Redistricting Committee Meeting Update

I attended the Redistricting Committee Meeting today at Red Clay’s District Office located in Baltz Elementary School. Below are a few comments about the meeting. Minutes of the previous meetings can be found here.

• Red Clay School Board will be holding a Special Board Meeting on November 2, 2015 starting at 5:30 at Red Clay’s District Office. The board may be taking action with regards to WEIC.
• Next Redistricting Meeting will be on November 4, 2015 from 4:00 to 6:00 at Red Clay’s District Office.
• The interim reports on the redistricting and funding plans will be released to the public after the November 17, 2015 Commission Meeting. The public will be able to comment on the report.
• Final report due to the State Board of Education on December 17, 2015. The public will be able to comment on the report.
• Colonial School District want to keep their students. Colonial’s data show students are performing well and are equal or above state scores.
  • Dan Rich made a comment back to Colonial School District that WEIC recommendations were not based on test scores.
• Brandywine School District would like to maintain the current school boundaries.
  • Brandywine School Board will bring forward a board resolution at their next school board meeting with regards to WEIC.
• DSEA is very concerned about teachers losing their job because of this plan; district lines being redrawn.
• Dr. Daugherty replied back to DSEA and said Red Clay is not going to guarantee that Red Clay will hire everyone from the Christina schools. Christina schools will become a part of the Red Clay School District.
• All students who wish to remain in current schools will be able to stay and transportation will be provided.
• Timeline for implementation of plan has been moved back a year.
• A comment was made, if the plan is just to move district lines and rename schools and not provide any resources or funding; don’t bother moving any further with this plan.

Interesting to See, Two Senators Voted Not to Support Steven Godowsky as Secretary of Education

I thought it was interesting to see that two Senate members voted no to Secretary Godowsky’s appointment; I wonder why? To view the Senate vote, click here.

Steven Godowsky Passed

Date: 10/28/2015 04:34 PM Passed

Vote Type:SM Yes: 19 No: 2 Not Voting: 0 Absent: 0

Blevins	Y	Hocker	Y	Peterson	Y
Bonini	N	Lavelle	N	Pettyjohn	Y
Bushweller	Y	Lawson	Y	Poore	Y
Cloutier	Y	Lopez	Y	Richardson	Y
Ennis	Y	Marshall	Y	Simpson	Y
Hall-Long	Y	McBride	Y	Sokola	Y
Henry	Y	McDowell	Y	Townsend	Y

Secretary Godowsky has a very impressive resume according to the News Works article. He has been a part of Delaware’s educational system for over 40 years.

The new secretary of education began his career more than 40 years ago as a special education teacher in Wilmington. He later became an administrator, serving as assistant principal at Delcastle Technical High School in Newport and principal of Hodgson Vo-Tech High School in Newark.

From 2003 to 2011 he was superintendent of the New Castle County Vocational Technical School District, and was named the state’s superintendent of the year in 2010.

NAEP Math Scores, comparing Delaware’s 2009 scores with 2015 scores

Delaware won the Race to the Top grant back in March of 2010. We received a total of $119 million dollars. The NAEP scores were released and by looking at the scores Delaware is no better off today compared to 2009.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest nationally representative​ and continuing assessment of what America’s students know and can do in various subject areas. The students do not prepare for this test and no one receives a grade. It is given every other year in every state. It is run by the Commissioner of Education Statistics, who heads the National Center for Education Statistics in the U.S. Department of Education, is responsible by law for carrying out the NAEP project. The National Assessment Governing Board, appointed by the Secretary of Education but independent of the Department, sets policy for NAEP.

When you look at the NAEP “State Profiles” Delaware’s 4th grade math the average scale score for Delaware it is the same as it was in 2009 (239) and Delaware is one point lower than the 2015 National Public score. Comparing today’s scores to 2009, Delaware has a higher percentage of students below basic compared to 2009. We have a lower percentage of students at or above basic and one percent higher at or above proficient compared to 2009. Delaware has the same percentage of students at advanced as we did in 2009.

Delaware’s 8th grade math, the average scale score in 2009 was 284; Delaware was two points higher than the National Public score in 2009. Delaware’s scale score today is 280, one point lower than the National Public score; we have dropped 4 points compared to 2009. Comparing today’s scores to 2009, Delaware has a higher percentage of students below basic, a lower percentage of students at or above basic and a lower percentage of students at or above proficient compared to 2009. Delaware saw a one percent increase of students at advanced compared to 2009.