Our South Carolina State Standards Review Taskforce Response

TO: The South Carolina State Department of Education
FROM: Palmetto Policy Forum & Palmetto Family Council

Thank you for the invitation to submit feedback on South Carolina’s proposed Mathematics and  English Language Arts (ELA) standards.  Our goal in submitting this review is to contribute a thoughtful perspective to a constructive dialogue that results in rigorous, state‐controlled standards that will create an environment of excellence for our students and clear guidance and support for our teachers.

1. Are the standards clear, rigorous and able to be implemented without delay or significant additional professional development?  Are the Standards college and career/workforce ready?

The Standards appear to be technically college and career/workforce ready.  However, they are not rigorous enough to compel an advancement in the outcomes of the highest performing students. They represent a marginal improvement over the status quo in moving away from Common Core, but will put the state in the position of needing to raise the standards again soon if we are serious about quality and rigor.

However, a possible advantage of a stepwise path to rigor is that given the short timeline with which South Carolina is working, the implementation of the standards will not be further delayed by intensive new content mastery for many South Carolina teachers. Some standards are so rigorous as to be beyond the current reach of the typical teacher, which is fine if the implementation planning incorporates adequate time for teachers to re‐tool. But often – as in this case – the transition timelines are so fast that they adversely affect teachers with weaker content mastery and those for whom new content appears (as content shifts from one grade to another) and therefore does nothing to serve the students who the standards ultimately aim to serve.

We find the format of the proposed English standards is not user‐friendly from the teacher  perspective. It is likely that the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) will need to  compensate for this through supporting documents and professional development. The standards  document needs to better explain the structure of the standard. Teachers will have to spend too much energy figuring out how the standards work.

2. Do the Standards avoid the problems of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) while retaining its positive aspects?

The 2015 Standards rewriting process was created to eliminate CCSS‐related problems and advance the will of the Legislature in other areas. How did it fare?

 

Math: On the former, it is not clear whether the new standards are charting a clear path away from the concepts of "Everyday Math" rightly or wrongly associated with CCSS that have been so universally panned by parents, teachers and students alike. Several CCSS‐like references to "Mathematical Process Standards" leave this in doubt. It is also unclear whether the new Standards reflect the desire of the General Assembly, as reflected in Act 275 (2014), the "Back to Basics in Education Act," which requires "students to memorize multiplication tables to ensure that students can effectively multiply numbers by the end of fifth grade." We recommend that the Committee closely review California’s former Math standards as a model of rigor and best practice.  

ELA: The Common Core State Standards provided exemplars. We see none here, but that is advisable as this leaves these choices up to individual school districts.  A positive aspect of CCSS was its commitment to what scholars have called a "coherent, sequential knowledge” in building literacy. These draft ELA Standards do not appear to provide that level of coherence and guidance. 

We recommend that Committee closely review Massachusetts’ ELA standards as a model of rigor and best practice. 

Conclusions: This effort to craft our own South Carolina state standards in such a tight time frame was a monumental task. We trust that our suggestions for improvement are useful to the writing teams.  But as important as South Carolina developed Standards are, the lessons of this process are far broader than Standards. We suggest four important takeaways: 

1)  Federal involvement in education, especially when tied to federal funding is ill advised, and even dangerous; 

2)  Education governance in this state is perilously diffuse and unaccountable to the will of the parents, as this entire CCSS issue has demonstrated; 

3)  Parental involvement is more important than Standards or any other factor, and for parents to be involved they must have greater access to high‐quality public and private education; and 

4)  There is no more crucial force in the education of a child, outside of parents, than a well trained, effective teacher.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Ellen E. Weaver                          

President & CEO                        

Palmetto Policy Forum               

Oran P. Smith, PhD
President & CEO
Palmetto Family Council
 

Finding Midterm Meaning

It’s no secret what happened Tuesday night: an unmistakably Republican electoral tidal wave swept across the country. The question is why. We know we’ll hear the predictable punditry on 24-hour cable news from both the left and the right, slicing and dicing the demographics, pointing fingers of blame for losses…and of course taking all the credit for wins.

But that shallow analysis does a disservice to the millions of Americans, regardless of party, who cared enough to make their voices heard. These voters expressed their deepest held beliefs about their country and their communities…and in many cases the very real fear that the American Dream is slipping through the fingers of our generation.

Without a Presidential candidate at the top of the ticket (despite the President’s attempts to insert himself as the defining issue), what we saw in these midterms was a policy – not personality – driven election. The fact is, governors who lowered taxes to create growth and opportunity in their states won, even in traditionally moderate or left leaning environments. Those who raised taxes lost. Voters stood by governors who stood strong against Washington’s mandate to push able-bodied, working age people into the broken Medicaid system at the expense of the elderly and disabled.

Even in governor’s races in solidly blue states like Illinois, Maryland and Massachusetts we saw a repudiation of irresponsible government spending and the unsustainable “good intentions” that are bankrupting those states (and ironically, trapping the very people they claim to champion in a cycle of perpetual poverty).

Voters decisively rejected destructive identity politics that seek to divide us by race, gender, income. We saw an historic victory right here in our own back yard as Senator Tim Scott became the first black elected to the U.S. Senate from a southern state since Reconstruction. And that rhetorical “War on Women” (that never actually was)? Stick a fork in it, because it’s done with the election of Iowa’s first female Senator Joni Ernst; Elise Stefanick, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress; and the re-election of several strong female governors.

And if you really want to pack a paradigm shattering one-two punch, how about Mia Love, the first-ever black female Republican to be sent to Congress? It’s clear that voters are looking for courageous leadership that is grounded in principled ideas and promotes policy solutions to unite us in true hope, not divide us for partisan political purposes.

And therein lies both the challenge and the opportunity ahead. As the dust settles and the real work of governing begins, we know that on both sides of the aisle, the inertia of status quo thinking and the poison pill of political calculation will be as strong as ever.

But we can do better. Let’s determine on both on the left and the right that we are stronger than the culture of political cynicism and division in which we swim. Let’s recognize that commitment to our state and country can only be properly expressed in personal love of our fellow man.

  Love that enables us to put down tired political dogmas and sets us free to risk engaging in respectful, authentic conversations with people who may see things differently. To extend and inconvenience ourselves for the sake of our neighbors and communities. Not in a condescending, government-driven paternalism: after all, government can’t love anyone! But in an ennobling belief in the inherent dignity and worth of every human being…and a resulting determination to create a policy environment in which everyone can thrive:

More choices in education to allow every student the opportunity of a customized, high-quality education. Locally controlled healthcare solutions that lower cost, increase access to care and put the doctor/patient relationship first. Responsible development of energy resources that lower gas prices for families and foster energy independence. Tax policies that grow local businesses and create new jobs. And that’s just a start.

This love – and not electoral politics – is the soil out of which our ideas and future actions must grow. It is the nourishing common ground on which we stand as conservative to say that we fight not for things but for people. For the chance of every individual to realize their fullest God-given potential.

As Martin Luther King, Jr. so beautifully expressed from a jail cell in Birmingham, “…by its very nature, love creates and builds up. Love transforms with redemptive power.” Unless we put this truth into action in our public discourse and actions, this midterm will soon fade into the memory as just one more election in the never-ending cycle of negativity.

So will our leaders recognize the challenge and seize the opportunity? Let’s pray for the sake of our state and country that they do.

Ellen Weaver is President & CEO of Palmetto Policy Forum a non-partisan, 501(c)3 education foundation.

"Advance Carolina" Becomes 1st Special Needs Scholarship Provider

Exciting news for South Carolina students with exceptional needs!

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January13th, 2014
Contact: Access Opportunity South Carolina (AOSC)
www.IndependentED.org

“ADVANCE CAROLINA” LISTED AS FIRST SPECIAL NEEDS SCHOLARSHIP PROVIDER

This morning, Advance Carolina became the first organization authorized to issue scholarships as part of the state’s new school choice program. Advance Carolina is a Columbia-based charity supporting students with disabilities.

South Carolina’s new program, “Educational Credits for Exceptional Needs Children,” allows private taxpayers to fund grants for students with special learning needs who attend independent primary and secondary schools. Like dozens of parental choice programs in other states, the goal is to help all parents gain access to schools that meet the individual learning needs of their child.

Advance Carolina was created by leaders of the South Carolina Association of Christian Schools (SCACS) to serve students with special educations needs at SCACS-affiliated schools .The non-profit also looks to serve exceptional needs students enrolling at other independent, non-sectarian private schools. Directors and staffers have decades of personal experience as Christian educators, and are eager to target help to students with the greatest academic, financial and familial need.

Both individual and corporate donors to Advance Carolina are eligible for state income tax credits. These contributors can to claim that dollar for dollar credit for up to 60 percent of their one-year tax liability. They are not allowed to designate specific student or school as beneficiary of the grant.

“Every morning, thousands of children across South Carolina head off to high quality, SCACS-affiliated schools,” explained Edward Earwood, the president of Advance Carolina.” Those schools are proud of their high standards, community engagement and sense of Christian mission. Many also offer highly specialized instruction for students facing special learning needs. The tax credit funded scholarships will help families seeking to enroll their children at SCACS’ and other independent schools who offer special programs for students with special needs. That will give parents –particularly those facing financial hardships– real choices.”

Advance Carolina is one of two aspiring SFOs to sign the “Access Opportunity Best Practices Pledge,” a voluntary pledge that includes a disclosure questionnaire about scholarship awarding practices. The other is the St. Thomas Aquinas SFO, which is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston. Access Opportunity South Carolina (AOSC) partnered with a coalition of South Carolina private schools and respected scholarship providers around the country to develop the pledge and questionnaire. The best practice pledge includes a commitment by the signatory SFOs to hold their employees, volunteers, and contractors to the same high standards the ECENC already requires of their Board of Directors. That includes a strict prohibition against felons, bankruptcy filers and the parents of grant recipients. Access Opportunity also provides parents and the public with details of the tax credit funded scholarship program and participating schools at its IndependentED.org website.

“Holding to the Access Opportunity Pledge is just one more way we work to run an effective, efficient and ethical scholarship organization,” said Earwood. “It’s just common sense.”

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"Read to Succeed" Must Cross the Legislative Finish Line

The ability to read is a primary gateway to success in school and life-long learning. A child who does not master this fundamental skill faces daunting odds. Consider these sobering statistics from the Annie E. Casey Foundation:

· Children who are not reading proficiently in 3rd grade are 4 times more likely to not graduate high school.
· Below basic readers are almost 6 times more likely than proficient readers to not finish high school on time.
· Poor, Black, and Hispanic students who are struggling readers are about 8 times more likely than proficient readers to drop out of high school.

Why is this the case? Because from kindergarten through third grade, students are learning to read. Beginning in fourth grade a student is asked to use their reading skills in order to learn. If a student struggles to read when they enter fourth grade, not only are they already behind most of their peers but they are also at great risk of falling further and further off the pace.
Right here in South Carolina, the most recent National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) shows that 51% of low income 4th grade students and 40% of all 4th grade students cannot read at even a basic level. We face a truly monumental task.
But the good news is pioneering states like Florida have shown there is a proven path forward. And with the “Read to Succeed” legislation modeled on Florida’s success currently moving through the General Assembly, it’s clear that South Carolina legislators understand the urgency of the need.
Two bills — S. 516 and H. 3994, sponsored by Senator Harvey Peeler and Representative Andy Patrick respectively — have the potential to profoundly change the future for thousands of Palmetto State students. These bills put a laser focus on literacy, hands down the most critical skill our schools must teach. By putting priority on key policy components like improved teacher training, state and district reading plans, summer reading camps and reading readiness assessments, we can help students unlock the door to reading success.
Much attention has been placed on the third-grade retention portion of the policy as if that is all these bills contain. But that is only the last resort for struggling students. The true power of Florida’s successful model stems from the dynamic duo of support and accountability.
To retain third-graders who struggle to read but not provide them with a new and intensive literacy action plan would not help the underlying problem at all. Indeed, it’s pure folly to ask a student to simply repeat a grade and expect a different result. On the other hand, calling for early interventions and greater literacy support for students and teachers without drawing a hard line in the sand at the end of third-grade is an inefficient strategy, since as the Casey statistics illustrate, proficient third-grade reading is the non-negotiable end goal that will enable long-term student success. “Read to Succeed” strikes the right balance between these two critical elements of support and accountability.
Governor Nikki Haley has publicly championed the cause in her executive budget and the House has set aside $30 million to implement the policy. But while both the Senate and House have already passed their own versions of this legislation, a strong version of the bill still needs to cross the legislative finish line with both its accountability and interventions intact.
Similar, stand-alone reading bills have recently been passed by states like Mississippi with broad bipartisan support and South Carolina’s “Read to Succeed” should not be derailed by unrelated agendas. This just might be the most important legislation for our state in the last decade.
A strong, focused “Read to Succeed” policy will open up new worlds of learning for struggling readers in the Palmetto State. Let’s cross the legislative finish line together this year to give them that opportunity.

The Solution to Our Energy Need is...South Carolina!

South Carolina has two major ports that would likely play a prominent role in offshore oil and gas production. The Port of Charleston is one of the busiest and most efficient ports in the nation. The Port of Georgetown, a dedicated break bulk and bulk facility, handles large volumes of cement, metals, and petroleum coke. Using the multipliers for economic impacts on ports implies that offshore oil and gas development would create more than 900 jobs for these ports in 2035 under the high production scenario.

Additional employment would be created as these ports invest in new capacity and handle larger volumes of equipment and materials for an offshore oil and gas industry.South Carolina has two major ports that would likely play a prominent role in offshore oil and gas production. The Port of Charleston is one of the busiest and most efficient ports in the nation. The Port of Georgetown, a dedicated break bulk and bulk facility, handles large volumes of cement, metals, and petroleum coke. Using the multipliers for economic impacts on ports implies that offshore oil and gas development would create more than 900 jobs for these ports in 2035 under the high production scenario.

Falling Unemployment – Road to Recovery or Dead End?

Today, Palmetto Policy Forum joined the Liberty Foundation of America to release the following look at unemployment numbers and labor participation across gender and race in South Carolina:

Last Friday, headlines heralded the news that America’s official unemployment rate had fallen below 6% for the first time since 2008. Surely, a sign that we’re on the path to recovery, right? A closer look says “not so fast.” After 5 years of unfettered progressive policy in Washington, the reality of the Left’s lofty rhetoric of greater fairness and compassion has been much closer to an all-out mugging of the very people they claim to be “helping.” In fact, a recent poll by the Pew Research Center found that a full 45% of Americans believe the unemployment rate is actually 9% or higher, a sure sign that perception trumps headlines. But a quick look at the real statistics after 5 years of President Obama’s progressive crusade against the rich shows America’s perceptions may be far closer to reflecting reality than the unemployment rate itself:

• According to UC Berkeley economist Emmanual Saez, 95% of the Obama “recovery” gains (in terms of real income growth) have accrued to much maligned “top 1%”.
• 1 in 6 Americans currently rely on food stamps (SNAP), an almost 50% increase since President Obama took office in January 2009.
• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the percentage of Americans who are working is the lowest it has been since the days of Jimmy Carter. As New York Times writer Binyamin Appelbaum aptly said, “We are basically ‘recovering from the recession’ by reducing the share of Americans who participate in the labor force. Hurrah!”


And South Carolina – despite strong overall population gains over the last decade – has been no exception to that trend. The following Palmetto Policy Forum report, produced in collaboration with the Liberty Foundation, starkly illustrates the disturbing truth. From 2008 to the most complete numbers we have in 2013, South Carolina’s labor participation has seen a uniform, steady decline across gender and race, aside from a 2012-2013 rebound among Hispanic workers.

ELECT OR APPOINT? SC To Decide Process for Adjutant General’s Selection

DID YOU KNOW? This fall, South Carolina voters will be asked to decide whether or not South Carolina should continue to be the only state in America that still elects it’s Adjutant General….a position that very few know much about. Earlier this year, the Spartanburg Herald Journal did a good job laying out some key considerations:

The second amendment on the ballot would change the way the state selects its adjutant general. This is the only state in the union that elects its adjutant general. That poses some problems. Promotion to military rank and command is usually accomplished through merit, service and experience rather than the popular vote. Under South Carolina’s current system, a sergeant can run for adjutant general, and if he wins, he is automatically promoted to the rank of general. That not only creates difficulty in the chain of command, it puts the state’s adjutant general at a disadvantage in dealing with commanders from other states and from federal forces. The adjutant general is not only in charge of the national and state guard, he is also responsible for South Carolina’s Emergency Management Division and the Emergency Preparedness Division. The governor is the commander in chief, and in a time of emergency, the state looks to the governor for leadership, quick decisions and efficient action to implement those decisions. The governor will be better prepared to do so if the person who handles these emergency departments is someone of his or her own choosing who reports to the governor’s office. In order to act quickly and properly in an emergency, the governor needs to be familiar with emergency plans and procedures. Making the adjutant general an appointed position will put emergency planning under the governor’s control and make the state’s chief executive better equipped for the next hurricane or disaster.