole continuum of because otherwise the set them up for this excess but if you don't have that same thing when they moved in middle school and high school then they become failures are back into the same habits so they had before and teachers who don't understand what that what that should look like so Representative Allen you've been waiting I should have very patiently. That you're a patient person thank you. First of all thank you madam chair and I want to thank you all for being here today also known thank my friend of George McGill we've had this conversation before one of the things that concerned me anything that can improve teacher and student morale is good I want to know their forty four school districts that solution trees in I want to know. I have so loose three. the the letter grades is what I'm concerned about so what we feel left a great and and how far have you progress since you had solution tree. And I know whenever somebody comes to state capitol and talk about various things you don't hear the good part but I want to hear the total picture so that for the for school district I want to know how many of those school districts have been. Not a great has improved on entry. I think that that would so I don't have the exact number in front of me but that is something that I will get to you but I will tell you that today from the study of education northwest and that's where that three year studies coming from as to where they are in three years I just to know that what they implemented three years ago is sustainable after three years to see if the impact of what solution tray in the partnership that we have with them is helping with that said that'll be something get up to the three year study but I mean I think some of them have address some other letter grades but I don't have the exact number and I can get that to you okay the You all represent the entire district of Fort Smith common schools I'm Fort Smith. Twenty six twenty six how many schools are doing exceptionally whale under solution tree. Issue you'll in Maine by about three on the dais solution tree are not solution treatment the PLC process is now and in need for our whole district so therefore last year our district funding in themselves to get every school and patted me trained and there are four schools in our district that are and heart at the pilot. Miss Griffith in our cohort one then we have Darby junior high which is also I have minority school HIGHPOVERTY it was awards two or three and then we just had north side high school which is the most diverse high school in the state of Arkansas. And it is now in co court for you right so and that every school in our district if they're not in the pilot they are by the district it's made an initiative. What about the letter grades I'm concerned about the letter grades. It's a great change to happen takes five to seven years state ability so I'm there just in the initial stage so basically what we have here today it's a a commodity that has not truly been. Well Laurie and I have been in the district three years both of our schools have experienced. Okay but we're the only schools that are three years the. Okay so you three years saying but these all the for the full school districts are they three years in. They're not three years in so there's always the tea and that are three years okay so we don't know what the results will ultimately end up being. Am I correct. Every year there's like ten more schools that. Okay. One one request okay. So I want to make sure that that I to understand this because Miller you say something that that made a lot of sense you see it that this is not a one size fits all. So what works over here in your district. May not work cross town in someone else's. And and certain parts of the state especially in the bill to. solution to use their. And we have with steel generating key is that come out of school that can't read and write in a ultimately end up dropping out of school and can't find a job and for years what is happened in poor neighborhoods companies have come in and drain the resources. And when the resources I don't. We still have to see if they can't read can't write can't spiel thank can't make a living. So are that is my main concern is that things don't happen because what ultimately end up having the. Is those Kieth I do not be fail yes. Long after the money is gone. And I will I want some assurances that this is not going to happen especially in the delta and in southern Arkansas where we have tea is that I'm trying to get education but they're trapped because of no fault of their own. I'm not sure that you heard them originally when they all talked about how much their letter grade came up. Did you hear that I did it okay those of up Mister chairman I would ask that to them so just wanted that the yeah but but that we have other for that we have for the full school districts that they're in so I want to make sure that just because they went up in one day. I will make sure that it's going to go up another dishes so I want to see what other district with religious they working for you will work in other districts were changing lives one school at a time and you can't I mean we can't do it in all schools at one time but we're working that way so we are changing lives and saving lives is what we're saving so we're trying you know would like we got a positive about it but we're trying. I would thank you Representative Allen for a first that should genuine concern and I just wanted to share with you From my school I am our school is the only school in west Memphis school district that went through solution tree as a part of this professional learning community community and I just wanted to share with my school we are tied OR one school we have over seventy percent African American population in our school and while we've been in this trying in with solution tree we went from a D. school to a C. school and just a year and so that just count about just you know kind of gave me the comp for that I need a and the drive to keep doing the work because I want to be able to see our students thrive and be able to sustain an education and we were just so heartbroken that Kobe came along because like we were a year we were like we ready to see you know are we gonna move the more you know we were just so excited about the Grove that we thought that just. It just wasn't going to happen so just I just thought maybe share and that just the kind of let you know even though our school is the only one that went through solution tree even we saw gangs within our ten year with them. Thank you yes Sir will let me know that but I just want you all know that I appreciate with solution trees doing but solution three well SO Sam this is competition makes sells better so I'm sure there are other companies out there. That can do the same thing. No. Nope one. Okay thank you let me see we have moving right along here on the Representative della Rosa. One of the reporting I wish both inside and in the house already over here I just started lighten up all the microphones open all right we. We got to okay thank you madam chair and if I have some indulgence I am ex worryingly passionate about this particular topic so I made a run on just a bit first I want to say I think that. Everyone in this room we keep talking about this using an incorrect word for what it is we keep calling it a process is not a process it is a process but that's not what's driving this success it's an attitude it's a belief system it is adults who thought that some things couldn't be done who now suddenly think things can be done. And to Representative Alan's point. I'm not worried that this is going to fail. Because if you can if you can see the attitudes that we now have in front of us we don't see this every day in this committee we rarely see this this is one of the few to not only see it when we talk about PLC. This is a bill leaf this is an attitude this is a fire that has been started and we're hoping to rage across the entire state and I said this is the beginning and I will say this again when I went to Atlanta I got requested to go there to mer McGill accepting request and he just told me to go so maybe you had a higher standing I'd I was told to go. But I walked out of there saying if the state believes it can be done the department of education if the legislature believes it can be done the schools that signed up for it believe it can be done then it will be done there are so many things that we put money into and we have no control over but attitudes are one of the very few things that we can't really typically put money into but everybody sitting in front of us today is excited to go to work every single one of you up here believes that you can change lives. If I can put five Bucks to change people's attitudes and make an excited to be rude or going and be impactful I will spend that five dollars every single day and I will double it to ten because that is something typically we in the legislature cannot control we can give people Chromebooks and we can give them buildings and all that kind of stuff but if you have a really good teacher who really is in power to do their job and they know how to do it and they know how to collaborate we get the adults to stop tripping over each other and get to the kids you can give a piece of chalk and chalkboard they're gonna be able teaches kids so I am extremely excited about this because I think this is the single biggest thing that we can do in Arkansas to change education and frankly I think we're gonna change it for the nation because we are going to be a leader in it and I see a lot of heads nodding and I love you I wasn't easy as a so the questions that I have are do we have in this may this may be for you. Do we have any schools that are now requesting to be part of this pilot program who otherwise really you know previously didn't really show any interest in this because that's kinda where we were going with this if we could have some good success up front start that fire can we can we spread that for so is this is the fire spreading is a is west yes it is the mayor McGill addressed this earlier when he said that it doesn't work for everybody because it is the attitude that is the special thing about the PLC project that's happening is people have applied to do this they want this change so when we had the application process for co work for we had ninety seven schools or district supply so we only chose nine schools and two districts so there are another eighty something people out there that are wanted this application I mean wanted this project so it is spreading like wildfire in the intense training happen in the project school however it's happening across the state in other trainings that the state's putting out our other trends and other departments are putting out so the state has bought into it as well I see the attitude by say the changes and we have conversations with these people that way it's contagious it's wonderful how how high do these How high do these changes go so if if the like for example Rogers high school was in covert one that's where my son now goes to schools in and he was previously Kirksey middle school which was a model PLC anyway they were part of a pilot but they were a part of it List so Rogers participates in it and solution tree came in and I remember when they came in How high does that go does it stop right there I mean does does their training stick to just the entity that applied being Rogers high school or they go into administration level for the district as well I'm just kind of wondering it needs to go all the way up all the way up to Johnny cay he needs to be having PLC training to be an easy go all the way up so I'm just wondering how how high up we're going. And it's that said the department started with the training before I came into the department I started with the call what one district but before I was with the department they started with the training first so the the understanding that they have is tremendous okay and enjoy just pointed out to me she said just yet room remind them on the covert one on the applications that were thirty eight applicants and it has risen to ninety seven and it is a very rigorous process to apply for this so just now that is just the line shows the want that they want to be a part of this but it's it is Johnny key knows so much about professional learning communities that he could fill me I didn't I didn't mean to imply he is already do it I'm just saying it needs to be from top to bottom is is what I'm saying it's it's it's a culture it's a pop process and again cannot overstate is it's the belief not just the statement because we say it all the time and we don't believe it that all kids can learn my kid is in a self contained classroom I can't tell you how many people I have run into that will say he can't he can't or you're seeking if you push the man of the short can but it Kirksey and it Rogers they have worked very hard to make sure that he is pushed to regular classes as much as he possibly can be without sacrificing some of his course where he really needs it but not once not once in either one of those schools I think this is key to because this is also part of PLC because it it transfers down to the kids the kids pick it up not once has my child ever been bullied not once because you walk into either one of those schools you can feel it in the air it is not tolerated not a single adult in that entire place we'll put up with any of it it just doesn't happen and let me tell you he could be bullied he does things that kids. Could easily pick on he's he's autistic use ADHD he can get people's faces and their stuff you probably shouldn't do because he doesn't realize what he's doing not once has that ever happened and that's kudos to those teachers it's the expectations that they have for themselves and what they have for the kids and I I cannot speak highly enough of this and I hope that going forward that we don't you know trying use some kind of metric or something like that to kill what is so difficult to actually measure and that's the will and the attitude and the desire interest that burning fire that I see in every single one of you and I'm so excited to see. Thank you. Senator Cheatham. Quick get your state. Thank you madam chair of this bad. I've got had fallen miss bill road. But I have three the screws my Senate district of Monticello and like close to support your Hamburg maybe in the second year maybe in two different parts of school but and. So far been pretty impressed with it but I guess a little curious of. It is it just. Did just a call so the people involuntary that our readers in an energized or is it something else and I guess my follow up with that would be I miss groups of try this to did did not succeed to drop the program. We've had one that has dropped from that the program and I will say it even though you you start with the cohort wine. The. Training is so individualized that everybody's in different places it's hard work it's common sense but it is hard work in there a lot of hills and valleys that you go through so in in my situation we had more of a culture if the issue that we needed to work for for the first couple years or someone else may have already developed their culture so they were able to to grasp the essential standards and run with it faster so it is different for every district but we have only had one that has this one drop that's good good to know and I appreciate that note manager the owner of the thing I would say is the fact that these bright young people even even have a male for a change in here here with this the pressure at each one of you what you do and if you need a second career would probably be some really nervous legislative powers if one of you decide to run for office. Okay Senator Johnson. Thank you madam chair of. As a non educator on the Education Committee I I depend very much on my friends and colleagues like senator Chesterfield and senator Elliott and and others have been in the classroom and I appreciate that and I I listen to what you had to say and I listen to their what they say in it it starts to jail in my mind and I agree with senator Chesterfield this a lot better day than yesterday. And and I I kept thinking about this and and and while I'm not an educator by profession I I am a student of group dynamics and and and how things to help people operate one of the things I've always found is there certain givens that we all learners were taught and this is the way it is if it's in the military the class you're gonna study class which city if you're in the industrial situation going to study Edwards Deming and your education course you're gonna study John do the I mean you we have these are the experts this is the way it's done and and one thing I noticed about him was all those people are dead they were is a long time ago in the world is change the technology and and and and people the it culture this is a lot of changes and and we have to adapt to that and I think in the military we see special operations we see seal teams and it's not the same hierarchal organization that that you have in more traditional military organizations and and I I I'm seeing this team dynamic in and what you're doing and your cohorts come together now that's just kind of a overview what I'm looking at what the challenge I'm seeing in the question I'm I'm really asking for each of you we're all excited about the success you've had because obviously it really comes down to how do you reach the kids and it's where they are and where you can reach them and I'm I'm grateful for this I see this as as we're yesterday I didn't see any solution and anything I heard today I see every solution because your nimble you're in a position you're not all dealing with the same challenges but you put together a system that can deal with the challenges and I'm I'm I'm kinda looking over Dr Pfeffer in that I want to learn more about how we can. Up. Push this forward always think of when you see that spark you know work she won go pour five hundred gallons gasoline now I don't want us to waste of money and and and go down the wrong path so I'm asking the department and and all of you all to help us help guide us in in how we get to where we are and where we we need to be at once again reaching that individual student at a think a lot of what to a Representative Allen said I mean I'm very concerned about our our deal to schools who have very different challenges than than some of even some of our other rural schools in the state and part of it. That working on has to do with with just recruiting teachers just getting someone with the the academic background to go teach their whatever but I'm I'm so thrilled about what you're doing but help us think of yourselves as you're the you're the your seal team six I mean you're you're the one this teaches how it's done and and we've got to create more teams like that and I I'm not. Sure that any particular consultant is the answer obviously systems are important and how you get from here there is important but but we need your feedback and when the the department to help guide us and how we can not just implement this everywhere but also. Learn the differences and adapting it you for example you're fortunate to have my your McGill and you have a leader of your your community in Fort Smith that's not just for you he's part of you he's out there working in it too so you know we maybe we need to get community involvement outside just the education establishment so to speak but but help us get there because we see the potential I mean you represent della Rosa touched on how it made a big difference in her son's life and we're you know these are all about every person is an individual you're gonna reach of different ways you're going to deal with different challenges different opportunities but but the attitude I love to hear is that. We know this kid can learn we may not know the right way to get to him just now but we know this kid can learn that means so much to me so so help us expand this at the I'm I'm so overwhelmed with how I'm challenge to okay we okay now we know we need to do this okay getting from here to there is not a straight line and and we do need your guidance all of you and your the others you work with around the state on this and that so please any any ideas about Ste if you could mount the real question is any ideas about how. These have varied within are your schools in your cold hearted and just can you can you speak about okay we learned over here this worked but it that didn't work over here we had to do a little different could you just touch on the that variation so we can maybe have a process to at to deal with the variety of challenges that course you're always dealing with these with everything you do in a classroom situation but that. How this process. Worked when maybe in a normal situation it did if you could just just touch on that a bit thank you madam chair at I would just like to say real quick I'd I think going back to what Representative della Rosa said earlier the prerequisite for success year is the attitude and it's the disposition of the school and I think that when we see schools that are not successful in this process it will start with leadership and it will start with a school who is not willing to have some these difficult conversations that you're hearing started this process I I just started by thanking you for the most powerful thing that's ever been part of my educational career but I could just as quickly tell you I've never done anything as difficult as this and there's three major tenants as a part of this work it's a focus on collaboration the idea that no one can do this by themselves it's a focus on learning and that's where you say to a teacher Hey I'm glad you're the teacher that everyone requests but if your kids aren't learning that's all we care about and then it's a focus on results and that's where some of those conversations about by a season the kids that were not reaching that's where that comes from because data speaks volumes and volumes and you can't get emotional about numbers it's just what's in front of you when we're either going to deal with that or not and I think those conversations are the things that win that's in place I've had teachers that have visited robin school I've had teachers that I visited a different schools in Fort Smith that were close by as we started this process I've had Clarksville come to my school as a result of our solution tree coaches that are on our staff we have four different Greenwood campuses who have had representatives not because they had to be there but because they saw what was changing in our school and I think that when you get that this position right and when people come to the place that the adults are willing to do whatever it takes on behalf of every single child within you start looking for people that can help you and that's well as robin mentioned We your miss Wally has done an amazing job of connecting us across the state we all know each other and we've had conversations we've been zoning for the pandemic our teachers have been working together to build statewide tools because we all started with that we've got to do whatever it takes and we've got to find it and if we don't have it somebody else the US. Specifically senator Johnson and Spratling we have found out that for children of poverty children adversity that traditional education flat out does not work it just doesn't it it's a broken system and so when you talk about what's different to compare then we don't do anything traditionally anymore the way that we did we found out that our kids need something different another thing you said you were wanting some guidance and we're so happy to give it to you and one of the things that I really want you to consider and and glad to see as Representative Allen back in because. If you senator Johnson if you wanted to learn how to play basketball and you had an opportunity to pull that absolute top at play here of what is it to represent all Allen okay if you had if you had the opportunity A well there you go there you go he's a legacy if you have the opportunity to let Representative Allen teach you basketball or you have the opportunity to have Michael Jordan come in to your house at your court and stand by you every day in coach you personally senator Johnson about how you need to stay and how you need to practice your skills what things you don't know what practices you don't already have in place that you must have in place and you have those options now Representative Allen yeah his bike on the cheap he probably is and Michael Jordan he is going to cost you a lot of money okay. But you get what you pay for so senator Johnson I think you're opportunities to advance and basketball is going to be much higher with going with Michael at Michael Jordan. I'm sorry they tell me you were the legacy so. Please stick with solution tree they are the Michael Jordan of basketball and I appeals the process please don't and delineated that into someone just for cost because you're going to get what you pay for it won't be the same. And I wanna add Senator Johnson something critical that we've not talked about today is the teacher collaboration time happening during the contracted day solution tree schools it happens during the contracted day and so it looks different in different schools I'm a small school in Fort Smith with very little staff we share music art MP teachers so it makes it hard to help have them support the process when we don't have them two and a half days so to make a collaborative meetings work during the pilot the assistant principal and I watched kids out on the playground so that the teachers could meet if they needed us they pulled ASEAN we always kept up with their agendas and their data and you know we were not it wasn't that we weren't part of the process but and they had to meet we had to have someone to watch the kids and so to make it happen in our school we had to do that a lot of schools involved in solution tree work and a lot of schools and in other states have built in collaborative time in the week whether it's a late start of an hour or an early dismissal of an hour just to have that protected time for teachers because you know it's hard to get if you don't protected there's always an interruption a parent calls or so just some schools even in the north have gone to half days on Friday I don't think that whatever happened here but just think about changing our mindset because doctors in the that time to plan for their patients we need time to plan for our kids thank you. I thank you so much for that last comic assessed one of my biggest concerns is that is that we can we can make something like solution tree work and what we're doing here well whoever we're using at a whatever common sense we're using just like somebody said a lot of this is just so much common sense so but but I that I am so delighted to it to hear everything that that you're doing but I'm thinking back when I it what are halfway through my teaching career all of a sudden we had this big monster where people had it on the walls and everything else a quote from Ron Edwards and guess what it was. All kids can learn. The only pit I have in my stomach is that we have to discover that that's the only pit in my stomach about the whole thing what is it in our culture that we have to learn that poor kids kids caller why do we have to keep learning that and because it when I first heard it the I mean I am the picture of the kid people were talking about when they were like we had discovered something that way through and I can't think about so people will look at me and go oh my god I discovered she can learn. What is in our society that we have to keep going back through this and what is it that we when I ask about sustainability how are we gonna I just want and I'm not even I'm just saying this and I'm saying it to the public to since I have a Mike what is it is in our societies that we have to discover that you look at any kid and your all of the send you surprised all my god and guess what we found out George could learn. That's something I think we really need to challenge the entire public to be a part of this conversation because then of course community is for support schools differently I think if they can have that same discovery but that is the only pit I have and it's one that review of the really hurts that every thirty years his or discovery about these kids should be a discovery their just human. Who need an opportunity so as you said. Thank you madam chair thank you. Okay. Representative speaks. Thank you madam chair I want to thank you all for coming today this is been a real treat to me when I got on education my whole thing with the hope that we could get our education system up to work kids do not have to take remedial subjects when I go to college and so you have giving such a ray of hope and it just thank you thanks for being here. Okay Representative Evans. Thank you madam chair as represented della Rosa said this is not a process it's life. It's what life becomes in your districts in your buildings several months ago I had the opportunity to share a cab with miss Griffin. And just moments into the departure of the cab this energy that you see sitting here today expelled itself throughout the cab ride and she so proudly spoke of what the PLC community had. Have changed a transformed her building and FOR Smith I appreciate miss Wallace being here today and and ensuring that about east side elementary Greenbrier the family member that taught there for many years and I remember when she first mention PLC's to me I was a bit skeptical. but my house district his cabinet and we have a freshman academy there that we invested heavily and because we wanted to change the pathway that so many eighth grade students when a transition to ninth grade we're all. And. So the solution tree and PLC's have been I hate life altering academic and cultural program in our district with our faculty and staff at our freshman academy because it has been calm their life and as a parent of two children who have gone through that building now one is a senior and one in the tenth grade I saw firsthand as my senior as a specialist in I saw first hand how that really works and it is a life and so if there is any skepticism whatsoever ranks amongst my colleagues sitting here today this this energy in this mantra that you see with this panel that's here today it's it's not something that they got on the phone two days ago on a sentiment collaborated of who was going to be the cheerleader I have no doubt that Robin Dawson lives this every day and I know first hand as I have family up around the Greenbrier equipment area I know the difference that that that miss Wallace and her team is making equipment in it is real life because it's working in cabinet to and so thank you very much for what you're doing you're changing lives you're changing the course of what would be a statistic in life in your altering those families as well because it did in my family so thank you very much keep working hard with what you're doing because it works. Thank you its the represent me grew. Read it here. The. Third on this community education from my background so I went to a retired superintendent that I knew that was very successful and ask him what the schools needed and what was it that made the school successful and he said quest simply it's a great school board and a great shipper intended now go to legislate that he told me that but I do have always believed that organization rise and fall with leadership and obviously we're seeing some great leadership here today and thank you for your passion in your leadership I was saddened to hear that we've already had one school that dropped out and I would make the assumption that that was because the leadership didn't buy and what was already working so my question for you is what what do you do about leadership that don't by an or an educator that doesn't by and how do you have are you handling that situation. River. I can't speak to the leadership part I can speak to the educator part as I told you I'm that we were a a successful school and our conversation was around going from good to great the first year we did this process I lost sixteen members of my staff who just decided that they weren't able to do this work at this was too hard for them this past year I had one opening with ninety six applicants for that job in that's over the course of two years that that that has happened and and so I I think that a kind of goes back to the comment that I made earlier there is a pre requisite of the behavior of the adults and their willingness to change on behalf of what every student every child needs and if that's not later than this work can't be successful because it is common sense and it's just good old fashioned roll your sleeves up hard work and do right by kids but I I I think that it takes leaders who are willing to make those hard decisions that have some of those hard conversations. And I'd like to just say to I am back on Senator Elliott's comment on the PD that things that we revisit year after year for so many years lots that there's some tremendous professional development and I laid there energized I'm ready to go back to my district and do whatever I need to take a couple days later life gets in the way. So it's one of those things for years I'll tell you I'll show you their PD and then we go we try. We're in this situation what we're doing a professional learning communities is I'll tell you I'll show you and all work right along beside you because there were several times I'd sit there professional development and I'd go okay that sounds great but not my kids they can't do that not my kids but when you have someone sitting right there and working with you along the process and when something doesn't work which it may have worked at robin school and not worked at Gillette school when something doesn't work they're going to work you through that process so that I don't get a chance to give up. So it is this is the and that happens with those naysayers is they don't get a chance to give up and they may jump off the bus are they may stay in realize like Amanda John stated she may stay and realize you know what I just got my passion because I'm now belong I belong in the student's belong and I'm change that attitude and it's hard change in the attitude of an adult very hard you. One way that the attitudes are changed and either people get on the bus surveys get left behind is a big part of the work that we all do is we celebrate and we celebrate a lot and so it doesn't matter if it's a kid that that finally gets it we're going to celebrate that if it's an adult that finally gets it we're going to celebrate that and so when paid when you start celebrating all the good things happening in your school and you put that out on social media or your newsletters or however you are are are representing that people want to be a part of it and so that that's been huge for us is just celebrating that the growth of of adults and students because we put just as much into the dolls and their knowledge as we do our students. I also want to add real quickly that we were talking about how to sustain and as being out of the co fort. Solution treat they are the most kind GNU one associates that you can ever imagine they're real people their friends we've created friendships with all of our coaches we have their personal cell phone numbers and they tell us call us anytime and they mean it so they are still in our back pocket throughout our lives so we'll have we'll have friends for ever. I have our lead I will let you speak minimal H. Q. in our last one we have percent of all the believe has a question so go ahead and then I will put her on okay and I just like to say because I'm pretty sure you you want to know is A leader leave the school and there's the peel the process is is going on the the stamp of the leader is once they leave the process still continues because it's not just me eight it wasn't me that bought into the process you have a culture of this is the peels the process this is how it works a teacher leaves from a grade level the great level still still continues because this is what Mabel availability this is not did it it's bigger than that just solution tree right now the now we can granted this is this is us this is the part of our culture where before the culture results the students can't learn we hear that all the time right they can learn so now we have a culture of all students can learn all students can learn at high levels that is the standard and made available to school whether I'm there with that first grade teacher is there with that kindergarten teacher is still there once anybody leave that school the school the culture of that school leave this process works this is what we do this is standard. Representative all thank you Mr chair I appreciate all the I'll be in here of course I've been very supportive of PLC's ever since I went to the first conference and I to thought this is common sense why haven't we been doing this this way for ever and thought of myself in a classroom and how much this could have helped me whenever I was a student in school with a learning disorder so I appreciate the extent in which you've gone to make each child in your school successful I know that we talked about one that dropped out of the cohort but have we had people that have joined the and at their own expenses to make sure because I've seen what other schools are doing and how it's affecting their schools that they just bought in because they wanted to be a part of it can you please tell me about that miss Wally. Yes and let me just say in defense of the one that did drop out of the cohort they have contracted with solution tree on their own so it's not that they've given up the professional learning community thank you have still contracted with solution train they're doing the work as far schools to body and while robin alluded to Fort Smith they're district is completely body and and they have so we have a list of schools and solutions we can get a set list of schools have contracted on their own we have another school who just got into the cohort jester elementary gotten to the cohort and the superintendent says what can I do to get my junior high and high school said travel along with them when they get the resources the books a learning by doing what you bought for the rest of your staff and you all don't do it together so you have all sorts of districts with contracted our who were riding the journey with their schools who have been accepted into the project so it's well beyond and then we have Schools you got the coaching academies and things like that throughout the state so initially when we started we started with ten to twelve schools and I think the last percentage that I had was it's an eighty three percent of the schools across the state of Arkansas it's not as in depth as it is their project school but it's an eighty three percent of the schools that of Arkansas thank you ma'am thank you Mr chair. All right that is all of our questions you're welcome to say whatever you all want now. Nobody else can queue in sitting here I don't know. My heart just the almost is kinda stop like every time we hear that saying can't can't can't can't can't can't. I'm not convinced that I ever thought kids can't but I feel like I did now house. And I feel like going to I'm. I'm not don't cry. I'm just really passionate about and I have been sent. I was a little girl you know you hear these stories about of always when feel like this is I was a little kid now I'm I'm mean it you know me so when I presented initially and I said that I've built in powered as a teacher I meant that going through this process I feel like better equipped me and it gave me the tools and the confidence that I needed to apply to my students in front of me I don't believe can't can't can't. I just you don't know what you don't know you know so I just feel better equipped and empowered as an educator to be able to help my students get to where they need to go and I didn't know what I didn't know yeah I'm sitting here with three degrees working on my fourth specialist but that does not define me not being able to help my student I'm going to get some challenges along the way however I feel better equipped to be able to help them as they come it's going to look different across the years you know me so I feel like with the resources and the knowledge that I've gained through this process is going to help me sustain as an educator I just want to share. Thank you. Anyone else having legislative fourth edition. I think what Mister Johnson was referring to is that there there's a man named Brian Butler that we will have the chance to learn from who frequently says no one teacher has the answers for every child in their class. But collectively we as a group you can figure out what every child needs and that collective responsibility and when we get to the point as a school that we own the success and failure of every single child that's when we start changing lives and that's that's one real change starts to happen and that and that's the power and that's why we are so passionate about this because we've experienced it and for me my child start kindergarten in this process and so with even that much more personal for me so again on behalf of everyone here thank you for what you've done for kids and FOR staff it's it's really changed for the for the better. Thank you I appreciate so much the passion that shall have in the fire that you have such continue to touch others and put that fire in them because that's what you're doing every time you all collaborate your rear firing up the next one and keep them going to don't let the fire burn out that's when things go south so continue all we appreciate shall you two hours I while we it's it's been great to hear from you all in here all the questions that we've had and we know that this is working let's keep it going and anytime you need us to help you you let us know. Thank you. All right. We're gonna bring in now for some discussion on act seven fifty seven someone it asked if we would bring that up and discuss that I'm not sure who actually that was but we decided we would bring department in so I'm not sure who Whoever. We have nobody down to so we don't know who's covered so. As long as it's not come you know secretary key were good so. Now just getting. Sure you all got him working or today somewhere hopefully. Just introduce yourself and will let y'all would go into what you wanted to discuss the changes on accented seven. Okay. Good morning IV Pfeffer and deputy commissioner of division of elementary and secondary education Courtney solace Ford legal counsel department of education. Kate so and it just account at an AB when it be able to give us the same thing answer but I think I need to to give us a little bit of historical context so and I wanna make sure that so we're addressing changes in a and clean a bill from the last session credits that is correct if you don't just do so synopsis of what that did and how you know how it changed things a I don't think you want to go through level out of the bill but have you wanted it and we have questions and we can reference back to those so it's my understanding one of the the driving questions was around and part of the and bill that repealed and some of the reporting requirements and particularly around and grade inflation and so if you go back to twenty seventeen when and the new accountability act was passed we call it at nine thirty we I think that's probably more familiar term that everyone's and use contest referring to that and ACT nine thirty repealed the ACT tap the old ACT tat program which was focused on Arkansas's testing and which was centered around benchmark in and of course assessments and there were some accountability pieces tied to that one of those being I calculation of grade inflation thank used and the methodology was using and the end of course assessments and whether or not a state was proficient in what they're grade was in the corresponding in of course test and so that system was a lot different than what and we transition to when the state and made a transition to new assessments first it was park and then the ACT aspire and then a more comprehensive federal in and accountability system under the every student succeeds act and you remember it was really important under the every student succeeds act that we move beyond just takes a test score as the same. Eagle measure for school success and we now have a broader set of data that we look at with the S. the school index that gives so much more information about how well schools are serving students so in twenty seventeen ACT nine thirty part of that act was and the and and Arkansas Senate code annotated six fifteen for twenty one which and establish the calculation of the great inflation rate and that was repealed so and that and and other components were repealed under that act so in twenty nineteen the clean at bill and came back and there were some and pieces missed in the reporting requirements from the and particularly around the and school report card reporting components so that was what was included and and the twenty nineteen clean at bill and I think that was part of what had caused some questions so really it comes down to in the twenty nineteen clean up bill in that reporting requirements FOR school districts we wanted to and make sure that the that the reporting aligned with and actually the measures that were part of the new accountability system established in twenty seventeen and this all is for can talk a little more about how the and the clean up legislation was organized. Well as doctor favor stated the substantive changes were made by at nine thirty in twenty seventeen and so upon review in twenty nineteen we tried to identify any sections that had been overlooked as part of repeal of the former accountability process and so we stock several of those sections one of those being six fifteen two thousand six into our clean up because again it was requiring reporting of a calculation that was tied to the old accountability system so seeing that is not being a substantive change to state clean up or a I missed overlooked section that was included in our two thousand nineteen ACT. All right we have a question of represent Lowery. Thank you Mr chairman of and I do appreciate the report I I was the one that had been asking about the we're what happened to the great inflation report and and thank you for having let me know off line that this was the bill where that had been removed. The concern I have about us not having access to this in it and there may be a way that higher education can start collecting this information but you know. We have seen significant amounts of money spent over the years where universities have to remediate students who come to them where they're they're high schools of said this is a three point oh student. And yet so many of them this is what the great inflation report my understanding at least last time I looked at it showed students who had three point oh were above who had not who would have to be remediated who dot made a nineteen or above on their ACT so is there some other mechanism because I also see in the dish language that struck that it also strikes The statements about collecting information on remediation. Was this just may be placed in the wrong. department that this is something that higher ed should have been collecting and if so is the is that a change that we can make in the next session. So and we do still collect remediation rate the grade inflation I think was the only part that was no longer being calculated because the methodology had to change when and we changed assessments and that goes back to the type of assessment that was given prior to twenty thirteen was very course specific so you could online the end of course exam and the G. P. a in that course however what we do report now in and the as the school index and it's reported on the school report card is the and number of students that have a GPA it would be an overall GPA of two point eight or higher we also still calculate and report the remediation right which is based on the number of students who you are and not and scoring at the that nineteen or that so they're having to take remedial courses in high school we also report the and composite GPA for the school so and and and I actually got a print early this morning and ran a report to start looking at some of those schools and so you can look at and those schools and you could look at several factors you get at in the graduation rate and approved provides a really clear picture with a lot of different data sets so it's really much more robust than what we had in the past and we can start to look and see okay these things down all line at if if a school has a whole lot of students that have a high GPA but lo and ACT composite scores and high graduation rate then maybe we are graduating kids giving them high grades but it's not translating into the reading this on that college entrance exam so those are the kinds of things under the S. a school index that we want to reporting we went schools to look at. What really concerns me about change changing metrics over time is that we don't have the ability to make apples to apples comparisons to really and I know a lot of this has to do at least on K. twelve level that there was a three year period where we had three different assessment tools yet the benchmark and then park and then ACT so I understand that but I remember in my first term higher ed reporting to us that they were changing their calculation on. How the amount of money that is spent on remediation. I think Shane Broadway which with higher at the end and he said you know that they had looked at that some expenses were being attributed to remediation that really you know like upkeep on the president's house or whatever and so they had downgraded the number from like the and I'm just throwing out numbers but is like down from eighty million to fifty five million and I said well that's fine but don't come back next year. When it's at fifty two million and say all we had this great decrease from eighty to fifty two million how we won't do that sure enough the next year that's exactly the way the report was presented to us is that there had been a one year drop from eighty million to fifty two billion and really the only thing change where the way the metrics were collected not that we had had done a better job of making sure students were prepared so I just hope that we will be able to effectuate having access to this information now that I think that you know we've got some stability in our says spent tools that we can look at these things year over year and see trans of we're you know we may be giving grades to students who really or not I think that grade inflation report is is important for us to make sure that we're not just doing graduating students because they've they've aged out we want to make sure that they are There being proficient of so anyway that's my main concern I appreciate all the clarification about what happened to these reports I hope that we can Yes leased zero in on some tools that can help us over time be able to see what kind of progress or lack of progress they were making so thank you and and Representative we can go back and pull those components that are part of the S. is school index and and just do a a brief update it some time for this committee as far as how long they've been calculated how they've been calculated and white the most recent data show and of course with this not being able to administer and state assessments last spring that's going to put a little bit of that A policy and having that consistent information continue but we can definitely put together that information so that everyone is clear as far as what information we did calculate how it's calculated and how long it's been consistently done that way thank you very much thank you Mr chair. Represent della Rosa. Thank you Mr chair just since we're talking about school evaluations or cars and all that and how many guess you can't answer this question right now but if you could get back to me with the answer I would appreciate it one of the questions that was brought up in the last meeting and it was brought up with my name attached to it some of a little little more concerned about it was of that student growth is considered a factor when we greater schools but it's no longer or it's not considered a factor when we're creating our teachers between the two different systems and I was told that that that was removed the act two ninety five of twenty seventeen if somebody could tell me why that that was removed in a wide there's that that there may be a perfectly valid reason for I just don't know what it is so if somebody could just let me know that would I think I can answer that question so student growth measures and have and. The way it was originally incorporated into the teacher excellent support system into tass went way back to the very beginning and part of that and the as it was passed and it's part of state requirements that were also federal requirements under whatever I can't remember under some component of no child I think it was ESA ESEA flexibility and wanted the federal requirements was that student growth that comes from a state assessment be part of a teacher's evaluation state state spent a lot of time grappling with how to do that there were some states that literally created end of course assessments for every single class that a student would take and it became very difficult as states tried to do this and and in Arkansas we never fully had our flexibility plan approved because we did not and ever tie a specific right calculation to every teacher we did provide growth data for teachers but when you really get down to it AP teacher an art teacher a music teacher it was very difficult to say what type of student growth measure are you going to use that salad that's reliable and that that is consistent fair for that teacher so and we do calculate student growth based on the and and state assessments now FOR teachers who are teachers of record for a corresponding courses or grade levels so for third grade teacher he teaches E. LA and math they will have a student growth score based on the the growth of all the students in their class they'll have that gross school or however it she's uses a piece of data to help make decisions and about what type of professional growth is that teacher needs and does that teacher do particularly well teaching E. LA but maybe not as well teaching math so maybe we want this teacher to teach more E. LA the math There is not there's just not went one way to calculate a gross score using state assessments for every single teacher in every single school district so it was removed as a and somebody if component of the summit of writing back at that time and that was the reason why so that tests became more about and professional growth support for teachers and a focus on how to continually help teachers to get better so the data would be used more like a flashlight rather than a hammer. Thank you appreciate it as a very long answer I'm sorry but I appreciate it thank you. Senator Chesterfield. Thank you Mr chair and good morning it is the morning right. One of the Representative Lowery knives visit about things like how will these kids are doing in the remediation rate which is of great concern I think to all of us what is also of concern to me is. How do we judge the colleges of education that produced the the instructors. Who produced the children that don't do well on the test. And it is always annoyed me and that the colleges of eight that the institutions of higher ed. Week to condemn those in in the school system the K. through twelve school system for sending them cues that need to be remediated but they on the other hand the sending us persons who are not totally quipped. To make sure that these kids don't eat remediation and so it becomes to me and never ending cycle of blind blind did we not a one time have a a record of how we'll colleges of education we're dealing in providing students are providing employees who were doing a good job is for is the kids were concerned. A yes ma'am so we do we print and produce a yearly report it's called and we referred to it as the upper report that educator preparation provide a report and in that report there are and a lot of different data and includes everything from and it now we that dated to shadow and the percentage of graduates who begin working in Arkansas public school the next year because that is important if a and an institution has a lot of students to complete programs but don't necessarily get a job I'm in Arkansas schools. You know what they and is it because they're not permit and preparing teachers in the right deals to meet the needs within the and state so there are a lot of different components we also have this section now we started adding Ford that and an evaluation of their dyslexia programs the evaluation of their signs of reading programs and we have in the past started calculating a growth score for and candidates after they leave for those first three years how well their students do online and state assessments back row scores being kind of hard to calculate because in some of the programs you've got numbers that are so small that and it's been a little more difficult to report so there hasn't been necessarily accountability tied to that report it's just it's more for public information and decision making and that is probably an area where we could continue to do better and and just like you and asked about while ago with the peel season higher ed. We do realize that often times we start initiatives in K. twelve and almost street are prep programs as an after thought and we've got to get better about doing that on the front end with all of our work so I do think we've been doing better about that and but you know actually looking at what are those expected measures and what would you know what levels that performance two weeks back you know that's law more difficult and but we are we are reporting it and so we can continue to try to look at if if metrics can be established to really hold accountable and. That is one of the reasons I ask about the PLC thing but I also wondered about the national board for professional teaching standards if we knew that those things which were included in that working why did we not incorporate them into the higher a program so that it was not unusual to have outstanding teachers I think the best majority of it you just do a great job but there are some skill sets that everybody can use to improve and I often wonder why do we not just in Cooper if we know what works best. What are we not incorporating that into. The higher rate system which generates those individuals who teacher key it's. And I and I do know there are and programs that do take and the state and such as the national war principles and and in that then so that as their candidates come there through their program they're prepared in the in and they really work that after three years in their candidates are going through that candidacy process so and programs each each individual higher rate institution that has a at prep program cement program approvals and that's program approvals have to aligned to standards but there is a lot of autonomy with and and prep programs and how all of those components really are and delivered in either courses or the sequence that things so there is part of that and in our program approval process and. You know we may we may want to take some time to go back and look at what all of those approval standards are but it would seem to me and it is I'll be through with this that since you now have Dessa. Which also includes. Higher it. That it ought to be seamless we know what works for kids we set that today we know what works. We also need then to say we need to prepare people before they come into the system they want to help our kids learn every teacher that I know of once children to succeed. If they're exceptions I don't really know them but they want but they don't know how this and so we we can make that more seamless as we have a department of education now encompasses K. through twelve pre K. through secondary is that correct. That is correct yes and and and I agree we have and provided training at our opportunities for all of our desi staff and art and so far and career read staff to be able to attend the PLC and city I think the next step would be our and department of higher it's staff that would be a very good training for them and people in our and prep programs have also attended PLC training with us so we are learning along with our schools and and what will continue to do that but you're exactly right that's that's the whole intent of having transformation in a unified department of education. Representative Beck. Thank you Mr chair of. It is in my mind a possibly misunderstood your explanation to represent of Lowery are there so. In place of the grade inflation report which I think had a lot of details in it as far as the. Action not just the school level the new system that you have this is more of a. The performance of the school as a hall hole compare the remediation bill students living is that the correct. I think it's I think it's correct in that the great inflation was calculated based on an individual courses like algebra one geometry because we had those specific courses with a test tied to that so you were able to look at performance here and the great given in that particular course so that current is the current assessment system doesn't necessarily land for those individual course ties to a test score so that and the components at the school quality student success indicator are and that the GPI composite and and an overall GPA so yes it's more it it's a larger look at that school but then you can also drill down and I think what's really important under our new accountability system is you can break it down by subgroups of students so you can you really get a pit good picture of are we serving all kids well which is what this group talked about just a few minutes ago it's really about knowing that each and every student is I'm doing well. Thank you another question. Of cell. Have a with the process so I go to college and I need to be remediated in English the sec so I take the course in my tested again due to determine that I did in fact get up to the level to pass the A. C. T.. Level of whatever that school required. After I've taken the remediation course I do not believe that there's another test required. Cell. At. While I'm license if I didn't pass the remediation clerks what I still be allowed to proceed. I I'm not gonna I don't know and a hundred percent that answer so let us check on that thank you. lucky you that's all the questions. Of that is it we thank you for coming and playing that and taking questions today thank you for that and we'll move on to Next item in the item be is what we have started last month working on and it's the worksheet that you have in your book and it was the items with references to things of the definitions and things you wanted to see differently are leave alone. I'm not going to go through it we don't have time to go through the whole thing so what I'm going to ask you to do is look that over you should also have that in an email from last month and look those over you see changes you want to make that we didn't already make get those back to this so we can put that into the working list that we're doing FOR figure in a bar adequacy. And does anyone else have anything today because I know we've been long today we have public health coming in later so we've got to get out here let them clean up. Nothing else. next meeting is September what. Twenty nine and that is at one thirty. Or nine I'm sorry at nine o'clock all right September twenty ninth nine o'clock see you then thank you we are Jr.