Studentsfirst give Nebraska Schools an F

Nebraska and Iowa are two of the 11 states that received an F on the Studentfirst report card. The report card can be found at . Nebraska has a high graduation rate and our student average ACT score is one of the highest in the country. So why the F?

The following is quoted from the website http://reportcard.studentsfirst.org/

"StudentsFirst created the State Policy Report Card to evaluate the education laws and policies in place in each state. We hope this helps reveal more about what states are doing to improve the nation’s public education system so that it serves all students well and puts each and every one of them on a path toward success.

We believe state policies must empower parents to make the best choices for their children, and they must enable school administrators to recognize, reward, and retain the best teachers and principals. Using common-sense education policies, states must create opportunities for innovation, improvement, and reform. In states with strong, student-centered policies, all stakeholders — parents, students, teachers, and district and school leaders — are able to work together to make schools better for kids."

Here is what Studentsfirst recommends for Nebraska: (from http://reportcard.studentsfirst.org/)

"Currently, Nebraska's education policies do not prioritize great teaching, empowering parents with quality choices, or allocating resources wisely to raise student achievement. The state trails most of the country when it comes to enacting critical education reforms. Nebraska does not evaluate teachers and principals in a meaningful way, and it does not link student performance, educator performance, and district personnel and salary decisions. The state does not provide parents with meaningful information regarding school or teacher performance, and parents have no educational options, such as choosing a public charter school, when their children are trapped in low-performing schools. Nebraska also has not established state authority to intervene in low-performing schools or districts, and boards of education are not held accountable when schools fail to meet objectives. Finally, Nebraska should no longer lock teachers into the existing outdated pension system and should instead offer a more attractive, portable retirement option."

Nebraska would have to put the following reforms in place in order to gett a "passing" grade from Studentsfirst.

1. Evaluate principals and teachers based on how their students perform on state tests. I don't think any state has figured out how to do this in a fair and just way. Nebraska is piloting a new Principal/Teacher evaluation system in some schools this year. Student performance is being looked at as one component of the evaluation.

2. Allow public charter schools in Nebraska. Charter schools receive public money and they are subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools, but generally have more flexibility than traditional public schools. Charter schools are expected to produce certain results, set forth in each school's charter Charter schools are attended by choice.

In exchange for flexibility, charter schools receive less funding than public schools in the same area - typically, they receive only 'head' funds (a certain amount per student) and do not receive any facilities funding which typically pays for a public school's maintenance and janitorial needs. Although charter schools provide an alternative to other public schools, they are part of the public education system and are not allowed to charge tuition. When applications exceed space available, admission is frequently allocated by a lottery-based admissions systems.
Nebraska has resisted any efforts to pass legislation allowing charter schools. In my opinion, there is a fear that charter schools would start up all over rural Nebraska after the state just closed many K-6 "country schools" a few years ago.
3. Have the state take over low-performing school districts. Nebraska is a local control state and does not have the resources available at the state level to run individual school districts.

It looks like we will be on the Studentsfirst "Failing list" for the foreseeable future. But student achievement for all students is the top priority for public schools in Nebraska regardless of what this website would lead you to believe.