February 2015 Ad Hoc Committee on Long-Range for Public Education Item 1
Long-Range Plan for Public Education
February 13, 2015
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON THE LONG-RANGE PLAN FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION: ACTION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: ACTION
SUMMARY: The Ad Hoc Committee on the Long-Range Plan for Public Education will continue to develop the process the State Board of Education (SBOE) will use as it creates a long-range plan for Texas public education.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §7.102(c).
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: The SBOE in September created an ad hoc committee to study the viability and utility of developing a long-range plan for public education. The following board members were appointed by the board to serve on this committee: Donna Bahorich, Ruben Cortez Jr., Martha Dominguez, Pat Hardy, Tom Maynard, Geraldine Miller, Marisa Perez, Thomas Ratliff, and Marty Rowley. This committee is developing the scope and work plan for the creation of a long-range plan. The committee most recently met January 27 and discussed the possibility of a hiring an outside facilitator to lead the development of the long-range plan. The committee also discussed coordinating stakeholder meetings through the 20 education service centers. Additionally, members are working to determine the possible cost of creating a long-range plan.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: The State Board of Education approved the Long-Range Plan for Public Education, 2001-2006 in November 2000. In November 2006, the board approved the Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020. A 2014 Progress Report on the Long-Range Plan for Technology was presented to the Texas Legislature in December 2014.
The Committee on School Initiatives began reviewing the requirement to produce a long-range plan for public education, as well as past plans, in July 2013 when it received a presentation on the Long-Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020. During the January 2014 board meeting, the committee heard about long-term issues facing Texas public schools from representatives of the Texas High Performance Schools Consortium, as well as from a six-member panel representing the state’s Education Service Centers. The committee discussed the creation of a long-range plan during the April, July, September, October and November 2014 meetings. Based on the committee’s recommendation, the board created the nine-member ad hoc committee in September 2014.
During meetings in October and November 2014, the ad hoc committee, chaired by Marty Rowley, agreed that a long-range plan should be developed. It determined that the goals for the plan are:
• Internally – to create and define the SBOE’s vision regarding its role in fulfilling the state mission of Texas education;
• Externally – to bring together the stakeholders of Texas education in order to identify the core values that will guide Texas public education in the future; and
• Globally – to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges of the Texas education system going forward.
Committee members have also begun to seek feedback from stakeholders about the development of the long-range plan.
The committee at its November 20, 2014 meeting also unanimously consented to the following timetable:
• The Ad Hoc Committee on the Long-Range Plan will present its findings and recommendations to the SBOE at the April 2015 board meeting;
• The SBOE will begin creating the long-range plan in the summer of 2015, after the regular session of the Texas Legislature has ended; and
• The target date for completion and implementation of the plan is January 2016.
FISCAL IMPACT: There are costs associated with holding additional board or committee meetings. Additional costs will be determined based on actions of the board.
PUBLIC AND STUDENT BENEFIT: The public and students would benefit from a long-term strategy designed to provide high quality education to Texas children.
PROCEDURAL AND REPORTING IMPLICATIONS: This will be determined by actions of the board. Typically, long-range plans have been made available to the public and shared with the Texas Legislature.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: None.
Staff Members Responsible:
Gene Acuna, Director
Division of Communications and SBOE Support
Debbie Ratcliffe, Director of Media Relations
Division of Communications and SBOE Support