Rodel Foundation Blog

Everything We Need to Know We Learned in Kindergarten

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:28:00 GMT

The New York Times published an explosive story regarding the unequivocal long-term benefits of high-quality education in early grades. The article highlights a study in which researchers tracked 12,000 Tennessee students participating in Project STAR from the time they entered school in the 1980s until they reached their 30s. Previously, researchers thought that the effects of early-childhood education dwindled over the course of a few years. However, researchers broadened their scope to include adult outcomes such as marriage, income, saving for retirement, etc.

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Markell a Leader in Education Reform

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:11:00 GMT

Building on Delaware’s Round One Race to the Top win, Governor Markell continues to position Delaware as a national education leader. He recently accepted a seat on the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), which oversees the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) or the “nation’s report card”, a rigorous reading and math assessment administered to students in grades 4 and 8 (soon to be 12 as well) across the country. Markell’s leadership will provide Delaware residents a critical voice on one of our nation’s most important student assessment tools.

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Performance Pay Blog Post – Part III – Challenges and Lessons Learned

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:58:00 GMT

Analysis of the education landscape reveals obstacles to be overcome in order to implement a statewide performance pay program. Fortunately, improvements to many of these challenges are underway through the RTTT plan:

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Farewell from John Carwell

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:10:00 GMT

As many have heard, I am joining the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) to head the Charter Schools Program. While I will miss my work and the people at the Rodel Foundation, I am excited about this new and challenging opportunity.

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Performance Pay – The State of Educator Compensation in Delaware

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:52:00 GMT

In Delaware, teachers are compensated according to the salary schedule as dictated by state statute. This schedule stipulates that salaries be indexed across the state with increases earned annually based upon years of experience, along with graduate credits earned and attainment of certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. However, local school districts are able to supplement teacher salaries with funds derived from local taxes. This capability puts low-income communities/school districts at a disadvantage because they are unable to raise enough funds to compensate teachers on par with their more affluent counterparts. In Delaware, this additional tax-based incentive has led to enormous salary disparities among schools.

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Where did DCAS come from?

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:16:00 GMT

Today, as the last DSTP scores are released, and as districts and the state gear-up for the first year of using the new Delaware Comprehensive Assessment System (DCAS), it is interesting to look back on how we moved from DSTP to DCAS over the last five years.

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Delaware’s School Finance System Turns 62

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:26:00 GMT

Unfortunately, for the second year, the General Assembly did not approve a pilot enabling up to eight districts to use state education funds more flexibly, which was part of Delaware’s winning Race to the Top application.

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Performance Pay – Current Context

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:42:00 GMT

The traditional salary schedule, which rewards teachers based upon years of experience and educational attainment, is one of the most enduring aspects of public education. This structure, dating back to the 1920s, stems from inequities based upon gender and job type that permeated the profession. The salary schedule removed raises and other job-related advancements away from the unpredictable judgments of administrators and district-level personnel, creating teacher autonomy and a sense of professionalism. Since its inception, however, there have been numerous attempts to alter it to more accurately reflect market principles by rewarding teachers and leaders for their contribution towards increased student learning.

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Meet Brett Turner

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:59:00 GMT

Hello! First, I want to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Brett Turner. I recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Master in Public Affairs and joined the Rodel Foundation team as a Program Officer. I am extremely excited about the opportunity to move to Delaware and take part in the tremendous education reform efforts currently underway throughout the state. I eagerly look forward to working with all of the students, teachers, campus staff, principals, district personnel, and policymakers who are dedicated to making Delaware’s education system the envy of the nation.

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Redesign the Ship

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 21:17:00 GMT

Today, I would like to express strong opposition to Congressman David Obey’s amendment to pit education jobs against the needed reforms that are being catalyzed through Race to the Top (RTTT), the Teacher Incentive Fund, and innovation and improvement funds that support high-performing charter schools. This amendment to the War Supplemental Funding bill proposed yesterday by Rep. Obey, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, would be a slide backward for the reform of our nation’s education system.

I understand the need for jobs, but this amendment would be a significant bait and switch

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