LESN Fall Seminar Session Summaries
Chicago, Illinois
December 9-10, 2005
Sessions
Full-Day Kindergarten
Roundtable Discussion on Groundbreaking Education Policy Developments
Good Teamwork Leads to Stronger Legislatures
Trends and Issues in Higher Education
High School Reform Initiatives in the States
Roundtable Discussion on Education Technology
LESN Business Meeting
Session: Full-Day Kindergarten
This session summarized the status of full-day kindergarten programs in the states and reviews recent findings on the benefits of full-day versus half-day programs. We learned how states stack-up with regards to the elements of quality, funding sources, program access, and developed a better understanding of the characteristics of a state's program in comparison to other states.
Speaker: Jennifer Stedron, National Conference of State Legislatures, Colorado
Handout: Full-day Kindergarten Power Point
Session: Roundtable Discussion on Groundbreaking Education Policy Developments
Participants discussed groundbreaking education legislation enacted during the 2005 legislative session and issues likely to be considered during the 2006 legislative session. Legislative staff were encouraged to bring and share copies of recent legislation or research reports.
Moderator: Kathy Hanlon, Senior Research Analyst, Legislative Services Agency/Legal Division, Iowa
Iowa - Election coming up, so lots of activity. Working on annual budget.
Arkansas - New facilities legislation dominated.
Kentucky - Read to Achieve legislation (SB 19), professional development of teachers in mathmatics and reading (HB 93) and school nutrition bill.
Alaska - Obesity legislation, oil surplus, retired public employee pensions, homeschooling, limit on students who vandalize and funding formula.
Vermont - Healthcare dominated 2005 session. 2006 outlook includes technical education, NCLB, civics education and farm-to-school legislation.
Tennessee - Pre-K legslation passed. Legislature asking for an expansion.
Pennsylvania - Medicare/welfare crisis, full-day kindergarten and tax reform.
Handout: Kentucky Enacted Legislation -- 2005 
Session: Good Teamwork Leads to Stronger Legislatures
Organizational management experts often cite the ability to work in teams as a key element to success. For legislatures, education is a high stakes policy issue with great fiscal commitment, tough policy choices, and complex legal questions. Legislative education staff often create working groups across agency or office lines to produce information and work products helpful to legislators. This session explored the challenges and keys to creating winning teams for education staffers.
Facilitators: Bruce Feustel, National Conference of State Legislatures, Colorado
Tim Storey, National Conference of State Legislatures, Colorado
Handout: Teambuilding Power Point
Session: Trends and Issues in Higher Education
Many states are seriously looking at how to deal with access and affordability in higher education. This session examined some interesting approaches that states are considering regarding tuition and financial aid. Legislative staff were encouraged to discuss how their states are approaching these issues.
Moderator: Julie Bell, National Conference of State Legislatures, Colorado
Speaker: Demi Michelau, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, Colorado
PowerPoint Presentations:
College Affordability: Trends and Issues in Higher Education
Demi Michelau, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, Colorado
Final Performance Contracts
Colorado Commission on Higher Education
http://www.state.co.us/cche/performance/final.html
Fee for Service Contracts
Colorado Commission on Higher Education
http://www.state.co.us/cche/cof/ffs/index.html
Session: High School Reform Initiatives in the States
This interactive session was designed to facilitate a discussion about state policy actions to improve high school performance and prepare students to be competitive in postsecondary education and the workforce. Legislative staff were encouraged to share information about legislation in their states addressing high schools, including: college-ready curriculum; dual enrollment programs; career and technical education; career guidance and individual learning plans; dropout prevention; and graduation rate measurement.
Speaker: Sunny Kristin, National Conference of State Legislatures, Colorado
Handouts:
High School Reform Initiatives in the States Power Point Presentation
High School Reform Initiatives in the States Legislation
2005 Kentucky High School Graduation Requirements
Session: Roundtable Discussion on EducationTechnology
This session focused on how technology is being used to meet education goals. A description of the recent NCSL initiative to explore education technology was followed by examples of states that are using technology in various ways, including distance learning, data-warehousing and data-driven decision making, laptop initiatives, and online professional development for teachers. Legislative staff discussed how technology is being used in their states. Participants were encouraged to bring and share copies of recent legislation or research reports.
Speaker: Heather Grinager, National Conference of State Legislatures, Colorado
Heather Grinager, NCSL staffer from Denver, summarized the work NCSL is undertaking in the area of education technology. A public-private partnership has been formed that will engage in various activities over the course of a year, including producing at least three publications aimed at informing legislators/staff of topics in ed tech, site visits to schools for legislators/staff, and sessions at NCSL meetings that feature speakers on the topic.
Members of the partnership are listed below.
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Legislators:
Rep. Daniel Bosley, MA
Rep. Kent Grusendorf, TX
Rep. Phyllis Heineman, SD
Rep. Dave Hogue, UT
Rep. Deena Horst, KS
Sen. Steve Kelley, MN
Del. Nancy King, MD
Rep. Linda Lopez, AZ
Rep. Rick Miera, NM
Rep. Leslie Mortimer, MI
Sen. Jim Reynolds, OK
Rep. Mark Takai, HI |
Legislative Staff:
Kim Bishop, OK
Pauline Rindone, NM
Jenny Wilhelm, FL
Julie Pelegrin, CO
Dan Schmidt, WI
Wes Keller, AK |
Private Partners:
NEA
AFT
Apple
Dell
Microsoft
Connections Academy
Software Info Indust. Assoc.
Audio Enhancement | |
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After learning that Maine is the only state to offer a state-wide, comprehensive program for laptops, LESN participants discussed the value and use of computers in classrooms. While some see them as a tool and aid for instruction, others believe primary emphasis should be placed on more traditional and proven forms of learning.
The group then discussed various ways their states are addressing the topic of education technology. Arkansas provides a $250/student technology allotment as part of their foundation funding formula. However, the district is not prevented from using those funds for non-technology purchases. Iowa used to spend approximately $30 million/year on education technology, but has recently significantly reduced that number due to budget cuts. Some in Iowa are talking about hand-held computers, as opposed to laptops, as a possible technology investment. Kentucky shared a brief of their Technology System (KETS) which finds that 75 percent of student workstations in KY are 6-13 years old, severely hampering the state’s ability to “enhance students’ education experience and get them prepared for the automated workforce environment.”
Handout: Status of Kentucky's Technology System (KETS) 2005
LESN Business Meeting
Notes
Legislative education staff seem pleased with the development of the three working groups. Kim Chavis, Arkansas, volunteer to help Wes Keller with working group #3 -- making the listserv more useful. Thanks, Kim! Sara will post a message on the listserv outlining the three working groups and their subsequent goals and setting a review period of two weeks for feedback. Staff would like to see the working groups set by the end of January.
It was suggested that we expand the recognition award criteria to be more broad and/or left to the discretion of the selection committee.
Timing of the LESN meetings seem to be state and staff specific. It was mentioned that we use the Fall Forum for more of a professional development meeting, including work-shopping topics or drafting legislation on a particular issue. Other meeting suggestions include bringing in a panel of experts on a specific topic, providing continuing legal education certification, making the meeting longer, and providing a session for federal updates.
Agenda
2006 Goals
Working Groups
Working Group # 1 -- Increasing participation
Kathy Hanlon/Julie Pelegrin
- Develop a mission statement
- Market/Publicize LESN (survey)
- Assist with the LESN 20th anniversary planning
- Create a list of accomplishments
Working Group # 2 -- Make meetings more useful
Audrey Carr/Cathy Eslinger
- Make sessions more useful by providing additional opportunities for professional development. (Clarify professional development)
- Incorporate a discussion around state level trends into the sessions
- Provide members with the opportunity to network at ECS and NCSL meetings by reserving breakfast/lunch tables for all legislative education staff.
- Use multimedia to include more members at meetings, including video and teleconferencing
Working Group # 3 -- Make the listserv more useful
Wes Keller
- Disseminate ECS StateNotes on the listserv
- Announce and disseminate recent state studies and other useful information on the listserv
- Archive compiled listserv responses.
Brainstorming goals
Develop a Mission Statement
Recognition Award Criteria
Revise award criteria: amend the current eligibility requirements which currently state, "all legislative staff working on education policy are eligible to receive the recognition award" to something to the effect of "all legislative staff having worked on education policy within the last year are eligible to receive the recognition award."
Other ideas -- give priority to nominees who have worked as staff within the last year and/or add a caveat that allows the selection committee the ability to waive the regulation.
Timing of LESN Meetings
Archive Compiled Listserv Inquiry Responses
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