Testimony of Lauren Weisberg Kaufman
Vice President, Connecticut Business and Industry Association
before the Education Committee
Legislative Office Building, Hartford, Connecticut
March 9, 2009

 

Good afternoon. My name is Lauren Weisberg Kaufman, and I am a vice president with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) and executive director of the CBIA Education Foundation. CBIA represents approximately 10,000 companies across the state of Connecticut, ranging from large corporations to small businesses in virtually every industry.

 

I am here today to testify on Raised Bill No. 944, An Act Concerning a Plan for Academic and Personal Success for Every Middle and High School Student.

 

The business community remains very concerned about the quality of education in Connecticut and strongly supports the efforts to raise academic standards reflected in this bill. I personally have served on Commissioner McQuillan’s Task Force on Secondary School Reform, representing CBIA member companies, and have staffed our CEO Task Force on Education Reform, which endorsed the State Board of Education recommendations, many of which are now in this bill. While CBIA is pleased to see the plan moving forward—and while we understand that timelines have necessarily been moved further out, given the state’s current fiscal crisis—we are surprised and disappointed to see that the plan as currently proposed is optional for districts at the implementation date of 2015.

Given the resources currently spent in the state on remediation for freshmen in college—where anywhere from 35 to 85% of students may be enrolled in non-credit developmental English and math courses—not to mention the thousands of high school graduates and dropouts who cannot pass basic hiring exams, we have a serious problem that we must  face up to now. It is more important than ever that Connecticut set high standards and expectations for all of our students so that when our economy revives and employment opportunities increase, students are well prepared to take advantage of them.

 

Once a leader in education in the country, Connecticut is falling further and further behind. According to Achieve’s 2009 report “Closing the Expectations Gap,” 23 states have already aligned their high school academic standards with the demands of postsecondary education and careers. An additional 14 states are expected to adopt these standards this year. Where is Connecticut? Now nearer to the bottom of the list, with only a vague idea of when this alignment will occur.

 

In districts as diverse as Hartford and Simsbury, the requirements being proposed are already in place. Why aren’t we expecting the same from all our students in every district in the state? In national surveys and in surveys of recent high school graduates in Connecticut, students tell us over and over that they wish they had worked harder in high school and would have done so if it was expected of them.

 

Although this state has some of the finest schools in the country, we know that the achievement gap between the majority of our high-performing schools and those that serve predominantly low-income and minority students must be eliminated. In my 25 years in Connecticut, I have heard that message in every educational meeting and on every task force CBIA has participated in—and there have been many. We do have isolated examples of high-performing schools in Connecticut’s urban districts, be they public, charter, or magnet schools, so we see before our eyes schools that defy the culture of low expectations that pervades far too many classrooms.

 

Schools that outperform their peers start with high expectations, high standards, strong leadership, a clear vision and mission, and good if not great teachers. They work with students where they are and provide supports, such as planning time for teachers, more time for student learning, (through longer days, Saturday classes and extended school calendars), more engaging curriculum, mentors, tutors and parent outreach—all research- based, proven strategies that get results. Luckily, in this time of very constrained resources, the commissioner has indicated that funds from the federal stimulus package will allow many of these best practices to continue at the local level and will also provide the resources needed for the state to move forward on data systems and curriculum development, components that are also critical to these reforms.

 

Raising standards for graduation does not mean that we will automatically raise the drop-out rate, which is often heard as an excuse not to change, but it does mean that extra attention must be paid to putting in place preschool, school and after-school programs that address the needs of students. It means more flexibility in the school day and school year and more opportunities for high school students to participate in job shadowing, company visits and internships. Our work over the last 25 years with urban students has convinced us that the majority of these students need industry role models and mentors and opportunities to clearly see why they must study a rigorous curriculum. They must understand what is in it for them and become engaged and motivated in the educational process, both in school and out of school. Highly successful models exist all over the country. We do not need more time to figure out what works; we need carefully planned, thoughtful initiatives that put in place what the research on best practices demonstrates works for all kinds of students. This must start with clear standards and expectations for all students in every school district in the state.

 

Connecticut should wait no longer to adopt these reforms, and they should not be optional. They should be Connecticut’s graduation requirements. Anything less will only put our students at a competitive disadvantage for college and employment in the years to come.

 

Thank you.