The Blog

Governor Chris Gregoire Governor Chris Gregoire

03/23/11

Educators and policymakers often seek answers to questions like, “What can we do to improve student achievement?” Education research and plans are necessary to make sure we know how to best educate our kids and whether current programs work. But we must ensure that they are done efficiently and effectively.

Today’s structure isn’t working: Washington state has 14 major education plans, many of which overlap and address similar topics. For example, here are three recent plans from three different education agencies that all address how to improve students’ mathematics achievement:

  • Department of Early Learning, Washington State Early Learning Plan: Identifies national research about the importance of early mathematics learning to later school achievement and recommends early childhood providers receive information to help them provide math curriculum to children.

  • OSPI, Recommendations for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, STEM Workgroup: Makes recommendations in K-12 to improve STEM teaching and community and business engagement.

  • Higher Education Coordinating Board, Master Plan: Makes recommendations to improve math preparation for teachers, raise student proficiency in math and science, and increase numbers of college graduates with degrees in math and science.

As multiple agencies research similar topics and create education plans, too often their work sits in isolation and is not brought together to form a single, coherent guide to improve student achievement. This inefficiency wastes time and money and is often an impractical guide for teachers and students.

A Department of Education can help: One strategic, systemwide mathematics plan would be far more effective and efficient than three separate plans from three different agencies about three unconnected levels of education. A single Department of Education will guide the state’s education plans and research far better than the multiple agencies that exist today. It will help make sure research connects, contributes to student learning and builds upon the existing body of knowledge. Education plans would no longer be isolated within separate agencies and levels of education but shared and applied appropriately across early learning, K-12 and higher education.

For more information about Governor Gregoire’s proposals to reform education, please contact her office or visit her website.