Fayneese Miller, dean of the College of Education and Social Services, is playing a key role in the transformation of K-12 education in Vermont as chair of the Vermont Board of Education. (Photo: Raj Chawla)

The State of Vermont is currently crafting what could become one of the more transformative educational documents in the country. It would radically change the way education is delivered to K-12 students and focus on providing skills for success in the 21st century. The process is still under way, but education and policy scholars from around university are playing strong roles in shaping the recommendations.

"The Transformation of Education in Vermont," a report created by Vermont State Education Commissioner Armando Vilaseca '81, was adopted by the State Board of Education in 2008 and outlines the framework for such a transformation. State Board Chair Fayneese Miller, dean of the College of Education and Social Services, says the board is working to implement major elements of the report, which is an expansion of an effort started in 2007 by former Vermont Commissioner of Education Richard Cate, UVM's vice president for finance and administration.

Miller said the board is also following the recommendations of a newer, more detailed report produced by the Education Transformation Policy Commission titled "Opportunity to Learn: Defining Vermont Education for a New Generation of Learners" that contains specific policy recommendations. Chris Koliba, director of UVM's Master of Public Administration program and a school board member from Duxbury, used his background in educational policy to help craft the report.

"Education isn't something that needs to fit in a particular size box," says Cate. "The bottom line is whether students are learning what they need to know to be successful in the 21st century. The question is whether people have the stomach to say, 'We don't have to do it like we did 40 years ago when I was in school.'"

Given some of the bold policy recommendations by the Education Transformation Policy Commission, educational traditionalists may need some coaxing. For example, the commission proposes the replacement of grade levels with a three-stage system -- foundational (ages 5-8), intermediate (ages 9-13) and proficient (14-18) -- with graduation based on a proficiency-based grading system. Other highlights include all high school students taking at least one college course; more focused learning in the final stage not unlike a major in college; and the formation of 12-24 regional educational districts where students can access other schools and programs.

Two issues, one goal

Miller and Cate agree that for transformation to occur, so must a reduction in the number of school districts. Vermont has the highest number of school boards per student capita and has more districts than larger states like Florida. In 1892, Vermont reduced its number of school districts from 2,500 to 300 and still has 280. If smaller districts (more than 60 have fewer than 100 students) joined forces with larger ones, Miller and Cate argue, it would prevent the duplication of services, provide more purchasing power, and give students from schools with limited resources more educational and extracurricular opportunities.

"The way it is now, not every student has the same educational opportunities in Vermont," says Miller. It's also the reason she pushed for the State Board to create a commission to determine the operative number of districts, which Vilaseca, who is promoting a bill that would consolidate services and courses of study in each supervisory union, says is a step toward reducing costs and greater efficiency.

Who is ultimately given the power to make the consolidation decision may determine how fast the process moves ahead, if at all. The power seems to be shifting to the State Board, which has more decision-making powers in the areas of curriculum. That may be intentional, according to Cate, who says legislators -- some of whom have multiple school districts in their voting district -- face intense pressure from constituents not wanting their local schools part of a consolidation effort.

Shaping a new generation of teachers

Koliba's committee divided their recommendations into five sections, with each focusing on an issue, offering analysis and rationale for each action, and recommendations for specific policy actions. The categories include Education Districts, Educator Quality, Education Quality Standards, Learning Expectations for a New Generation of Learners, and PK-16 Partnership. Within these categories are basic tenets that focus on interactive learning for students; advancement based on proficiency rather than age or grade level; the adoption of new educational quality standards focused on learning outcomes; a revision of educator standards for 21st century teaching and learning practices; and group problem solving.

"It was a pretty daunting task," says Koliba, who studies and consults in the area of educational policy. "I think we already have a pretty effective educational system, but it's a factory model that needs to be transformed, not simply updated. There are some low hanging fruit that could go a long way in moving things forward and put Vermont is in a position to lead the nation on this issue."

Transforming the way education is delivered will require a change in the way teachers are trained and taught. Penny Bishop, assistant professor and director of middle level teacher education, likes the plan and says a number of the proposals are already in existence on the middle school level. She cites the Learning and Engaging Adolescents Project (I-LEAP) at Milton Middle and Edmunds in Burlington funded by the Richard E. & Deborah L. Tarrant Foundation as a prime example. Students in the program solve problems on touchscreen SMART Boards, measure and record temperature fluctuations with high-tech probeware, participate in international Skype sessions, and use laptops to do Web-based writing assignments.

"We at UVM have our feet wet in initiatives that are already doing this kind of work, so we're well positioned to take a leadership role," says Bishop. "This document is very exciting. It focuses more on high schools and they haven't changed as much." Cate agrees. "When I compare my elementary school experience with today, there have been significant changes, yet high schools look the same as they did in the 50s and 60s. We need to change this for the future success of our students."

Link to reports: http://education.vermont.gov/new/html/maindept.html