April 2009

Building Capacity for Change

By Gene R. Carter, Executive Director, ASCD

As the first wave of education stimulus money in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) began to flow to states this month, Secretary Arne Duncan reiterated his goal that this historic investment in education be used for much more than just filling the shortfall in state budgets. "If all we do with the money is save jobs," declared Duncan, "then we’ve failed."

The nation's top educator wants states to use the nearly $100 billion in emergency education spending to make "dramatic improvements" for children and schools. Indeed, securing these resources for education was a tremendous victory, but capitalizing on them represents a greater and more significant challenge. Educators must now demonstrate the value of this unprecedented investment and engage with policymakers to ensure that these funds are allocated appropriately and efficiently within their states.

According to guidance issued by the Department of Education, how states and districts use the first round of funding for education reform—particularly in improving teacher effectiveness, standards, data systems, and low-performing schools—will be a key consideration in subsequent funding determinations. For example, to be eligible for a share of the Secretary of Education's $5 billion Race to the Top Fund, which will be awarded through a competitive grant application process during the next fiscal year, states must be able to show significant progress toward each of the Secretary's four reform priorities.

As an organization of educator leaders from all levels, ASCD is grateful that the federal government recognizes the importance of our education system in generating sustained, long-term economic recovery. These are unquestionably trying times for the men and woman charged with directing one of our nation's most important domestic priorities: our children. Local educators have witnessed firsthand the effects of the recession on their students and colleagues, while economic realities—such as the closing of businesses and falling property values—have created severe consequences for the support services schools provide to children and their families. The ARRA's education stimulus resources represent an opportunity to not only alleviate these pressures but also lay a foundation for lasting improvements.

Teacher effectiveness and school leadership are the top two factors affecting student achievement—perhaps even more so now during these challenging times. As officials around the country face difficult choices about how best to serve their schools and communities, ASCD sees a unique opportunity to elevate the quality of the teaching profession, and thus the educational experiences of students, by using significant amounts of the stimulus funds to build capacity through professional development activities.

Innovative and sustainable reform, like that called for by Secretary Duncan, can be achieved only through the cultivation of school-level expertise. Such expertise can be acquired in a variety of ways, but research shows that the most effective method is to develop building-level teacher and school leaders who can support their colleagues in implementing improvement strategies. Schools, districts, and states that use the one-time infusion of ARRA funds to build capacity through professional growth activities will be able to direct their human and financial resources much more effectively toward the development of new leaders and continued improvement. In economic terms, they will see the highest return on investment.

Ultimately, the historic outlay for education in the ARRA will be evaluated by its success in raising student achievement and improving the quality of our kids' educational experiences. Secretary Duncan has strongly emphasized the one-time nature of the stimulus and cautioned educators to carefully choose reforms that do not commit them to long-term or endlessly recurring costs. By taking this opportunity to build the capacity of the education profession, we can achieve effective, innovative, and sustainable results that endure long after the stimulus dollars have been exhausted. We can then use these results to show policymakers and the public what additional resources can accomplish for our students and schools and make the case for maintaining these higher funding levels once this financial crisis has passed and the country's economic condition and budget outlook improve.

• For ASCD's stimulus resources, including a Web seminar and Whole Child Podcast to help you understand the ARRA and its education components, visit www.ascd.org/ARRAresources.
• To stay abreast of the latest stimulus information and guidance available from the Education Department, join Educator Advocates at www.educatoradvocates.org.