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Rural Ed Center Goals & Strategic Plan for 2011-2012 Earlier this fall, the REC Executive Board reviewed the goals and strategic plan. Please take a few minutes to review the updated document. If you have any questions, suggestions, or any other feedback please contact Jim Kowalkowski by email or phone (509-725-1481).
House Education Committee Visit to Davenport School District October 5, 2011 Earlier this month, members of the House Education Committee visited Davenport School District. Jim KowalkowskiI was able to spend some time with the committee members and he took them through a PowerPoint presentation that covered:
The PowerPoint is in a PDF format. If you would like to receive this in a format so you change and modify it for your particular use, please email Jim Kowalkowski and he will send you the original PowerPoint.
Rural Ed Center Board Meeting Update The REC held our board meeting at the WASA Summer Conference on Monday, June 27, 2011 in Spokane at the Red lion Hotel at the Park. Here are documents that were handed out at the meeting: REC Meeting Minutes from March 15, 2011 WASA Small Schools Committee Update Compensation Technical Working Group
Update on Consolidation Efforts in Washington State From the Recent WASA Small Schools ConferenceClick here to see the PowerPoint presented at the WASA Small Schools Conference March 14 & 15, 2011.Consolidation’s Failing Grade in IndianaPromising to “cut the fat” is often better politics than policy, as lawmakers pushing to consolidate school districts may soon learn. The idea—floated in at least a dozen states—calls for absorbing smaller districts into larger ones to reduce overhead costs and, ultimately, fund better student performance. But consolidation fails on both fronts, according to a new Indiana University study. Researchers crunched testing and budget data to conclude that of the Hoosier state’s 292 districts, the 49 with fewer than 1,000 students are, on average, the top-performing and most efficient. The smaller the district, in fact, the closer it came to the national benchmark for classroom spending (65 percent of the total budget); only the seven smallest school districts exceeded it overall. That, says education professor Jonathan Plucker, a study coauthor, should urge policymakers to focus less on politics—and more on what’s best for kids. Click here to read the full article.
Washington State Legislature Report on School District Cost and Size Click here to read the report the Washington State Legislature created on school district cost and size.
PowerPoint Presentation and Handouts from the Recent UPDATE ON CONSOLIDATION Presentation Made at the WSSDA Annual Conference in Spokane on November 18, 2010 What Works in Washington State ~ Focus on Rural School Graduation Rates How Efficient Is School Administration? Consolidation PowerPoint Presentation from WSSDA Conference WASA Flyer ~ Small Schools Are Successful Governor's Committee on Transforming Washington's Budget Article: In Defense of Small School Districts
Washington State University College of Education EduCoug Blog Highlighting the Rural Education Center WSU's College of Education recently did a highlight on the Rural Education Center titled The Rural Education Center's Evolving Mission. Click here to view the blog. Letter to the Govenor from Jim Kowalkowski: Veto School District Reorganization The Governor was recently sent a letter requesting that she veto a section of proposed final budget establishes a “Statewide School District Reorganization Commission” that would reduce the number of school districts in our state and possibly the number of ESD’s. Here is the letter from REC director Jim Kowalkowski.
Article Highlight: Rural school districts are effective and don’t need consolidation
Some Washington state lawmakers have suggested that Washington's smaller and rural school districts be consolidated to save money. Jim Kowalkowski, superintendent at the rural Davenport School District and Director of the Rural Education center presents information that that our small and rural districts are efficient and are a “wise investment”.
Read the full article at: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2011391501_guest20kowalkowski.html
WSSDA Regional Meeting March 23, 2010 The following materials were distributed the recent WSSDA regional meeting at Riverside High School in Chattaroy, WA
WASA Small Schools Conference March 1-2, 2010 The following PowerPoint was shown at the WASA Small Schools Conference Consolidation Mini Summit:
Materials from WSSDA Presentation Titled, "Consolidation of School Districts: What Does the Research Say and What Is Happening In Washington State" The following materials were distributed during this session that was held on November 20, 2009 in Seattle at the WSSDA Annual Conference:
School Consolidation Mini Summit PowerPoint shown at WASA Small Schools Conference March 3, 2009
Rural Schools Consolidation Update Many of you have expressed sincere and significant concerns over the following statements made by our governor: “It's time for us to see a new path forward. And that is the challenge before us, that is the opportunity before us." Gregoire said she's included a request for the state to study the viability of school consolidations in her budget proposal. While working on that budget, she said, advisers told her "you cannot utter the word 'consolidation.' Well, I am uttering the word 'consolidation,' "Gregoire said Wednesday. "I don't get it. I don't get why we have 50 (schools) that have less than 150 students. "Instead of several small schools with distinct staff, equipment and budgets, the public-school system should use "technology and transportation" to combine educational efforts and save money. Community and technical colleges already have shown that online learning can be effective, Gregoire said. Young people, she said, are adept at using new technology, "but we're still a book and a teacher. There's a new and a better way to do things." Below are some research links on school consolidation that provide overwhelming evidence that small school districts are cost-effective and that forced consolidation often does NOT produce the economic savings that are often assumed. It is interesting to note that a recent report from the Massachusetts Association of Schools Superintendent’s Small and Rural School District Task Force (attached) makes the following statement: “The most powerful rationale for consolidation is economic efficiency followed by increased curricular offerings. However, neither of these rationales have any strong support in research.” The report than sites numerous research students that, over the past 50 years, show that over time, consolidation has not resulted in any significant savings in per-pupil costs. For more information on research studies and articles on consolidation issues, please check out the following link: The Rural School and Community Trust Website Link to Research on Consolidation: www.ruraledu.org/search.php?kw=consolidation
Here are some other resources for you: Fiscal Impacts of Consolidation Research Findings Massachusetts Report On Effectiveness of Small Districts Dollars & Sense Research on Small Schools
The Rural Education Center (REC) was established in 1987. The idea of the REC came out of a Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) Small Schools Committee. The need for a research based service organization had been discussed for many years. The College of Education at Washington State University and a group of small school districts decided to make an effort to work together. The original concept was then developed by Brian Talbott, who at the time was Superintendent of ESD 101, and Dr. Ray Smith, with advice and encouragement from WASA's Small Schools Committee. Originally the major task for the REC was the development of a database on a variety of subjects. It consisted of financial reports, staffing and program information. The first years were spent compiling and sharing studies on subjects of interest to small schools such as, Cooperation vs. Consolidation, In-Service needs, Small School formula, Student Course selection, Drop-out rates of Small Schools and many others. As the Directorship has changed so has the focus of the Center. To date the Center has become an increasingly important voice at the State level for small schools. State associations and legislative bodies hold the Center in high regard when asked for information on issues affecting small schools across Washington. The Rural Education Center is located in the Davenport School District. Davenport is a small and rural town located in Eastern Washington. The REC has a strong partnership with Washington State University’s College of Education. The REC is committed to providing assistance to small and rural districts throughout the state of Washington. It is the hope of the Board of Directors of the REC that this newly “remodeled” website will provide small school districts with timely and relevant information that will help each district cope with the ever-increasing demands of state and national reform efforts.
Our Current Members are: Organizations: AWSP ESD 101 ESD 105 ESD 112 ESD 113 ESD 123 ESD 171 OSPI Washington State Board of Education WEA Eastern Washington WSSDA School Districts:
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