Measuring performance in our public schools

OLYMPIA – “We have to learn what our education dollars are buying,” said Sen. Eric Oemig, D-Kirkland.

Today at the Seattle Science Center, Gov. Chris Gregoire signed into law Senate Bill 5843, which directs the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to pilot a statewide student-teacher performance data system.

“There are fundamental questions that drill directly to the accountability of our public schools,” said Oemig, prime sponsor of the bill. “In any taxpayer-funded system, we need to know where our investments are getting the most bang for our buck.”

SB 5843 creates a pilot program to collect and study detailed educational data from two participating school districts.

“Our public schools are failing math,” said Oemig. “How do we fix it? How can we buy more of what works and cut what doesn’t work. We should be making decisions by looking at performance data. Right now, that data doesn’t exist.”

Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell, said Oemig was the driving force behind the passage of SB 5843. McAuliffe is chair of the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee.

“He really understands the analytic side of the equation. I think his business background taught him to focus on results,” said McAuliffe. “Sen. Oemig provided the leadership we needed to pass this bill, and it never would have happened without him.”

Oemig said analyzing performance is key to managing for success.

“Obviously, our schools aren’t just about money,” Oemig said. “Parents want to know if the time and effort their kids devote to public schools will set them up to compete in the real world. This bill starts us down the path of understanding how to optimize our investments and truly prepare our kids for the future.”

SB 5843 takes effect July 22.

Return to Sen. Oemig's home page