ABBOTT STATUS REPORT

AND

ABBOTT ADVOCACY PRIORITES

PRESENTED TO ABBOTT IMPLEMENTATION SUMMITT

FEBRUARY 22, 2003

This Report updates the current status of implementation of the three key remedies ordered by NJ Supreme Court in Abbott v. Burke: (1) school construction, (2) universal preschool, and (3) K-12 education improvement.

The 2002-03 school year marks twenty-one years since Abbott was filed in the courts, but the fourth year of implementation of the remedies ordered in the 1997 (Abbott IV) and 1998 (Abbott V) decisions.

1. SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION:

From 1999-2001, virtually no school construction was started or completed. The prior (Whitman) administration did little to implement the program, and the Court’s Spring 2000 deadline for "shovels in the ground" was missed.

In 2002, under the current (McGreevey) administration, the school construction program is showing some small signs of progress:

STATUS: IMPLEMENTATION REMAINS POOR
MUCH IMPROVEMENT NEEDED

2. PRESCHOOL

From 1999-2001, implementation of the Abbott mandate for universal preschool was met with strong resistance, requiring two enforcement rulings by the Supreme Court in 2000 (Abbott VI) and 2002 (Abbott VIII). Under the prior (Whitman) administration, inadequate funding resulted in low enrollments and little movement towards making the quality upgrades (teacher certification, curriculum, etc) ordered by the Court. Virtually no effort was made to expand preschool facilities through renovations and new construction.

In 2002, under the current (McGreevey) administration, implementation of the preschool program is finally making some good progress:

• $142 million in new funds in FY03 to fully fund districts’ pre-K budgets, for a total investment of $381 million

• Enrollments have increased to 65% of eligible universe, or 35,000 children, with 70% enrolled in community provider programs

• Community provider budgets have increased to address quality

• Head Start programs finally eligible for Abbott funding

• Implementation uneven among districts (varying enrollment levels/outreach efforts, etc.)

• No Facilities to expand capacity, and still no effort to give community providers opportunity to build new or renovated facilities

STATUS: IMPLEMENTATION MAKING GOOD PROGESS

IMPROVEMENT STILL NEEDED, ESPECIALLY ON FACILITIES

3. K-12 EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT

From 1999-2001, implementation of the Abbott mandates for K-12 education improvement, including Whole School Reform, was plagued by serious problems, although the prior (Whitman) administration did maintain parity with increases in state aid every year. The main problems were: a lack of support for school-based management; no evaluation of WSR; and no effort to install supplemental programs in all schools, as needed.

The prior administration did approve over $300 in supplemental funding, but only to 23 of the 30 districts, and did not set up an accountability system to track these funds to directly to school-based programs.

In 2002, the current (McGreevey) administration was granted by the Supreme Court a one-year "time-out" from further implementation of K-12 during 2002-03 in order to give the administration a chance to collaborate with Abbott stakeholders to address implementation problems. Under the Court order, the DOE approved a budget cap in each district representing the 2001-02 spending level, supported by $380 million in supplemental funding in 24 districts. Districts, however, had to cut 3-5% to stay within the budget cap, targeting security, technology, after school, health and social services, and other WSR elements.

In February 2003, the administration announced plans to:

• Eliminate the mandate for WSR

• Eliminate the requirement for supplemental program elements of WSR, including nurses, parent liaisons, drop out counselors, technology coordinators, and other positions and programs

• Not launch the required evaluation of WSR

• Weaken role of School Management Teams

• Not improve DOE capacity to assist districts and schools

• Not increase state aid to maintain parity and to fully fund preschool programs

• Cancel supplemental funding to districts, and reallocate the current year $380 million in supplemental funding to support parity and preschool increases

• Not increase state aid to maintain current year programs, or restore programs that were cut during the 2002-03 "time-out"

• Leave the Abbott districts with a shortfall of $447 million, a gap that will cause severe reductions of programs, services and positions in 2003-04

1. SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION

• Speed up pace of construction dramatically

• Policies on Community Engagement in Design and Planning, and Community Schools

2. PRESCHOOL

• Emergency Facilities Plan for Each District

• Policies on Community Provider Participation in Facilities Program

3. K-12 EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT

• Abandon plan to rollback Abbott programs and funding

• Increase state aid for parity and preschool, and assure funding for cost of living and program restorations

• Commit to working with stakeholders on improving implementation

• Start formal evaluation of WSR immediately