Demand Accountability

Strengthen state leadership and drive accountability for educational change.

Why This Recommendation Is Necessary
Closing Connecticut’s widest-in-the-nation achievement gap will require us to demand accountability from all stakeholders. This means insisting that Connecticut’s decisions are driven by what the data tell us about the successes and failings of our policies. All branches and levels of government should take responsibility for these results, and Connecticut’s State Department of Education must be led by a strong, reform-minded leadership team. In order to build and sustain sufficient momentum for reform, Connecticut needs an outside entity to hold all stakeholders accountable by monitoring reform progress, sharing best practices, and reporting to the public.		To these ends, our recommendations call for: Significantly improving data collection and analysis to drive decisions; The Governor’s appointment of a strong education leadership team; and Public accountability through an entity outside of government. Check out pages 11-12 of our report to learn more!

2013 Policy Progress Report

Our 2013 Policy Progress Report introduces a new rubric, based on our policy recommendations. It tracks our state’s progress in effecting the changes needed to narrow Connecticut’s widest-in-the-nation the achievement gap. While tremendous progress has been made so far, still more needs to be done in CCER’s six critical policy areas. You can read the entire 2013 Policy Progress Report here, or learn about our state’s progress in promoting policies that Demand Accountability below.

1(a) Leadership Matters

Connecticut receives 4 out of 4 points for leadership because its Governor has installed a strong, reform- oriented team, and has taken steps to reorganize state-level leadership in education. In the 2012 Legislative Session, Governor Dannel P. Malloy made education reform a priority for his administration and proposed a landmark education reform bill. He also appointed eight, and reappointed three, members to the State Board of Education (CSBE) between 2011 and 2013.2 On June 24, 2013, the Governor signed Executive Order #35, which created a consolidated Early Childhood Office.3 Additionally, the Commissioner and CSBE have advanced a reorganization of the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) to include a School Turnaround Office and a School Talent Office, both of which report to the Commissioner.4 The State created four new leadership positions—Chief Academic Officer, Chief Talent Officer, Chief Turnaround Officer, and Chief Performance Officer—that report directly to the Commissioner. However, the CSDE needs the authority to offer competitive compensation and hire consultants as needed.	1(a) LEADERSHIP MATTERS RUBRIC
	4 out of 4 Available Points
		The Governor endorses an education reform agenda.
		The Governor appoints at least half of the members of the State Board of Education (CSBE).
		The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) is reorganized and staffed with specific offices that oversee early childhood education, school turnaround, and teacher and school leadership development.
		The new CSDE offices report hierarchically to the Commissioner and the Governor.

1. An Act Concerning Educational Reform, Public Act 12-116 et seq.
2. State Board of Education (n.d.). State Board of Education Members. Retrieved Aug. 1, 2013, from http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view. asp?a=2683&q=322228.
3. Executive Order No. 35 (2013). Retrieved Aug. 1, 2013, from http:// www.governor.ct.gov/malloy/lib/malloy/EO_35_Early_Childhood.pdf.

1(b) Providing The Data to Inform and Drive Decisions

Connecticut receives 0 out of 4 points for significant improvement of data collection, analysis, and public reporting because it has not yet implemented a comprehensive system of tracking student progress. In December of 2005, the CSDE received a $1.5 million grant to aid in the further development of a statewide, longitudinal data system that would be based upon State Assigned Student Identifiers.5 A second grant from the U.S. Department of Education Institute for Education Sciences was awarded in 2009 to develop a system that would connect data on students and teachers in order to evaluate the effectiveness of educational programs.6 Although the CSDE did launch a Connecticut Education Data and Research site7 in 2009, this site only compiles enrollment data and other publicly available data; it does not use any State Assigned Student Identifiers to track student progress or inform programming and policy decisions.8 Connecticut still needs a comprehensive, longitudinal student data system that is linked to the effectiveness of teachers, principals, and teacher preparation programs.	1(b) PROVIDING THE DATA TO INFORM AND DRIVE DECISIONS RUBRIC
	0 out of 4 Available Points
		Connecticut develops a longitudinal data system for tracking student progress from Pre-K to post-secondary school.
		CT links the longitudinal student data system to teacher and principal effectiveness.
		CT links the longitudinal data systems to the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs.
		CT makes information in the longitudinal data system publicly available.

4. State Board of Education Approves Sweeping Reorganization Plan for State Agency (2012). Retrieved Aug. 1, 2013, from http://www.sde. ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/pressroom/stateboardofedreorganization.pdf.
5. Bureau of Research, Evaluation and Student Assessment (n.d.). Connecticut Department of Education: Longitudinal Data System. Retrieved Aug. 1, 2013, from http://nces.ed.gov/programs/slds/pdf/ connecticutabstract.pdf.
6. New England Secondary School Consortium (n.d.). Connecticut. Retrieved Aug. 1, 2013, from http://newenglandssc.org/states/ connecticut.
7. Connecticut State Department of Education (n.d.). Connecticut Education Data and Research website. Retrieved Aug. 1, 2013, from http://sdeportal.ct.gov/Cedar/WEB/ct_report/CedarHome.aspx.
8. Ibid.