Support the Achievement Gap Package!

Dear Senators and Representatives,

Please vote FOR the Achievement Gap Package!

Support more transparency and accountability in efforts to close the education achievement gap.

The Achievement Gap Package

SB987: Limit Poverty Funding Carryover

Would require school districts that do not spend 20% or more of their “poverty funds” to get approval from the Department of Education and report details on why they are not spending the money intended to help low-income students close the achievement gap.

SB889: Strengthen Monitoring and Reporting of Poverty Funds

Will require Department of Education to develop a comprehensive report to identify innovations, flag ineffective programs, and ensure that “poverty funds” are spent on the most effective solutions.

SB943: Expand Access to School Performance and Improvement Data

Will make information more easily accessible on school district websites – school improvement plans, parental involvement plans, professional development plans, local achievement gap taskforce activities, and supplemental services offered by the school, such as tutoring and after-school programs.

HB2163: Improve Interventions for Under-Performing Schools

Will allow the Department of Education to intervene in under-performing school districts earlier in the school improvement process, conduct audits to quickly identify needs, and boost professional development with more hands-on strategies.

HB1646: Election Reform for Multi-County School Districts

Will require multi-county school districts to open at least one polling place in each county in contested election to ensure that constituents do not have to travel extensively to vote.

HB2164: Reform the Commission on Closing the Achievement Gap

Will expand the duties of the Commission, require an annual report on efforts to close the achievement gap, and modify the current Commission by adding more parents and low-income representatives from diverse areas around the state.