When the dust settled on the 149th Delaware General Assembly on July, there were many bills and budget language that will impact public education. Read on for the big stories that emerged during the second half of the 149th General Assembly and their relation to Student Success 2025. For a full rundown of legislative highlights on education, click here.
The EARLY LEARNING community celebrated some increased state investments that will improve access and quality for the state’s youngest learners and their families. A $3.8 million “door-opener” will support tiered reimbursements that providers receive from the state based on achieving high-quality in the Stars quality rating program. The budget also increases Delaware’s Purchase of Care subsidy by $8.8 million, which will help connect more families in-need to the state’s early learning tuition subsidy.
A few years ago, the Vision Coalition Leadership Team asked fellow Delawareans: What would a well-educated young person would need to know and be able to do in the year 2025? More than 4,000 people told us that foundational academics like math and reading remain critical to any education.
But people also wanted a richer educational experience for their children, one that instilled skills like communication, collaboration, critical thinking, empathy, and creativity.
Today, we’re seeing a convergence among leaders in education and business around this essential broader set of skills. But there are dozens of definitions and interpretations of what it actually means, how it manifests inside classrooms, or how we can quantify it. As a state, we need to expand our definition of student success.
A Broader Vision of Student Success: Insights and Opportunities for Social and Emotional Learning in Delaware focuses on the efforts underway across Delaware to support students, families, and educators in developing these skills. Its goal? To shine a light on the current landscape in Delaware and help policymakers, educators and partners in the education, government, healthcare, nonprofit, and business sectors make decisions and investments to strengthen the work that’s underway supporting social and emotional development.
We thank LIANE SORENSON and MICHELE JOHNSON for their service to the coalition. We appreciate their contributions to Student Success 2025, and their dedication to helping prepare Delaware students for a lifetime of success.
SAVE THE DATE!
The Vision Coalition of Delaware‘s 11th Annual Conference on Education will be held at the University of Delaware on October 11, 2018.
The conference will bring together voices from around the state and beyond for an engaging day focusing on collaboration as well as the future of education.
