Education- Senate and House

Like call this meeting to order. Good afternoon glad to have everyone I know that probably still be struggling in for a little while we've had some other meetings going on today so hopefully everything will do so. Happy new year to everyone we're going to start off 22 with the buying and get started with adequacy which is always an exciting subject. For such a time is this and we're hoping that this is going to be a fan tastic year without all of those problems. That we had in the past so madam chair your comments. I just I'm happy new year excited to get ready and get started on this I'll just remind you if there's something that you want to see pursuit or talked about make sure that you get that to us and we will do our due diligence to make sure that it's methodical and orderly and processed and and and then we can and put that towards it and I will talk about this as it comes on it but it's you know there's gonna be things that we're gonna be including an adequacy study that's really important EVD and the teacher insurance plan so just letting you know that is going to be something that we will have to do the work on that we're working in conjunction with a L. C. chairs on that and the consecutive subcommittee on that and I just look forward to working with everybody on it thank you. Me get a vote approve the former minutes that I see I have somebody has something so what do I have a of okay got it got a second all in favor say aye. He opposed. Motion carried center just feel you have something. Are you on. That's what I don't think a. They are. New year to you and to your to both by chairs and I wonderful staff I am concerned Mister chair because I know chairperson Irvin brought to our attention that your polite issue what is of concern to me now is that I'm finding out that in order for people to buy tickets they have to go online. And it's troubling to me because so many people live in rule areas it may not have the ability of the access to online purchase in addition to the ticket price then there's also the additional cost of the online vendor so I just like us to look at that because I don't want any time for the people and strong Arkansas people in Lake View Arkansas where ever they have difficulty attending their kids gain so I'd like us to look into that as we proceed. Thank you. That's great sounds great that's the kind of things we want to hear from you all and we have something like that we can but all those things together and get those people here to hear from so all right. Without further ado we're gonna start own. Adam D. introduction to the adequacy study process which will be exhibited D. and your booklet let me just state these booklets that you have in front of you are for here only do not take them home with you please we will keep the hoes we will keep those so that you will have it the next time you get back here and if you need some of the paperwork that's in those they will be available after tomorrow that we will get those things out to you and they're also always be online but they will be available to you after tomorrow we'll send out some of the stuff on each meeting that you need so please leave those books on your desk and we'll have a back for you next month as we're back so. Miss Julie hello. And I'll let you start and everybody can introduce yourself whatever however and what you got so you're ready all right thank you representative Cozart and Senator Elliot we're glad to see you really want to take this home. It makes our copies in the back for those of you who do want to take them home and Michelle will be emailing everything out to you I'm asking like saluting that will be closer to you so you here Sir. So I am Julie hold with the pure of Legislative Research and these are my colleagues in the lobby presenting this morning. And all as I am with A. B. R. I.. Adrian back also with the bureau jasmine rae with the bureau. And I am gonna say we really are excited to be here this morning and we're not being facetious about that we started working on this process a year point 5 ago so right after we finished the 2020 adequacy process we met by saying because it was covid but had a big to briefing on what we have done in looking at things that without a gun well things that we thought could help the process as we go along we met with the chairs and got their input and share some of our ideas with them so M. we've got a few changes coming for this year 1 you'll notice we're here in January and not starting last June you'll also see is 2 days a month that which is a lot it'll be compacted time period so hopefully that will make it easier to get through this adequacy process and remember all of this information you're hearing and today and tomorrow is really just simply laying the groundwork for the 2020 to study so this presentation obviously is introduction will go through the process the tentative schedule and some other just kind of housekeeping things like that then after we finish today Taylor Lloyd walking down she's our legal Education lawyer who will take you through the legal context for adequacy Lake View decisions and so forth and she does a really good job and I think you'll get a great sense of why we do this every 2 years. Then tomorrow in this is what that reflects another one of the changes we've made does if you've been on this committee or these committees for awhile will may remember that with each individual report we would go through kind of the history of how those things have changed we decided after nearly 20 years that's a little cumbersome so we put all that history into one report which will be in your binders tomorrow in Elizabeth's prepared a really great overview 2 guys 3 that but you'll have it as a reference material as well as the big framework to start with and then we'll hopefully if you have questions about how this was done in the past or how alternative learning education or enhance student achievement will be glad to try to answer those that we should also hopefully that will be in your binders for use well. And then I will finish tomorrow looking at those original like you measures that and judge Collins coke or had in his decision which was the lower court decision that led to the Supreme Court decision for like few any listed a number of educational indicators that kind of supported his argument that we were not providing an adequate education so we'll see where we stand on those measures and now and how they can through the years. So that's today and tomorrow next time we'll really start getting into the needs at this year's adequacy work so all of Monday afternoon which is when we'll start we'll talk about pending so we're gonna go through the matrix and talk about well actually we're going to start at the state level we're gonna talk about where those revenues came in at the state that are dedicated to education and then we'll talk about how those are distributed to the school districts and charter school systems and most of you are familiar with offending matrix that we use that's the tool that you often use to the site pending they're also the categorical funds and then the supplemental funds so we'll go through all of those so we can get it real cohesive picture of all the moneys that schools have to use to pay for adequacy and equity and hopefully that will be helpful instead of dividing everything out. We'll come back the next day it will look at well how are those monies being spent and how does that look between different kinds of schools. So you'll get a lot of data next time we're not hitting it so hard this time with that so let's get started will I'll start talking about the process and when I finish Adrian will take you through everything that's in your binders and all discuss how those will be organized for you for upcoming meetings and then I'm gonna end up talking about our roles because and I roles are very different from your roles and sometimes it's helpful to review that. So as I said we started meeting a long time ago and I wanted to talk a little bit about our team I think we've got a really great team and we worked this time very collaboratively we used to work a little more insight lows would get our topics that we were supposed to report on this time we've really worked together so we started out after we did that debriefing session we read through all the like the decisions and then met discuss them we read through I know practice reports which were are in it original adequacy studies we've discussed those we've looked at other documents and APA study so we've we've tried to we had a good. And groundwork ourselves as we've gone through this so the 4 of us that were just introduced in who will get to talk here and it's a little bit will be the main ones to present to each time but we have some others that I did want to tell you Paul actions who's in his office still printing data he has been done just wonderful getting our data ready for us to analyze we have access to all of the data that the school districts and charter systems report to desi or to the Arkansas department of education. Division of elementary and secondary education so that's really a great wealth rest be able do again and see what's happening another thing that's been really cool is that ever since passage of the every student succeeds act which is the federal accountability law. Data has to be reported war granular lease so more often at the school level so in the past where we've been able to provide announces at the district level this year we're really getting down it will be able to show you the differences between schools so we can look at schools that are and you know have high levels of poverty versus low levels of poverty I'm still introducing people so the other person on our team that's not appear than one introduce is Chrissie Haidar she also we would not have adequacy study each year if it weren't for Chrissy she does a lot of our mapping she does a lot of our formatting we M. survey as you know the superintendents principals and teachers each year we hear from every single superintendent because Chris he's on the phone with them saying we need your survey we need your service so and she's a true true assets. So those are the members of the policy analysis and Research Division we also work closely with Michelle Nelson and she will bill him United staff your committee we also tailor we couldn't do without seeking answers are legal questions just like shall answer your legal questions and as I said shall present here in just a little bit Katie Walden for the fiscal section helps us tremendously and then Ellie Stennett who's the new economist will be here this summer when we're talking about equity measures that Richard Wilson needs to do as well as those forecasts for inflation. So and then there are many more in fact on Thursday the whole Research Division was busy putting together a binder so there's just been a lot of help around here. So I wanted to start off remind you of your definition of adequacy in this is not an statute but it's something that you include in each adequacy report so in 2020 this was the definition and their 3 sections in the first section really deals with the curriculum frameworks for both M.. The core learning and the career and technical education and it includes those 38 units at the high school level that are required to be taught so we will we have kept in mind as we've been working on our reports this definition so we will refer back to this is this is what you say is adequacy in this is what's happening out in schools then second part if your definition has to do with testing and the goal in the definition is to have all or all but the most severely disabled perform at proficient levels on these tests so we will be reporting that to you at the end of the year the 2121 test scores. And then the third part is really your part is to decide what that sufficient funding is to provide the resources to help students achieve. A little about our adequacy stats here so we're that is a copy the adequacy statute is in your binder and I this guy the entire process in you can see on this slide in 2003 we get that Michael closer. At the site in 2003 we get that 8 right area is that the committee committees review and NC thousand 7 we begin getting at the specifics of how we accomplish those aids right area is and that brings us here. I Addis's adequacy tracking C. we now hear this on the screen but it's also in your binder this is a you know what it looks like at but you'll see a left hand side is telling you to adequacy study responsibilities and this is straight from this ask you these are their required responsibilities for this statute member if you will look under your tab in your binders you'll see it's to a so you can see a bigger version of it and you can read it. Yeah all of a circuit in there to just under the tab so go to to a and you'll see that tracking sheets. And yeah behind the green to. Okay I'm sorry go ahead thank you S. the lesson that is initiated the responsibilities that middle column is going to show you how we're going to accomplish each year there's responsibility is in the right hand side is going to show you the reports or report or reports that are relating to each one of those responsibilities. I'm using you see at copy as the card is actually that relates to the committee's report we know that the committees will submit reports by November 1 this is selling what's required to be in those reports and we know as your place will include recommendations and the recommendations I should include proposed implementation schedules specific steps persons responsible resources necessary and draft legislation. So I'm in arranging our presentations we were very intentional about wanting to tell you all the story from beginning to end and on the next slide you'll see a depiction of that and you will see that as the picture shows we will be starting off with the story of starting off with funding and then we will move into spending as Julie already spoke about a minute ago and then we will end with accountability and outcome. So this is a copy of your foundation funding worksheet is also in your binder so don't worry about reading it on the screen but I wanted to highlight a few sections of this in relation to the adequacy study so you'll see a few different sections I want to know so the first one is the matrix this is how we calculate foundation funding going to the districts then we also have categorical funds these are more targeted fines for certain populations or certain purposes. And they're they're restricted in use which is different from foundation funds which are unrestricted and we're not about Foundation finds no here this plenty of times about the study but this is a legislative tool so that part is not set in statute. And finally we have additional funds these are plans that have been added throughout the years to me additional adequacy needs like additional transportation finds transportation fine or give me transportation special education and a teacher salary fines so we're going to talk about how all these work together and how they interact and and what the end result of all those funds are as we wrap that up. So again telling the story of advocacy from the beginning I'm we are we have focused each one of these reports by trying to answer how does this affect adequacy how does this affect deficiency and how does it affect equity and. Whenever possible we also work to provide a context by both researching literature and making comparisons by the at the national level I am by looking at how we compare to states surrounding us states within the southern regional educational boards of the S. R. U. B. states as well as comparisons to schools with in Arkansas. So to determine those top performing states we use the nape assessment so that's again the national assessment for educational progress and what we did so that's in this national assessment that tests students for example students every 2 years in each state and the district of Columbia every 2 years and various subjects and grade levels so what we did is we took test scores for the fourth and eighth grade reading assessments for each state and in DC for the 2015 to 2017 and 2019 school years compiled 1 average score within rank those scores and we that's how we got our compilation here so we say the top Nate states these are the top 10 that will be referring to you'll see those and get those throughout the adequacy study as we have data available and we did that compilation Arkansas ranks 40 third among all states in DC. So again we are looking at the S. 3 B. states also to give a kind of a southern comparison so this the S. 3 B. state is a compilation of 16 states across the southeast region of the country and we rank those used in those napus segments and these are top aides to these ones that pop S. are review states these are yet and among those 16 Arkansas ranked number 12. And then we also wanted provided can comparison against neighboring states so once these are contiguous states and you'll see the Arkansas ranked number 5 out of those 7 and so again you'll see these groupings as we go along through that adequacy study as data is available to provide you comparisons with how Arkansas performing against various groupings of states. And I mentioned when I was introducing Paul he's in his office but that we're really this you're able to look at school level data which research backed up why that's a good thing and if you think about it there's many or several larger districts in the state I mean you look at their data on the district level you don't really see what's happening in those individual schools so this year we're really going to be able to look at what's happening more in individual schools and we're really excited about that and they have already seen some the patterns that will share with you M. as we progress so we M. spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out okay what are those meaningful comparisons so first of all we thought well by region and so we looked at several different maps that divided Arkansas into regions one of them being the congressional map that we knew that was about to change so we didn't want to go with that I think this is actually the Arkansas dental association map but it seemed to make some sense with House schools might vary by geography in the state. We also wanted to look at schools by their district characteristics because spending is delivered to schools 3 their districts so we're looking at them by what size districts they are in and then also if of they are they're governance R. their traditional school district or their charter school system. We also wanted to look at urban versus rural so we use the national center of education statistics designations for each school on whether they're and urban or rural and I actually have many categories so we classed them into ones that we thought made sense for the state and M. to no one 's surprise most Arkansas schools about 700 of them out of 1000 are considered rural schools. We also know that poverty level is important Arkansas state averages about 63 percent poverty for schools school districts so it's a very pervasive had been almond that schools deal with so we divided schools into quintiles based on the level of poverty they have so Quintana one is are those 20 percent of schools that have the lowest poverty levels in the commission of 5 is those 20 percent of schools that have the most property. We did the same thing for minority and dividing schools that way and to get a binary variable we looked at white versus nonwhite students and divided them up into quintiles so and we can make comparisons and see if they are there different things happening in terms of spending or in terms of performance in the schools. And then finally we have a great the schools call successful schools and those of you who are on the committee's last year may remember that Aug and like pay like in associates I'm going to say APA now on they they use a group of 15 schools as case studies and make all of these are successful schools and the way they found these was through a regression formula where they looked at the inputs going into a school and then use those to predict what test scores would be and then I found schools that were actually scoring above what would be predicted based on their students the theory being that something in the school is happening to help the school those students perform better than you would expect so we performed a very similar regression model week we put in factors like how many English language learners how many kids in property and how many girls how many boys we've put in everything we could think up and came up with a regression model that was the most predictive for we use the weighted achievement scores from 2019 because that was the most recently happened we were putting this together and then we went through we found 100 32 schools that scored about a standard deviation which is a statistical term that means that there's something going on M. higher than what would be predicted based on their students and so except those schools aside and we will use them to look at okay what are they doing in terms of spending power their kids performing wetter the M. things they're doing for their kids in poverty so we'll be able to compare them as well and then we wanted to really dig down a little deeper with the schools to try to determine some things that were going on. So we used these goals for our in depth visits and we selected 6 out of the 1:32 AM we wanted to make sure we had a good range so this is not a random sample of the schools it's a very select set of schools but we wanna make sure we had 1 in each of the 6 regions we wanted to make sure we had both charter and traditional schools districts represented. We wanted a range of poverty levels in the range of minority levels. And we wanted large schools medium schools small schools and then we also and I didn't put this on this chart this slide that had a range of elementary junior high and high school so we tried to cover the spectrum and we did find some very common themes from the schools at one of which and I will let me continue. We at each of these and we had to do this we did this this fall within a 3 week period so we got all schools at about the same time we had sentencing because code again was an issue that we have really really great visit so we've visited with the superintendent and one with the principal and then we had focus group with a set of teachers that representatives are the subjects or the grades being taught at that school and then the most fun thing we've ever done as part of an adequacy study we had focus groups of students and we talked with groups of elementary kids And group of high school kids Anna it was we have some really neat kids who are who are learning a lot out there so that was super duper fun. The end of the when Adrian goes through the binder in a minute you'll see we've put in all the questions that we asked each of these people at the school so you'll know and we listed the things that we heard from each of them and I just wanted to talk about one of them real quickly because we started off interviewing small schools and this is really to represent what is important to us to talk to mix of schools but we are persons just happened to be at smaller schools and we kept hearing about this focus on the child and the whole child and knowing it you know what kind of family that's how came from with their needs for in that all teachers would know that and and the small schools were saying you know you can do that at a small school and so we thought well maybe that's really a small school thing but then we got to these other schools that were a little bit larger and then quite a bit larger and it was those same things coming 3 so we really felt like we had by then applying the successful schools may be found some common elements that we can always capturing the data that we can get through these interviews so you will hear us referring to those findings throughout our reports. Thank you there are a schedule of anticipated reports all of our as you said before Oliver into activity information is getting hands today and tomorrow in February will spend a day on finding an end date and spending and. Inside at we're very excited about those reports we have some really interesting things is how you and we're we're excited about that is we'll take a break and we will meet in March because a fiscal session we can back in April jasmine will tell you about facilities and then jasmine Adrian Irvin is how you all about teachers unions hack about teacher recruitment and retention salaries professional development and tasks which is our system for a teacher evaluation when we come back in may Julie H. as in an age and we'll talk about educational programs for all students and for special populations so this is what we'll talk about at learning expectations are standards of accreditation I create technical education are English language learners attend the learning environment special education R. and has he needs treatment planning and Julie's gonna take you out Wayfair's in June one Legislative I it will come and get the light it reports and then aging in Chile will talk about it she isn't student achievement and achievement gaps and then all this guy's federal and state accountability systems and then in July alley will be here to give the economic forecast and we'll discuss the final report so as you can see issue by November 1. I want to give. At which is how you about the format and each meeting with a lot of different reports and a lot of different topics at the basic format in the meeting is the same every time we'll give you a quick recap of what we said in the previous meeting we'll have the presentation of the day's materials with a power point and that will always be in your brain here on that day and then it will give you the topic for the next man will provide you with a sheet that shows the major things that you can see what having acts and we hope the electors over and send this any questions we we want to give you the best information and the information that you need and your questions really help a city that as you can see on the screen and that we have our adequacy action and you can see over by jasmine that we've got a white board over here and so this is to create action sat at for you or for AS in this could be and having as to further research having as your model economic crisis by it we hope that Adam will film will fill this out at every meeting and hope is that we will when he gets you the final report and jacking their password and your recommendations that will have a good start earning income all of the things that need to be included and that's recommendation. So once we get through all the presentations of the committee has made their recommendations and the final report which is due by November 1 and 2022 will be delivered to the set Senate president pro tap the Speaker of the house and the governor's office. So I want to go through those binders with you that you have already kind of peek through a little bit just to give you a sense of what's all in there and re confined everything so. Right now they're a little empty but we'll keep adding to these as we go along and so I want to start off in well because first off of a table of contents that'll provide you a good sense of where everything can be found going forward and but in table in tab one so this is our meetings tab this is where you can find all the agendas all the minutes any reports power point that we're presenting on that given day so as we go along those will get updated and with all of the relevant information being presented at that particular meeting so currently you'll see today's agenda the minutes from last week's meeting the power points that you'll see today and Taylor's in Taylor's power power point coming up later today. Moving on to tab to. This is your kind of seen some of the pieces in here but this is our adequacy tab so you gonna see information about all the adequacy study the report I historical information there and statute so and starting with and the tracking she Liz Elizabeth already went there earlier this is all of our or requirements and how those are being met. In to be again This Is aye aye Elizabeth noted this is our adequacy statute they can refer back to for reference as needed. In 2 C. you'll find again that tentative schedule that we have for the remainder of the reports you see where everything is going to be presented and when. In 2 D. or to see the action plan as Elizabeth just went over and get on our white board so this one 's going to stay in D. as if you as a reference thank you as we update that action plan with different task if requested you'll see that updated in the meetings tab as we add those along each meeting we will keep those updated ones in that section but currently don't have any updates quite yet. Into Eads this is the adequacy diagram that jazz win over at to give you a sense kind of a better idea of what that looks like what our process is in telling the story of adequacy. And then finally into S. this is the adequacy funding worksheets with a little long to kind of unfold that out Meghan now kind of give you a few years of I funding information for foundation funding those categorical and the additional funding sources that all make at adequacy. In tab 3 you're gonna find a list of acronyms so we're going to do our very best to avoid uses of acronyms but we want to go ahead and provide you a list of those in one spot you can refer back to that if needed. In tab for you're gonna find all of our survey results so as Julie noted we surveyed all the superintendents principals and a sample of teachers spring of this past year and so all the results are compiled an individual reports for the superintendents principals and the teachers and you'll also see those results kind of. I referred to in shown or other report as we go along as as a relevant along with any open ended comments that received throughout those surveys though kind of the sprinkle through as far presentations. And finally in that section you're gonna find a section on the successful school interviews and says duly noted this is going to have at all of our descriptions I have come to common themes that we found throughout those conversations they're gonna include all the questions we asked in those meetings you can kind of have those all of those results in one spot you can when I referred back to all of those. Finally and tap 5 we have our methodology section so this is going to include a description of all of our kind of our methodology and how we compiled data how we analyze the data you have it a one spot to No kind of our sources where we got date and how we came about all the results that you'll see as we go along and we have any dish will of my update that as we go along if we have any additional and analyses that we need to include but that is your adequacy binder. And one more thing I wanted to add that you do have in that methodologies and definitions all of the categories of schools we've got listed in there so you can see exactly like what is that range and quintiles 2 of property or you know how many what's then rolled into the schools we have some basic information for you about that is if you if you want to look back at that. So and finally for almost filing I wanted to talk about the roles and when I think about the different roles that we have I think back to Dr George Thompson who was a professor of mine and Hendrix also became a father in law and that he was he's a really great history professor very just anyway great guy but when I went off to graduate school and started setting database journalism and got all excited about statistics and polling in the power of data he was very skeptical he had a very skeptical approach to statistics and so we had several interesting conversations about it and I finally figured out where he was coming from and has is that data and statistics can tell you a lot of things but mostly they're telling you what yes they're not telling you what ought to be. So I think of our role in this process is being did you know him. I thought and anyway sorry sorrow in this is to be that is and we're going to do our best to provide you the most objective the most accurate data and statistics we're going to provide that context is jasmine said by telling you what other states are doing or what research is saying it's best practices but will never tell you this is what you should do because of the data that's that's your role your the policy makers and you get to bring your own judgment to apply to the information we bring. So. I did want to end this on a little bit more personal note and I just if but I know that as we go through this especially since we're going to be in this compact area we're gonna be throwing data at you we're gonna be talking about adequacy and equity that sometimes those words can become like meaningless concepts are just empty words in deep races so and I know I have and. 2 instances I think back that make adequacy and equity really very real and concrete to me and I just thought I'd share that is I'm also gonna be sharing my age because these both happened back in 1998 and for those of you who were just little kids or maybe not even born back then and it was Bill Clinton was finishing up being president Mike Huckabee was early on in his career as governor this is what you guys look like back in. And it was so long ago that cellphones truly were cellphones they were phones you could not be is connected to a wall to talk on and I would even have cameras until the next year. But for me that year was really exciting because we were getting to me back to Arkansas my husband and I got off to graduate school in North Carolina and then we moved that to DC where we both had jobs there and in 98 we have the opportunity to move back in I was super excited because I'd miss my friends and my family and the Arkansas way of life that we have. By then we also had these 2 this is Jonathan on and a in Arkansas sweatshirt which you'll still see him wearing must ace today even our listeners or and then Jennifer who just finished her kindergarten year and silver spring Maryland. So that moving back with kids this age it was you know it's important to find a great school as it was to find a great house in a great neighborhood so when we found that school here in Little Rock right before school started I took so she would be so scared on day one and the principal miss lily Carter who is the world's greatest elementary school principal menace at the door and spent 30 minutes taking us all around the school we saw the secretary's office her office all of the first grade class rooms we saw the playground in the library and it was an older school but it was and been really well maintained that have high ceilings and windows in the classrooms they were full of bookcases and books and learning centers in the hallways had motivational posters on the wall it was just a really nice place to be so at the end of the tour miss Carter lane down to Jennifer. In civil Jennifer do you have any more questions or have any questions and Jennifer was really shy so I didn't think she was going to have any but she goes way all because she wanted to talk to North Carolina so she said whales. Where's your art ring in miss Carter kind of did a little back take and said you know well it's really crowded in our school right now we don't have a separate room for art we just do it in our classrooms. Did you have an art room in your old school and Jennifer nodded and she did they had a separate room with a separate art teacher where they would go twice a week get little scissors and construction paper and paints and do art. So miss Carter regularly said will do you have any other questions Jennifer said whale you know where's your science lab and again as Curtis of overcrowded we don't have a separate one but Jennifer is old school dead and I would go and they had a science teacher and they have little terrariums and other things that I'm intricate city science with so miss Carter try it one more time she sent anymore questions and Jennifer said well where do you do you P. E. in this Thomas Carter could say what we do share GM with the junior high so we can go there or we're out on the playground Mr knight Jennifer's little elementary school had its own little gem so those answers seem to satisfy Jennifer and she was fine I'm in what was going on you know what we've done and I was so excited to get home but if I brought my child somewhere where they're not going to get as much educational resources is they would have if we'd stayed and I didn't have the word adequacy to put with it but that was my experience with adequacy. So my experience and my experience with equity came just a little bit later I was working as a freelance journalist. And I had to as a freelance 3 end up selling story so I'd seen a little blurb in the paper about a kindergarten teacher here lost their M. license already been suspended because of and some problems in the background and but they had just gotten their license reinstated and I thought I would a great human interest story so so that to the editors Dr Jennifer office school when October morning in drugs 2:00 hours east interview this teacher. Got to the school and it was a school probably built in the seventies so it looks a lot different than Jennifer's from the get go but was met at the door by the principal she took me an what was so excited that somebody from Little Rock was coming to visit their school walk me down the hall to the kindergarten classroom immediately I noticed that even the halls were clean and freshly painted they were so bear compared to my daughter's school and when I got to the classroom the same thing struck me there were little desks in there's a chalkboard and there's a cardboard you know A. B. C. thing that all classrooms have but there weren't any but cases full of books there weren't any bulletin boards on the walls Anna read this teacher and he was he's a really nice guy and you could tell he cared so much about his kids and explained how they came from families of poverty but that those families made sure they got those kids to school each day because I knew that education was the key for them but he also said we have so few resources in our district that I drive you know about an hour to West Memphis every day to buy coloring books that I can make copies so my kids can color and learn their ABC's or learn their animals. So anyway I went back and I write this story about this Nick yet and how what he was doing realized a few years later that I'd really miss the bigger story those that like the elementary school. And the bigger better story would have been to write a compare and contrast on all the things that my daughter's school and all the things that were not at Lakeview elementary. I miss that opportunity but it makes me really and that's why I can say instead of saying we're excited to do this and I know all of you have your own stories of adequacy and equity that make it important for you to be on this committee that I did want to end with that because I really am excited to work with you guys and we all are to work with you all on this process. And with that I'll be glad to take any questions about process or what the next payments are going to fight. All right do we have any questions. I knew you would will be will. Senator Elliot. Yes this is kind of what comes. To learn stuff. I just a question when you wait I don't remember who it was that was going through that students at different categories of students but I didn't hear any mention of talented and gifted how that's going to fit into our report I if at all if you would just talk about that because I know there are people who will asking about it when I leave here. I'll start in death because this is been a big ask me questions gifted and talented it's never been considered really part of adequacy although we know that they're gifted and talented friends that go to schools and schools are required to have gifted and talented programs so we will. We struggled over have helped include that we will when we talk about the funding and spending we had in our with jasmine because this really been her. Yes I actually frequently it sounds it could be included but it has not historically been part of the definition part of adequacy however am I will be providing information because they because there is a mandate that that districts are required to spend I don't know the top of my head the amount of money that they're the percentage of 90 but they do have to spend money on gifts and talents are programs and so I will report on that we get to that and X. the spending presentation I will provide information on how much we are spending on gifted and talented but there's not a separate report I am on gifted and talented programs and student populations I am and that's has been ongoing they're trying to figure out. And all that we're doing when we say we are taking care of that part of it we don't really have any way to drill down and also is it possible. Because they're going to get down to the local level how they're doing and what they're doing. Is it possible maybe to check with some superintendents or somebody at the school districts to find out just what are people doing this I have no clue other than we have a mandate we're supposed to be doing it and I I I couldn't begin to tell you what that looks like so if we could just get a quote of that that that might be helpful. And will you talk about that because if you don't have to do it now necessarily so how you chose the teachers and the students in the focus groups how do we go about that and when we cover that we can wait and do it then but just I'm just letting you know that something I'd like to know sure and I can tell say that now because we're gonna be covering that is one report that we looked at. So again the court delayed its ruling and gave the General Assembly you had another chance to come back reevaluate and make changes to address the court's concern. So once more it was back to the truck back to the drawing board for the General Assembly. I'll skip a lot of that back and forth because there really was a lot of back and forth and but the Supreme Court alternately came to the conclusion at this time that there still existed constitutional deficiencies and and the previous slide I mentioned a lot of the initial issues that the Pulaski County lower court had mentioned and this kind of builds off of that and adds to it in a way so in order to really understand how the cap how the lake view court came to its decision that there were issues and how it alternately got to its decision a couple years after this that there were no longer issues you need to really understand why and what those issues were. So at the time and there were still issues with complying with the required adequacy study education needs were not funded first we all know about the doomsday provision and know that adequate know that education today is funded first and primarily. The aid that was given out at the time were based on funds that were available and not what was actually needed to achieve adequacy. All districts were facing unfunded mandates facilities funding was insufficient school districts really when you look down to it weren't actually receiving equal funding assuming certain collection rates with each school district and school funding was an accounting for increases or decreases and daily number of students and the funding formula at the time didn't address economic stability of school districts so you kind of see how this echoes previous decisions and that they were very specific individual level and school level needs that we're still not quite being met by the statutory changes implemented by the legislature at the time. So after another session and more changes made the court finally in conjunction with the special master's determined that public education funding was constitutional in Arkansas and this is where I really want to emphasize that the court in Lake View didn't determine that the funding in place was itself adequate and equitable it determines that the system put in place by the General Assembly at the time could lead to an adequate and equitable education and so I think that's an important lens through which you can view a lot of what you do today as the legislature and as members of this committee in that you are looking to put a system in place to achieve adequacy and equity it doesn't mean that the results will come overnight necessarily. So some of what the lake view court based its constitutional ruling on. Included the enactment of the continuing adequacy of valuation Act of 2004 that's also known as act 57 that's known as specific statutory measures it's notice several different things they all mean the same thing though there was the enactment of the educational adequacy funds there were actions related to facilities funding there was the adoption of amendment 74 to the Arkansas constitution which pertains to the 25 at uniform rate of million 4 rate of tax for maintenance and operation of schools there was establishment of categorical foundation and growth or declining enrollment funding which as you recall a dresses some of the more specific issues that previous courts have pointed out for the school level concerns and and with respect to teachers there is the adoption of a minimum teacher salary schedule and incentive bonuses for teaching in this high priority districts. So a question might be do you all as members of the legislature as members of this committee we need to mirror what was done in 2007 that was deemed constitutional by the court. That question is a little bit loaded because it's very convoluted and adequacy itself as a very fluid concept that is how it's always referred and that is how I referred to it consistently so adequacy really is what you all make it it's what you all define it as however the lake view court did identify 4 major components of adequacy and those are kind of benchmarks that you can look at in terms of evaluating are we on the right track the first of those is what you're starting today which is actually conducting an adequacy study. The second is funding education first. The third is maintaining that oversight of school district expenditures this means ultimately the Buck stops with the state so whether or not a school district is spending funds such that adequacy achieved rests with the state itself it's the onus is on you all as as members of this committee to make that determination and if something's not being correctly done to actually make changes to get the right direction for adequacy and equity. Finally there's the general assembly's responsibility with respect to adequacy that it's an ongoing task and it requires constant study review and adjustment so not only are you charged with conducting the adequacy study that you're starting today but you're also is charged with reacting to it so whether you want to make a legislative change whether you want to change the definition of adequacy which I'll get into an amendment whether you want to make changes to the matrix those are all reactions to information that your obtaining with respect to public education funding. Finally I will transition into my last branch of adequacy which pertains to the statute so as I mentioned earlier we have the continuing adequacy of valuation Act of 2004 we have ACT 57 we also have just what I know it as Arkansas Code 1032101 again all the same things I'll spare reading the actual statute to you all again you can find it in your binder if you have any issues just let us know or let me know but this is the first place you see in the Arkansas code that the legislature has to actually develop what they consider an adequate education conduct this adequacy study and know how revenues are spent to determine whether or not true equality in educational opportunity is being Max. So to conduct the adequacy study. You've got it as I mentioned earlier you have adequacy and equity they go hand in hand adequacy really needs to lead to equity and so it's important to understand what equity actually means equity doesn't mean that everybody receives the same funding the same type of funding and has to deliver the same education with the same materials facilities equipment you're looking at whether or not. And expenditures are made for people and whether that resulted in equal educational opportunity so those are kind of your buzz words equal educational opportunity for all public school children in the state. So can to conduct adequacy. Sorry about that to conduct adequacy study you first need to actually define adequacy the fluid concept so what was considered adequate it's by definition last by an biennium may not be what you all consider adequate. Right now the definition includes 3 primary components the first is curriculum and career and technical frameworks the second relates to standards and the state's testing system and the final is sufficient funding to provide adequate resources as identified by you all and the General Assembly. So this adequacy study serves as a basis for whether or not changes are made to the code the matrix anything as it relates to public education funding. So how has this adequacy study been put into action. That's what we talk about the matrix everybody's heard of this weird nebulous term the matrix it's strange because it's not in code there's nothing spelled out there's nothing black and white about it it was first created and introduced in 2003 by Aden picus it's an evidence based. Tool and it's not in statute so it's described as the resources needed to provide an adequate education and it's studied each biennium and you might make changes to it you might not that's all part of the tool to achieve adequacy. And important about the matrix Senate and a weird concept as well as that it's a funding matrix and not a spending matrix this means that what you all allocate according to certain categories and certain amounts may not be how exactly the school districts spend what they receive from foundation funding a based on the matrix that is just kind of the nature of the beast and that's a fun little aspect of the matrix. However you ought to find. So your next question might be whether or not changes can actually be made to the matrix because the matrix is an in statute you might kind of question well if we want to make changes to the matrix how do we do that how do we do that without violating the constitution to maintain adequacy and equity. There's nothing in code there's nothing spelled out anywhere that can guarantee you that constitutional compliance but there are some the factors that I've listed on your screen above rooted in lake view that you can look to to determine whether or not any kind of changes you're making. Have some merit the first is whether or not the category or item of funding that you're trying to change or not change was actually evaluated in the adequacy study. This goes hand in hand with that third factor which is whether or not evidence based research was actually used to make the change so if it's something that is discussed and evaluated during the adequacy process what you are doing now that's something that you can kind of check off and say okay we we discussed it we had evidence based research we came to this conclusion because of reasons XYZ. And another component another factor is whether the changes based on and need and not the availability of funds that was a common theme throughout most of the cases leading up to the end of Lake View in 2007 and that you cannot make changes based on what you have available in front of you if it takes a certain amount or certain thing to get to what the legislature has deemed to be adequate and equitable that's what has to be put in place. Finally after that change are you still going to be facing an adequate and equitable expenditure of funds that's a really. A really broad category to check off right there because it's kind of the assessment aspect of adequacy it's not going to be as simple as was this review during the study yes it was it's based on matrix on evidence yes it was check so that's a bit of a complicated component of the checklist but it's something to consider as you as you move forward in the study. Finally I just wanna emphasize the fact that this is your study it's it's the province of the General Assembly the court has repeatedly side that the General Assembly and the General Assembly alone will define and study adequacy and determine what is needed to get to adequacy and equity in education because adequacy is fluid it's really gonna depends on the legislature and the particular committees so what was adequate in 2007 at the end of Lake View or 2010 or even the last by any and may not be what you all want to consider is adequate today. And with that I'm happy to take any questions. Thank you it is an evolving process is not the same as it was when it first started and as we know that I served on this committee for quite a while it is changed every 2 years as we've worked on this and it will change again so have some questions coming up before we get to their I just wanna remind you that the APA recommendations you will have or if you don't have a we will get those to you and you do need to look those over there were some things that they did recommend for us to look at so those are some of the things we need to do that and one other thing before I take questions I was gonna remind you all that representative fight is not here today because she is helping her husband get on the road to recovery and he's doing better she didn't want to leave him alone myself because these need some help and and representative Deffenbaugh is. Little bit on the I will say under the weather but he's having a couple issues and he's gonna be OK but he's just trying to get those things straightened out so you guys remember both of them in your prayers as we. Do that every day for everyone and a lot about their so all right representive Godfrey. Thank you Mr chair thank you so much tailored very helpful great overview and I have a little bit about Leding question so I'll try to get there but I want to ask you but kind of legally and practically about the difference. In equal opportunity and equal outcome because what I'm seeing is that the constitution and case law and I'm statute all referred to equal opportunity that's what I've seen over number but it looks like a kind of the and what facilitate or what led to Lake View where these unequal outcomes that we're seeing low test scores you know teacher recruitment ad challenges the need for remediation so it is basically. The measurables are the unequal or an equitable outcome not necessarily the opportunity I think both are really vital and I think it should be our work that we are providing that adequate and equitable opportunity and outcome but I'm just wondering if you could kind of speak to the difference there if there is one and what maybe are the legal or constitutional requirements of. Providing equal or equitable outcomes for students and even though they're not specifically spelled out in constitution or statute or case law as I read your presentation that makes sense it does that's a really good question and I wish I had a very very straightforward answer but I don't I will say aye I know adequacy and equity one thing that the lake view court and that you'll see kind of an S. 3 branches that I discussed. Throughout the presentation is that it's that ongoing duty of you Wallace a legislature to define adequacy and to react to it there's a sense that you could look at your duty to assess whether state revenues are being spent such that adequacy and equity are being achieved as kind of looking at those outcomes that you're referencing. Whether or not it's a. It it's an explicit requirement is not as easy to say aye the opportunity aspect of that but I will say you do see the requirement of the General Assembly to actually assess what it puts in place and evaluate whether or not that's leading to you know the constitutional adequacy and equity in education so a court a court very well could look at that should a lawsuit result I can't say for sure whether or not it would focus on that or that would be a basis for determining whether or not something is constitutional but it very well could be in light of other reference duties from Lake View courts and from the statute itself. I'm sorry thank you just a quick follow up with that if we are kind of focused on the opportunity peace explicitly and just to kind of touch back on on your distinction between same or equal versus equitable that not all unit doesn't mean everybody gets the same thing. Would you say that in order to facilitate those equitable outcomes it may be that the opportunities. Need to consider the particular needs of of schools or communities or or populations of students in it may be that on the front end thank you the equol looks like different or more so that the outcome is there for equitable. So I think that when it equality and equity or such as such a fascinating. Subject to study it for me I think so I think sometimes on the front and a lot of that what you mentioned it will look as if things are on equal based on how things are disbursed based on individual and school level needs and indeed you saw that throughout the lake few cases as well continually addressing okay well there are certain certain types of students or schools facing you know. Declining enrollment or high growth or low income that have very different needs from other schools and so that was actually mentioned in the lake view and I think that's where we get equity whether or not there are specific factors you should consider when evaluating how you want to view equity as this committee I can't say that I can't get that specific but I will say that things such as that is something that the lake view court had considered thank you and and just you know for the committee I think that's a super important distinction that we keep in mind as we're doing our work that that equity is not gonna means sameness especially on the front and providing opportunity and and the court pointed that out I appreciate clarification thank you. Mackenzie. Thank you Mr chairman. I don't know if you can answer this question but I'm I'm gonna through an action saying it may have been better post at the other group so Arkansas has we have our lake view and so forth we have the study hopefully they'll we would care about this anyway we'd be coming in here and and and evaluating this to other states especially mine thank you by the states that seem to be always at the top of the list you know of other states either have comparable Lakeview or are they doing the studies and getting results from it without the case requirement here off the top of my head I know a lot of other states will look at adequacy in similar ways a lot of other states have faced lawsuits with regard to public education funding but I hesitate to get very specific with you because I don't have that information on me that's something that T. 2 leading you have. It's too late Julie probably has that information they usually look at other states more than we do in the legal world. In Taylor's correct and I I can't name all the states but there are other states that have gone through a court ordered reforms inadequate and do the adequacy study and when we get to next month and talk about the ending will talk about different ways that states either look at adequacy and make those decisions as well as some different funding mechanisms that they use thank you because when I'm hoping to see is who's doing it may perhaps better if there you know what can we do to improve and if the states that they are the top the list are the ones that are also tackling these issues that's why I'd like to see some information on thank you. Thank. Hello Richard brags of next problem resume right. This whole. One of the things that I'd like to include and I'll work with you on this and then if we'll put it in the time line is based on those successful schools that you've identified 132 if you will work with me I'd like to create a survey for each legislator or to take and pick one of the schools that are in their districts and have their own focus group with parents teachers and administration and make that part of our adequacy study so I have in my mind a list of questions that would be a survey but that would then be up to each member of the General Assembly to conduct their own. Basics you know. Review study with with certain questions so if you'll work with me in the wall include that in the time line I'd like to be able to do I think that would be a very a good thing for the legislature if we can get everybody to do it that would be great but you know we'll we'll attempt to do that but the gun I know we are hello we are now we're under the gun so I'll work on that but just very basic and simple that we could each have maybe one school we can provide a list of the success goals perhaps to them and then just make it very simple but if I'd like to I'd like to do that as part of our study sure I will be glad to work with you on that and there is a list of those 132 Seattle center by a finder app thank you president Bragg you thank you Mr way over here to your this may come up answered later but how do we know if the schools and constitutional compliance with whether it's providing adequate medical education. You yes. I think that that's going to come down to you all as the legislature you're not necessarily determining whether or not the schools are constitutionally complying because the onus is not on them it's on you as a state so if if there are issues with funding or a type of funding or any any aspect to public education that's address during the study that's something that the General Assembly needs to reassess and make changes if necessary but there's an evaluation at some point how that schools performing with the funding. Person what. Will include in the past we've done resource allocation reports and it but we're not trying to judge specific schools or districts but we're trying to provide you with the evidence of what's happening in the schools and districts and and then as Tyler said this really becomes your decision is S. the second of all is that adequate is is this doing what it needs to do N. F. F. as you'll hear Taylor say this because I've heard a lot that you know is that what you say is adequacy until if it does get to court but until then it's the legislators lighters purview to decide adequacy okay thank you. Senator Elliot. Thank you Mr chair and I this may be for both of you you know just have an experience as long home we've been trying to do in a I I look back at when we started we were laser focused on we've got to respond to the lawsuit to the courts and so forth right down to passing a last piece of legislation before the court would say. You may moved forward. I'll over these these years we kinda moved away from the and laser focus to just and these are my words start doing doing just the next boutique thing that sounded good that was the latest sound bite and I will I will be want to about this that I don't know if that did not take us off of course and being laser focused on what we were doing just to do the next best thing so I think it's I think it's something the legislature needs to take it's measure of for example I mean I'd like you if you can help with this to create a timeline of where we started. The run away from things and I think it would be my responsibility all legislators to say what those things are because I don't I think that's something that you don't need to make that decision thank. When we started for example. With charter schools we didn't know we had no evidence that that was going to change of trajectory for Lake View and make things better for schools. In fact every time we put a charter school in our district we scattered our forces I'm talking money now. It will be like you have a house that you think is not in good shape so your way of dealing with it is to go out and buy another house as if that's going to make more money for you and you're going to do better. So I would like if you can to. 38. When did we start these I'm talking terms because now when where so we can look at and see do you think that had some impact I mean if it's had some impact I don't know what it is and any kind of evidentiary way. And and then out we started with school choice and that's like a you know a heavenly thing you're not supposed to talk about but I'll we don't know that that did nothing to help our did veer us away from being laser focused on what we were supposed to be doing. So what we could have that timeline when where did it was it helpful as for us to decide I would like to know those kind of things that I leased those 2 things in there may be others we can think of. But I don't I don't know. Over all these years and I've lost a lot of arguments on these things over all these years I just admit that because I think when we. Can't get on something we can't see something and see is not working for example the priorities districts where we tried to. Get more people to come and work in a school district by paying them more. Well good idea but the fact is it didn't work it was my legislation it was a good try but it did not work. So what we do when that's not working and we keep saying well we'll just put more money into it but I don't know that we're changing a lot of things is what I want us to just try to think about. Not this is just something to the committee. And. If if we don't do that we have the conveyance of continuing to set a the school district didn't do this school did not do it's what is supposed to do for kids. Who evaluates us to say whether or not we did or did not do for kids who is that. And when we get to thank divide in terms of the whole child. We can get an answer to that question. But as long as we just take the matrix and fiddle with a little bit. Yelp I think representative we can so we're going to keep getting the same results. Thank you Mr chairman thank you I'll talk to you more about what we need to find out. Thank you senator Elliots other any other questions. I see no other questions. Davis knows your senate just or Mr cheer no I I'd like to see in addition to that I'd like to see about the master principal program which is put in place has it had any impact on on education I'll exceptionalism we're spending about how much I missed your own the master principles by 10000 extra. Maybe more than that I don't know. 25 The. Yeah it was the office 25 I'd like to know what impact that program is Hey and at some point I would like to the cheers to consider. We know what how we define adequacy. But I don't think you really appreciate what adequacy is until you see an adequacy. A and I continue to challenge us to look at a school district that we know facility lacks. Because I thought what you said earlier about when your child went to school. What a huge impact the facilities have on learning. And I would ask that we look at a school facility lies that we know is inadequate so that we can better meet the needs of those schools that don't have those facilities and we are charged with making sure children learn because where they learn. Is so impactful on what they learn. And how the so I would just ask that we look at that at some point along the way thank you. But. Thank you Mr. It seems to me that. The opportunity portion of adequacy is Callie is very closely related to the funding. So. We fund and as you mentioned this is a funding mattress it is not an expenditure matrix so my question would be I guess I'm make you question additional information is I know that you're going to give us a report on the expenditures as they related to the funding so the variances and you're not gonna do it by school districts are not interested in. Okay school districts but. Going to the outskirts out come portion right school districts that are seem to have the out good outcomes whether they're following the majors or not it would be interesting to have the data that says that if the school district is not following the funding matrix. With their expenditures. Hi how are they performing on the outcome matrix of adequacy so the lord maybe there could be schools out there right now they're not spending the money we I'm pretty simple they're not spending the money the way we don't spend the money but they're doing a darn good job in that sees me I can be very valuable data that that that we could use when we're putting the new not the new matrix but what if we make any adjustments to the matrix is saying aye did you look at the positive side of it these people are not spending it the way you Thomas Bennett but they they're having good results as compared to the group as a whole so I would like to have that type of information available so when we started talking about this. A. It might be very interesting. And while you have it ready for the 8:00 in one of the 5. Thank you Mr. In center back. Thank you chair of the piggy back off representative Beck requested how could we could we get information on how the COVID money is being spent with these school districts of excel versus the ones of not as well. So when we go through the spending report next month we have pulled out in instances where that S. it's the S. R. 1 into money that was spent our year of announces 2021 because we have all the expenditure data and we have the treatment data for that year and so we we can't we will be pulling out where those 1 time funds have made a big difference in what schools are spending and you will see that clearly. Will it show where they spend it how they spent. Not necessarily the outcomes but we they spent on computers is spent on this program yes that will it will say in terms of is what we're going through the different matrix line so local state technology obviously was an area where there were a lot of expenditures and we pulled out with some of those items where that were most commonly spent on okay thank you. All right any other questions. Cena thank you thank you so much. All right remember we will be back here again tomorrow at 9:00 with the nother Slater good news. Everybody is so excited. Hi motion to adjourn. I have a motion. All in favor say aye we are adjourned.