Kentucky considering Education Innovation Foundation

Kentucky’s Education Department has proposed that the state establish an Education Innovation Foundation.  Here’s an AP story on the proposal, followed by a “staff note” developed by the DOE:

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky Department of Education will propose this week that the state create a foundation specifically to fund innovative public school projects to help students achieve.

The department plans to float the proposal at the two-day Board of Education meeting, which begins Tuesday in Frankfort.

“With local, state and federal funding streams all being affected by budget cuts and lower tax revenues, it is imperative that we ensure we are taking advantage of all possible funding sources in order to provide the best learning environment in our schools,” Kevin Brown, associate commissioner of education, wrote in a staff memo to be presented to the board and posted on the KDE’s website.

A similar group, the Kentucky Educational Foundation, was formed in 1984 and dissolved in 1993, state records show. It is unclear from documents filed with the Secretary of State’s office whether the foundation ever raised or distributed any money.

Several foundations in the state gather and give out money for education, but no philanthropic group is aimed solely at promoting innovation, said Stu Silberman, executive director of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence.

“Having a focus just on innovation, I think, is a good thing for Kentucky,” Silberman said Monday. “I’m a really big believer in providing the right kind of niche for students … in that type of environment they become totally engaged and they really excel. So the more of that we can do, the better.”

The Prichard Committee is an independent nonprofit agency that works to improve education in the state from preschool through college.

Department spokeswoman Lisa Gross said Education Commissioner Terry Holliday came up with the idea. She says such a foundation would support his goal of finding additional revenue for Kentucky’s public schools. She says such a foundation would support his goal of finding additional revenue for Kentucky ‘s public schools.

Gross said the department is modeling the proposed group on the Colorado Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit that funds innovative projects in that state’s public schools.

The CLF is specifically aligned with the goals of that state’s education department, yet it “can be more nimble than a Department of Education can, said foundation spokeswoman Heather Fox.

“We have statewide implementation as our focus,” Fox said.

In one example of its work, the foundation earlier this month announced it had won a $10.5 million grant to encourage enrollment in Advanced Placement classes in an effort to improve student performance among traditionally underserved high school students.

Gross said the best current example of innovation in Kentucky schools is a similar program called AdvanceKentucky. The nonprofit group Kentucky Science & Technology Corp. is incorporating the program in 64 state high schools this academic year.

Gross said the foundation proposal is an indirect response to budget cuts, “since innovation often requires funds not available in current budgets or cannot be supported by current revenue streams.”

She said the department isn’t making any predictions on how much funding such a foundation could provide but Gross said in an email he hoped it would be significant.

Silberman said he envisioned the foundation as a seed-money provider for expensive programs.

” … I think with the really strong emphasis on innovation, I think there will be some renewed interest in supporting that,” he said.

House Education Committee Chairman Carl Rollins, D-Midway, has filed a bill proposing what he calls “districts of innovation” that would allow school districts to ignore some state regulations to try new approaches, similar to charter schools.

KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

STAFF NOTE

Establishing a Kentucky foundation for education innovation

Applicable Statute or Regulation:

KRS 156.035, 158.645, 158.6451

History/Background:
Existing Policy. It is widely held that to increase student achievement for all Kentucky students requires effective leaders in every school, effective educators in every
classroom, and healthy and engaged students who come to school ready to learn. This requires providing adequate support and resources so these requirements can be meet.  With local, state and federal funding streams all being affected by budget cuts and lower tax revenues, it is imperative that we ensure we are taking advantage of all possible funding sources in order to provide the best learning environment in our schools.

It is this commitment that has led staff to do research on what other states are doing to secure philanthropic sources of revenue that are being specifically used to promote
innovation in schools and increased student achievement. Prior to the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA), the Kentucky Education Foundation was in existence for
the purpose of providing additional funding for education. The foundation was dissolved in 1993.

Currently, Kentucky needs a non-profit entity to focus on obtaining nontraditional funding for education innovation.

The primary focus of research on this subject has been the model used by Colorado. In 2007, Colorado established the Colorado Legacy Foundation. The foundation was
originally operated by the state department of education but since 2009 it has been an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that serves as a critical friend and partner to the Colorado Department of Education in the effective implementation of good public policy. The foundation identifies promising practices, invests in innovative work,  recommends policy, evaluates results, and shares its findings with all Colorado school districts and schools.

Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) staff have had conversations with Colorado Legacy Foundation staff and have been reviewing the development plan and key legal
issues. KDE staff wish to begin a discussion with the board about establishing such a foundation in Kentucky.Policy Issue(s):

Primary policy issues are related to the process that would be used to establish the foundation and how such a foundation would operate in Kentucky.

Impact on Getting to Proficiency: In order to achieve the goal of every student graduating college/career ready, it is essential that we provide schools and districts with resources that are adequate to ensure student success. By creating a foundation focused on securing other sources of support for innovation and student achievement, achieving the goals is more realistic.

Contact Person:
Kevin Brown, Associate Commissioner
Office of Guiding Support Services
(502) 564-4474
Kevin.Brown@education.ky.gov