State of Education Address - February 6, 2007

Back to State of Education Address - February 6, 2007

Thank you, Russlyn, for that kind introduction. And let's all thank the El Camino High School Madrigals under the direction of David Robinson, for that wonderful music.

Thank you for joining me. I'm honored to serve a second term as your state superintendent of Public Instruction, and I'd like to begin this morning by doing something we simply don't do often enough in public education — celebrating our many accomplishments.

I can hear the murmurs now — "What? Celebrate?  Why, we're far, far from where we need to be when it comes to student achievement."  Yes, this is true. And I know that in today's society we want things right away. News as it happens. Video on demand. Instant messaging and instant return of all those messages! In politics, this demand for immediate results is especially true in the era of term limits. We want a silver bullet — if not a magic pill, a magic bill, to Turn Things Around Now! 

And in education as well, we'd like much more dramatic results, more quickly than the results we've achieved. There's good reason for impatience — a need for a sense of urgency. But let's not underestimate the magnitude of what we're asking our public schools to do, or how far they've come.

We're asking no less than proficiency in all subjects when measured by the toughest standards in the nation — for all students, right now, regardless of whether they come to school speaking another language, whether they're poor and hungry, confused, scared, psychologically damaged or mentally challenged.  And we're asking this of our entire system — a system that we rightly and proudly base on local control. We're asking this of 1,053 school districts governed by different boards. We're asking this of different teachers using different strategies, in nearly 10,000 rural, suburban and inner city schools.  

So it's not surprising that moving this entire system to achieve specific results is taking some time. Nobody in Sacramento can say, "Do this, and we'll reach our goal tomorrow." Because what gets the best results in the shortest time at one school may not work for students at another school.

But statewide, by employing rigorous standards and high expectations, by holding ourselves accountable and basing our decisions on solid data, our schools have indeed made progress worth celebrating.

Over the past four years, well over half a million additional California students have become proficient or above in English language arts and math.  That's well over half a million students who may have been struggling but now are succeeding. Well over half a million more students who now can move confidently toward fulfilling their potential in life. 

So let's celebrate the lives and futures made significantly brighter because of knowledge and skills gained in California classrooms.

And as we celebrate, we need to start by giving credit where credit is due — so to our tens of thousands of teachers throughout California, I want to say thank you.  Thank you for providing the direction, hope, extra hours and love that is helping to move our kids forward.

Thank you to all of our teachers who understand and convey this essential message: being true to the standards and being creative in the classroom are not mutually exclusive concepts.

Now I know all our teachers would be the first to stop me here and make clear that while they often stand alone in the classroom, they do not stand alone in educating our children.  So an equal thank you must be extended to our hard working administrators, paraprofessionals, and school staff.  I want to thank the school board members, the parents, the classroom volunteers and all of the community partners who are working to help our students succeed.

All over California, community partners are stepping up to help us educate our children. When the whole community works with the whole school to address the needs of the whole child, we see success. In rural Amador County, that means many students go home for the weekend carrying backpacks filled with donated nutritious food.  Because food banks and schools have become partners, students are no longer showing up to school hungry on Mondays, unable to focus in class.   And in a remarkable partnership with business and community, the Lemon Grove Elementary School District is  making a technological learning environment available to students not only in the students' classrooms, but in their homes. Children are learning with technology and parents are using technology to participate more meaningfully in their children's education, because Lemon Grove has truly closed the digital divide. And while the data are still preliminary, this district and its innovative methods are showing real promise in raising the achievement of low-income students.

At both the state and regional level, P-16 councils are bringing together Preschool, K-12 and higher education — business, labor, government and communities to focus on effective school reform. And I want to thank my statewide P-16 council for its hard work on high school reform, professional development and other issues that are central to achieving our goals. Together I truly believe we are making a difference.

And let's also take a moment to celebrate the movement we've made toward high standards and accountability.  To me, a perfect example of this success was our standing firm and upholding the California High School Exit exam.

Now, that may seem counterintuitive — we know the exit exam is the minimum our students need to know in order to graduate. But in fact, by holding students accountable for reaching even that standard, we've seen that not only have our students reached that bar, they've gone higher than they ever thought they could. As a result of the exit exam, students are working harder, learning more and persevering in school. They're taking more challenging courses. In the past five years, the number of students taking Algebra II and other advanced math courses has grown by nearly  73,000.  And since 2001, the number of California students taking Advanced Placement courses has increased by nearly 70,000 students — that's up 56 percent in five years.

The bottom line is that the High School Exit Exam is not a test to hold students back — it's a vehicle for moving students forward.

California student achievement is also improving because our schools are making far better use of data to support and improve instruction in the classroom.

It's been a long time coming, but today we all know, appreciate and embrace the fact that data matters. We know — because research tells us — that successful schools adhere to our rigorous standards, and build a culture around data-driven decision making.

We need data to guide us more quickly to achieve results. That's why I'm pleased that we are close to fully implementing our new statewide student identifier system. This system will at long last provide a clearer picture of dropout and retention rates, and a clearer assessment of what's working to help students succeed.  I want to make certain that the data we collect meets the highest standards, and I want every school and district to make data a top priority. So I thank those school districts who have worked overtime to provide the quality data we need to better serve students and schools. And I urge the governor and legislature to include $32 million in the budget — just $5 per student — so that we can build a culture of data in all of our schools.

It's sometimes hard to believe that just a few years ago we had no statewide means of truly shedding light on student, school or district performance. Today, we welcome the bright light of accountability. That light must shine into every corner and crevice of our system.

Over the past four years, we have focused on increasing rigor — raising the bar — expecting more of every child attending our schools. That has been the right thing to do, and it continues to be the right thing to do. It's no longer acceptable to hold high standards for only some of our students. We need to challenge all of our students, whether they are gifted or come to us with significant challenges.  We can, and must, expect and demand more. We must not back down from holding the bar high for every student in every California classroom, no matter how difficult it may be.

My friends, this is our struggle.  Real, measurable progress has been made since the institution of standards-based education.  Thousands of young adults are entering the world better prepared for success. Students like Jeffrey Ramirez, who at first didn't believe the high school exit exam was necessary. But when he wasn't able to graduate with the rest of his class, Jeffrey got the help he needed and did the work necessary to pass the exam. Today Jeffrey is a College student, a goal he says he never would have reached if not for the high expectations placed on him by his teachers and our state standards.

Yes, real lives have been changed and improved as a result of our rigorous standards and your hard work. Across almost every grade level and every subject — in fact, across almost every measure — students are improving. But while improvement has been nearly universal, our across the board success has still failed to close an achievement gap that threatens the future of our diverse state.  Groups of California children who have traditionally struggled, groups that in many instances make up the fastest growing portion of our society, continue to trail behind their peers — and the gap is not closing.  Recognizing this is important.  Addressing it is imperative.

Years ago, while most of us intuitively knew that certain groups of students were behind, we hadn't taken the important step of specifically highlighting these kids and holding our schools accountable for improving their achievement results.  Too often, the struggles of the African American student, the English Learner, the  learning disabled student were hidden by overall school achievement gains.   That day is past. Today we are holding ourselves accountable for the results of all children.  And when we see significant groups of students falling far short of the goal of proficiency that we hold for all students — we must act. Today, equipped with specific knowledge of those gaps, we must focus as never before on solutions.

Now, to paint a picture of the challenges we face, I'd like to take you on an imaginary field trip to a 4th grade classroom — a classroom that reflects the student population of California. While the scenario is imagined, the data from which it is derived  are real.

In this class are 32 youngsters representing the diversity of our state and also the potential for our future. Sixteen of them are Hispanic, nine are white, three Asian, three are African American and one is of Filipino descent.

Right off the bat when you enter this classroom you need to know that sixteen of these youngsters, half of the children in front of us, come from families that are considered low income by the federal government.  Three have special education needs like developmental or physical disabilities.  Thirteen — 40% of these children — speak a language other than English at home

Now, let's imagine the likely futures of those students, given the state of education today.  If the child is white, Asian or Filipino, the chances of that child being academically successful are better than two in three.  But the statistical chances of success for the 19 students sitting right next to them who are Hispanic or African American?  Only slightly better than one in three. If graduation rates are not improved, odds are that of the 16 Hispanic students, six will not graduate. And while statistics tell us that the Filipino and nearly all of the Asian American students will graduate, two of the nine white students will not, and one in three African Americans will not. Yes, this class is imaginary, but the disparities are real.  This is the achievement gap.

Now, some have suggested this has nothing to do with race, that it is simply an issue of poverty.  But that doesn't tell the whole story. For example, when you look closely, say in English language arts, you find 23% of the African Americans in poverty are proficient, yet 39 percent of whites in the same poverty subgroup are proficient.  For Hispanic Students in poverty, only 24% are proficient.  So while poverty is a key factor, it is simply not accurate to suggest it is the only factor.

What are the other factors? Well, we know that all groups of children can learn and achieve to high levels.  So now we need to consider whether, institutionally, low expectations or other factors are holding specific groups of children back.

And as we look at the data, we realize, of course, that our schools rarely, if ever, look like the perfectly divided classroom I just described. In fact, chances are that our children fall into at least two subgroups.  They could be of an ethnic minority plus have a learning disability. Or struggling to learn English and also challenged by poverty.  So they have multiple challenges that demand multiple strategies.

Also recognize that our subgroups themselves are not heterogeneous. Let me give you a few examples. Latino children may be third generation Americans of Mexican heritage, or they may be new immigrants from Guatemala, Colombia or anywhere in South or Central America. Yet all are classified under the federally required term, "Hispanic."

We don't generally think of African American students as English learners, but in San Diego County, students classified as African American include hundreds of recent immigrants from Somalia, who face cultural, language and economic challenges. In much of the Central Valley, the Asian subgroup includes Chinese American students whose grandparents were born in California and new immigrants from Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

The picture of California schools is indeed complex and, unfortunately, not all children are performing where they need to be.  All students must continue to improve, but to close the gap, we need to find strategies to ensure that those who are struggling the most — actually learn and improve their achievement at an even faster pace.  

And I will tell you right now, my friends, there is simply no harder job in education than closing this pernicious achievement gap.  But there is also simply nothing more important. In today's global economy, we simply cannot afford to have any students unprepared to compete. 

So, while clearly recognizing that reform takes time and no simple overnight fixes exist, I call today for a renewed sense of urgency.  Let's approach the job ahead as if our own child were attending a low performing school.  We wouldn't be patient with our own children lagging behind. We must not be patient when any child does. Let's do whatever it takes to achieve results — as quickly as we can.

And that brings me to the question of what we believe we can do. It's time to reexamine our belief system. When we say, "All children can learn," do we really believe it? And do we reflect that belief in every action we take on behalf of California's children?  Or do we sometimes reflect the beliefs that if children are poor, if they have a learning disability, or their parents are uneducated, that those children in fact, cannot succeed?

This year I am determined to focus as never before on finding ways to close the achievement gap in schools up and down this state. I'm going to gather with school and district leaders, with teachers and with researchers to look at all the factors that go into the achievement gap — and to more clearly define all the achievement gaps that exist.

We need to honestly use the data we now have, and also have an honest conversation — a courageous conversation some would say — about our individual subgroups, and their individual struggles within our standards-based context. I know every child in this state can learn and has great potential. I refuse to believe or accept anything less. But we need to talk in new ways about how we can help unlock that potential.  For example, are the needs of our Latino students truly different from what our African American students need? And what can we learn from research to address the tragic achievement gap affecting the 12,500 deaf and hard of hearing students in California?  Are there teaching practices that are uniquely beneficial to a single subgroup? 

It's time to examine our beliefs, to examine the data, to examine strategies and to hold ourselves accountable for getting better results. This year I will be doing all of those things.  As this will be my top priority, I am asking my statewide P-16 Council to develop a timely, specific but comprehensive plan to narrow the gap. The council — an impressive group of individuals — includes principals and teachers, business CEO's, preschool leaders, college presidents, parents, librarians and more. They come from every region of California and are focused on developing strategies for breaking down barriers between different segments of education and building up student success.  That's why I believe they are exactly the right group to tackle this difficult issue.  Because I will tell you right now, the only way we will successfully close the achievement gap is by focusing on all the needs of our students.   

The Council will look at our lowest performing groups of students, including African American, Hispanics and other subgroups — and we'll be examining the specific issues affecting each. The plan will clearly outline the problem and its causes. What I mean by that is that we will not simply consider where a gap exists, but look at the root causes of why the gap exists. We will lay out clear goals around what it's going to take to narrow the gap and then we will set clear benchmarks for success — benchmarks with which we will hold ourselves accountable for results. 

Then, in November, I'll be asking you to join me at a summit focused on closing the gap. We'll bring together thousands of educators throughout California to share what we've learned, what we know and what we can do to more quickly close the achievement gap.

Meanwhile, I will convene leaders in higher education to make sure teacher education is better linked to what we need our students to learn, and to the real and diverse needs of our student population. I want to make certain that schools of education are communicating with K-12 schools so that our newest teachers are prepared from day one in the classroom to teach our standards and to teach them effectively to students in a classroom as diverse as the one I've described. 

I'll seek expansion of intensive professional development for teachers to include science, so that our neediest students have access to quality instruction in this critically important subject. I'll work to expand California partnership academies from 290 to 500, because these rigorous career-oriented models have been effective in improving the achievement of students at risk of failing or dropping out of school. Academy students have a 95 percent graduation rate, and they are delivering what we must expect of all education programs today — the new three Rs:  Rigor, to meet the demand for higher level skills in both college and careers; relevance, to keep students engaged and connected in school; and relationships with adult role models who care about student  success.

As the governor and Legislature focus increasingly on career-technical education, I will work to make sure that the models our state endorses are both ubiquitous and developed in a way that provides all students with the same rigor as college-prep courses. I am a great advocate of career technical education. I have seen the results firsthand: linking rigorous curriculum to real-world skills enhances learning, no matter what direction a student takes.

But I also retain some trepidation as a result of a history of well-intentioned programs that wind up with low-expectations for students.  In my day it was called tracking — and the idea was, "well, those kids aren't going to college anyway, so let's put them on the vocational track and not expect them to learn at a college level." Although students tracked in this way did sometimes learn valuable skills, tracking was harmful because it often simply warehoused students. It  limited their choices before they ever had a chance to truly choose for themselves. Many of today's vocations require mathematics skills and communications skills every bit as challenging as those required by colleges, and our career technical courses must reflect that reality.

I'm proud of the career technical education standards and frameworks my department has developed — they're a model not only for our schools but for other states and even other nations. And I'm proud we have vastly expanded the number of career-related courses that meet college admission requirements, from just 340 four years ago to more than 4,700 today. But I'm concerned that too many of those courses meet only the requirements of elective college courses. I want to see career-related math, science and English courses also qualify as prerequisites for college. All students deserve real choices in their futures and I will not let low expectations in our system limit the choices those students have.

Now, I know there are plenty of people — not only cynics but people with the greatest of intentions — who say the achievement gap can never be closed.  You've heard the argument: Students who are poor, students learning the English language — or those students bringing into our classrooms family challenges and neighborhood challenges simply can't be expected to reach the academic level of those who have no such burdens. "This is just the way it's always been," the assumption goes.

"This is the way it is, and always will be."

I refuse to accept that assumption. I know we can do better.

My greatest joy as state superintendent is derived from visiting schools up and down this state, and seeing the successful, life-changing, opportunity-creating work that is being done to help students achieve. Seeing is believing. When a school that is struggling sees success at a similar school, the staff at that struggling school will not only know change is possible, they will know it is imperative. Innovative programs — sparked by a single teacher's passion and creativity or a whole community's concerted effort — are helping children to achieve to higher levels all over this state. So I have undertaken a major effort at the department of education  to become "Brokers of Expertise" and build a system that will better allow us to research and share successful practices. 

My friends, as we address the achievement gap, our foremost goal clearly must be that students become academically proficient. We know the global economy demands that all students become excellent communicators, higher level thinkers and problem solvers. I talk to the leaders who drive our workforce, from Silicon Valley to the Central Valley, rand the message I hear over and over is that we must prepare our students differently than we have in the past. It's a message we hear from leaders worldwide: the global economy demands that we deliver more rigor in our educational system, not just for some students but for all of our students.

I've also been doing a lot of personal thinking about our society and the obligation our school system has to prepare good citizens for our participatory Democracy. I've asked myself:  is our only objective to get students ready for success in the workforce? Do we not also have a responsibility to prepare students to be active and engaged citizens? Don't we want our next generation to be caring neighbors, effective parents and strong role models for the generation after theirs? Aren't we obligated to provide them with the skills they need to successfully pursue and achieve happiness and joy in their lives? I think we are, and I believe technological change and the global economy make it more important than ever that we focus on these things.

Technology has given each of us the individual power to be seen, to be heard, and to make change while sitting at home alone in front of a computer. In fact, at a time when the individual is empowered as never before, it's more important than ever that we teach our children to work together as members of a larger community, as responsible citizens of this state, this nation and this world.   

Today's children are digital natives — multi-taskers who may be more active and engaged in their online communities than they are in their neighborhoods and towns. Much of our challenge lies in teaching them the skills that apply to a future we can hardly imagine. But some of the skills most critical to their success and to the success of our society in that future are skills that were routinely taught in the past.

The 21st century demands that students know how to work cooperatively, to learn and to innovate in teams…to interact with, empathize with, and work with people from different cultures. What some consider old-fashioned virtues are essential for successful citizenship in a global economy.

Schools that are making progress closing the achievement gap are schools that have infused their culture not only with high academic expectations but with high expectations for character and behavior. Walk into a school that has made strong academic achievement gains, a school like Lee Elementary School in Long Beach, and you'll see students who respect themselves and their classmates as scholars. You'll see words like "responsibility," "integrity," and "commitment" prominently displayed.

Successful schools all over our state are using a variety of strategies to deliver character education in their curriculum, on their playgrounds and even on their schoolhouse walls. They are combining academic standards with service learning, in projects that teach the value of giving back and the importance of engaging in the broader community.

In the Riverdale Joint Unified School District, in rural Fresno County, every class from kindergarten through high school, takes on a service project designed to impact their community in a positive way. Students have collected food to prepare and serve to senior citizens. They've planted flowers in community flower beds, and hosted ceremonies for Veterans Day. Students select the service project their class will work on, but their teachers and principal make sure that the experience is tied to one of California's high academic standards. Since Riverdale started its service learning program, the district has strengthened its ties with the business community, faith based groups and adult service clubs. Now, caring adults in the town have a stake in the success of students, and students have a greater stake in the success of their community.

Now I am not surprised to read the promising research that is developing showing that quality service learning is one effective tool for improving student achievement. And none of us should be surprised that when we walk into a school that is beating the odds in achievement, we find that school embracing character education along with standards based education.

When strong character is a school-wide focus along with strong academics — when tolerance and kindness are rewarded and hostility, cliques or irresponsible behavior simply not accepted — schools are the safe havens for learning our students deserve.  

Nothing makes me sadder than when I hear that parents have put their children in private school, not for religious convictions but because of a belief that any discussion of commonly held virtues — character education — is taboo in our public schools.  In fact, promoting development of good behavior and strong character has always been a part of the mission of public schools. It's never been more important that we fulfill this mission, to prepare our students with the guiding principles for successful lives and successful communities.

So I will encourage and support character education and standards-based service learning over the next four years, and I will be sharing with you positive programs that are showing results in our schools.

My friends, as we begin this New Year filled with hope from our successes and optimism to tackle the challenges that lay before us, let's pledge today to prepare our students for a future in a community where we'd all want to live. Let's build for every student a school where we'd want our own children to attend. A school where every child is respected, expected to succeed and supported in reaching the high bar we set. Let's work hard together, and look forward to the time when all California's children are succeeding and our children believe, "This is the way it is, and always will be."