Legislative Update - May 29, 2009

 

 Introduction

Events in Washington are picking up speed as the Obama Administration changes from a government in transition to a government in motion.  The Administration is currently implementing the new economic stimulus act (ARRA) with over $100 billion for education.  In addition, it has also submitted a budget proposal to the Congress for the upcoming fiscal year and is working on a wide range of new proposals.  Overall, the new government is putting significant sums of money into education and it is also signaling what parts of education reform they think are important.  The Congress, while working closely with the new President and his team, is also moving its education agenda by introducing legislation, holding hearings on key topics and working on the appropriations process.  IRA continues to monitor these actions, hold meetings, discussions and other activities but is also pushing for the introduction of a comprehensive literacy bill. 

 

These items, however, aren’t the only action. The nation’s governors and chief state school officers are working on a set of national standards that they hope will create a massive and significant change.  This, along with the tone that is being set by the new administration’s focus on schools, teachers and accountability, is going to make the entire process of reauthorization of NCLB/ESEA much more complex.

 

Stimulus Package

 

The first wave of funds were sent to the states in mid April, as of this writing less than half the states have plans filed to spend their education stimulus dollars.  (For details on the education stimulus package go to http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/index.html ). To evaluate the effectiveness of these funds, the government will be requiring quarterly reports posted on school district websites that report what the money is being used for.  In addition and significant to IRA, is that one of the reporting requirements is for schools which are not performing well to publish the district’s teachers group rankings  and how they are rated by their own district’s evaluation system. To see the ARRA ESEA Title I LEA allocation for your school district, go to: http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/titlei/fy09recovery/index.html

 

In June the US Department of Education is going to publish information on how they expect funds in the areas of special concentration – early childhood, middle and high school, and technology to be used.  These areas are part of the Title I stimulus package which is a formula program. A formula program is one that sends money to a specific school based on the numbers of students and how much money is in the program to automatically allocate to each school district and school.  There will be more funds spent on these areas by a competitive grants process that requires schools to apply directly to the US Department of Education for money for specialized programs.

 

President’s Budget Proposal for 2010

 

The next fiscal year begins on October 1, 2009, and while the stimulus package will still sending additional money to the states during the fall, the regular spending process, appropriations, will still be in play.  The following chart indicates selected literacy programs and what is being asked.

 

There are several positive areas in the proposal and such as the funding for a new K-3 literacy program (Reading First was eliminated in the past year). In addition the President proposes increased funding for the very small middle and high school literacy program. Funding for school improvement programs is also slated for an increase (in addition to the $3 billion in the stimulus package). Frequently, funding for school improvement has meant more money for literacy coaches.

 

Of concerned are the proposed cuts to Title I Part A.  This is because after the stimulus ends, this will remain as the main engine for support for high need students.   Also of concern are the proposed elimination of Even Start – a multi-generational literacy program that provides funds to schools to help with family based literacy programs and the elimination of the National Institute for Literacy.

 

US Department of Education 09 Appropriations/10 Proposed budget
	FY 2009	FY 2010 (Proposed)
Title I Early Childhood Grants	N/A	$500 million
Early Learning Challenge Fund	N/A	$300 million
Striving Readers - Adolescents	$35.40 million	$70.4  million
Striving Readers - Early Literacy Grants	N/A	$300 million
Early Reading First	$112.50 million	$162.5 million
School Improvement Grants	$ 545.6 million	$1.5 billion
Title I Grants to LEAs	$14,492.4  million	$13.0 billion
Improving Teacher Quality State Grants	$2947.7 million	$2947.7 million
Title III  English Language Acquisition	$ 730 million	$ 730 million
Literacy Through School Libraries	$19.1 million	$19.1 million
Fund for the Improvement of Education	$116.0 million	$67.1 million
National Institute for Literacy (NIFL)	$6.5 million	Eliminated
Even Start	$66.5 million	Eliminated

 

 

The next step for the budget proposal is for the Congress to take it up under consideration as a part of the appropriations process.  Of note, the proposal for the $300 million for K-3 literacy is listed as a part of the Striving Reading program.  This had been $35.40 million for adolescent literacy, now the authority is being expanded. This means that the Congress would only need to appropriate funding, it doesn’t need to create new legislation.

 

Comprehensive Literacy Bill

 

Late in 2008 it became clear that the free standing adolescent literacy bill that has been drafted by IRA and several other groups (Alliance for Excellent Education, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Council of Teachers of English and others) wasn’t going to pass on it’s own.  In addition with the demise of funding for Reading First, it was unlikely that a bill designed to provide funds to schools to promote middle and high school professional development to improve reading was going to move.  In addition, with the victory of Senator Obama and his emphasis on early childhood development/education the entire bill needed to be redrafted.   Therefore a new plan was needed, and the working group expanded.   Working from the base of the previous middle and high school bill a new proposal was drafted.  The current draft can be found at http://sites.google.com/site/iralatupdate/ .  As of this writing, the measure is being reviewed by both House and Senate members and changes are being proposed.  We expect a formal introduction sometime in June.

 

National Standards

 

The governors and the chief state school officers in the United States have decided to work together on creating a set of education standards.  As of May 28^th, 44 chief state executives have agreed to this goal.  Over the summer the group hopes to draft standards with more to follow in December.  According to Gene Wilhoit, executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers, the group working on the standards is hoping to fundamentally improve the quality of education for all children by having standards that can be defined as “readiness standards” for post-high school learning either on the job, in college, or some other type of learning environment.  The group working on these standards is hoping that they are: “fewer, clearer, and higher” than the existing set of state standards.  In summary, Wilhoit said that the proposed standards are to be internationally benchmarked and not the wide range set of state content standards that are currently in play.  He hopes that they are about “dynamic learning, not just schooling.”

 

Looking ahead

 

Even without the national standards movement of the governors and chiefs, the education agenda of the Obama administration is looking to make many changes.  A quick look at the funding initiatives gives a strong indication that the US federal government is looking to work more directly with schools than with states and districts.  In addition, they are looking to make changes by using traditional and non-traditional means.  Private companies that have a track record of improving school leadership are being encouraged, as are charter schools.  Merit pay is on the table as is increased funding for technology to provide more tools for teachers and students to use non-classroom environments to promote learning.  Yet, the administration isn’t proposing to eliminate the teacher.  The teacher is being seen as the core to success and programs are being supported to enhance teacher knowledge. 

 

 

 

 

Where is all of this going?  While it looks like there are a wide range set of individual programs, they will come together in the rewriting of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and its last iteration, the No Child Left Behind Act.  While accountability will remain a key part of the revision, all of these areas of early childhood, middle and high school reform, teacher enhancement, technology and other components will be brought together.  Hearings on early childhood and high schools have already been held in the House of Representatives, more hearings will be held over the summer and a legislative proposal isn’t out of the question for the Fall of this year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Legislative Update January 9, 2009

 

Education Priority

 

The 111th Congress has convened and begun its work on January 6th.  The House and Senate are working on producing a stimulus bill with the goal of having it on the President's desk by mid-February.  The second article in this newsletter reports on the education section of the economic stimulus package.  The Senate is holding confirmation hearings for cabinet level officials.   The lead article has notes from the confirmation hearing of Arne Duncan, the nominee for the post of US cabinet secretary for education. 

 

This weekend in Washington DC there are a series of receptions, parties, plus the swearing in and the parade.  At one reception a senior Obama education aide called for new spending on education and health care for all children.   Part of this impromptu speech included inviting the education community to work towards a vision where all children had books, computers on their desks, and other components of successful schools that were not dependent on SES, race or other barriers to success.  In addition there were repeated references to working with teachers and supporting their work.  It is important to note that in the House Democratic stimulus plan there is money for teachers as well as programs such as Title I, IDEA, school construction, technology improvements and other programs. 

 

The weekend is exciting, but on Wednesday morning the House will begin its public work at the committee level on the economic stimulus package.   To monitor this and other legislative initiatives and activities, please go to the IRA Legislative Action Team website at http://sites.google.com/site/iralatupdate/. 

 

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Duncan’s Senate Hearing Highlights Innovation, Professional Development

 

Arne Duncan, for the past seven years CEO of the Chicago public school system, appears to be headed for unanimous Senate approval after his enthusiastic reception at his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday January 13.

 

Senator Tom Harkin, D-IA noted, “We are counting on you for bold and aggressive leadership.”

 

Early Literacy

Harkin wants more links between the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education to improve early childhood programs. Duncan noted that president-elect Obama wants to create a commission on early childhood education.

 

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee members admired Duncan’s dedication to public service and education, which began when he was a child working daily along side his mother in her tutoring and mentoring program in Chicago’s South Side.

 

“Teacher talent matters tremendously,” said Duncan.

 

Professional Development

An activist reformer by nature, Duncan spoke frequently of the need for creating and maintaining a high quality teaching force.  Willing to face controversy with an attitude of inclusion and open discussion with community members and teacher unions, Duncan favors charter schools, public school choice, merit pay for teachers and school leaders, and accountability and public reporting. Details of these goals remain to be formulated, and Chicago, under Duncan’s leadership, has some success on these issues. Pay for performance can help attract the best and the brightest teachers to high need areas, Duncan noted.

 

Before beginning her questioning, Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-AK, said, "I am quite pleased to see that your young son is sitting behind you reading books instead of amusing himself with the latest electronic gadget."

 

Murkowski voiced a need to focus on the middle school years. Duncan responded that education is a continuum of high expectations with no magic bullet anywhere along the line. He intends to raise K-12 standards, scale up what works, strengthen teacher quality by innovation and challenges to the status quo, and reward excellence in teachers and teacher leaders across the spectrum.

 

Duncan noted he will pay attention to T-II and preservice teacher training, as well as professional development. “The day we stop learning is the day we let our students down. Our best teachers continue to improve their skills. We need to support our teachers as they progress through their careers.”

 

Duncan said that during his seven years as school chief in Chicago they moved from 11 to 1200 board certified teachers. One of the results of these improvements:  last year Chicago students won an unprecedented $150,000,000 in grants and scholarships.

 

Senator Harkin, sitting in for the ailing committee chairman Senator Edward Kennedy, concluded that the education secretary — as leader of the education system — has the most influence on how we progress as a country, provide for equality of opportunity, and maintain our standard of living and quality of life. Harkin said that the secretary of education and HHS have the task of defining America, “who we are as a people, how we progress, and what kind of society we are going to be. We look forward to you defining America.”

 

 

 

House Proposes $141.6 Billion for Education in Federal Stimulus Plan

 

On January 15, 2009, the House unveiled an $825 billion economic stimulus package which includes $141.6 billion in federal spending for education. It is intended that these investments will prevent cuts to critical education programs and services as states are facing a projected $350 billion in budget shortfalls. Most provisions are temporary as a comparable Senate package has not yet been released.  Proposed areas of investment in education include:

 

School Construction: $14 billion for K-12 for renovation and modernization, including technology upgrades and energy efficiency improvements.  Also includes $100 million for school construction in communities that lack a local property tax base, and $25 million to help charter schools build, obtain, and repair schools;

Ed Tech: $1 billion for 21^st Century Classrooms, including computer and science labs and teacher technology training;

IDEA: $13 billion for formula grants to increase the federal share of special education costs;

Title I: $13 billion for grants to help disadvantaged children reach high academic standards;
Statewide Data Systems: $250 million for competitive grants to states to design and develop data systems to improve student achievement;
Improving Teacher Quality: $300 million, including $200 million for competitive grants to school districts and states to provide financial incentives for closing achievement gaps in high-need schools, and $100 million for competitive grants to states to address teacher shortages and modernize the teaching workforce;
Head Start: $2.1 billion to provide comprehensive development services to help 110,000 additional children succeed in school.  Funds will be distributed based on need. 

 

Next Steps

 

The pace of legislative activity has gone from almost dead slow in the previous Congress to rapid fire in this one.  What does that mean?  As all eyes on are the stimulus package there is also discussions on moving the Workforce Investment Act, which has adult education as one section.  There is a coalition working on drafting a new comprehensive literacy bill with a high degree of Congressional interest.  The Obama team is talking about a national commission to look at building a  0 - 5 program for young children.   

 

All of these items seem to be taking place while a new administration is being built, this means that aides are being hired, sub-cabinet level officials selected (Undersecretary and assistant secretaries for  ED) and an entire agenda is rolled out.

 

Expectations are high in almost all parts of the government for instant change.  How this change unfolds and what it's emphasis will be is unclear, many leaders talk openly about the differences within the Obama camp as to how to move education change.  To monitor events please log into our legislative website at: http://sites.google.com/site/iralatupdate/

     

Legislative Update December 14, 2008

 

In this issue:

 

1. Administration’s Transition
2. Congressional Agenda
3. Workforce Investment Act

 

Administration’s Transition

 

Arne Duncan, Harvard graduate and current head of the Chicago school system who is known for stressing teacher quality, is Obama's choice for secretary of education. If confirmed he will join the transition team as they make plans and set agendas.  Some of these plans may well unfold early in 2009, before the president-elect takes office.  Key chatter from the new administration centers on stimulus and jobs; this will affect choices on federal spending and jobs that focus on what the administration wants to accomplish. 

 

• By March 6^th Congress needs to pass —and the president sign — the spending plan for this fiscal year.
• The 110^th Congress adjourned without passing the formal appropriations bills to keep the government open through the year.  Congress did pass the “emergency spending plan” — referred to as a Continuing Resolution. This Continuing Resolution kept the government functioning by spending, for the most part, based on last year’s levels.  However this authority runs out on March 6^th.

 

• Appropriators are planning to move their spending plan very early in 2009.
• The 111^th Congress convenes on January 6^th (the new president is inaugurated on January 20^th).  Congress plans for this spending to be used as part of the stimulus package.  They are looking for ideas, in education, where spending can be directed that doesn’t result in obligations to spend in the following year. 
• One idea focuses on summer school. This would mean putting more money into the system to pay teachers ― at the same time providing the opportunity to reverse the summer learning drop often observed in the test scores of high need students.

 

• The transition team for the US Department of Education (ED) has discussed changing some of the new regulations for NCLB that the ED has just enacted.
• These new regulations include:
• requirements on using growth models,
• changes to the 20% set-aside for supplemental education services,
• graduation rates and other matters.

 

o       Some observers claim that the team is going to recommend action to stay some of the requirements, while others are interpreting their comments to mean that they are studying all ideas.

 

o       The current US Department of Education is creating guidance on these new regulations ― and a set of PowerPoint slides outlining the relationship of RTI (IDEA funds) with Title I and Title III (ELL) funds.

 

Congressional Agenda

The 111^th Congress and Elementary and Secondary Education Act

 

• Congressional education leaders are considering moving parts of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (of which No Child Left Behind was the 2001 amendment) rather than try to move an entire bill.
• This idea floated around a bit in the last Congress.   It has the advantage of moving some items and isolating the most difficult issues ― which may result in making it harder to pass the more contentious items. However, it may make it easier to move forward with a new emphasis on literacy.

 

• Congress is also scheduled to rewrite the statute governing the Institute for Education Sciences (IES).  IES is the arm of the US Department of Education that conducts research, technical assistance, and dissemination of research. 

 

Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Reauthorization in the 111th Congress

 

On November 17, 2008, the Senate Committee on Health Education, Labor and Pensions held the first in a series of discussions to identify key priorities, suggestions and challenges with stakeholders as Congress begins the new WIA reauthorization process.

 

The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, Title II of the WIA is important to family literacy because the law specifies family literacy as an option to meet adult education and literacy needs. One of the purposes of the act is to "assist adults who are parents to obtain the educational skills necessary to become full partners in the educational development of their children." Family literacy programs are eligible providers under this law. The provisions of the act are administered by the U.S. Department of Education.

 

Two bills of interest to IRA would amend the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act:

 

• “Adults Achieving the American Dream Act of 2007 (H.R. 2214),” would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to reauthorize and increase appropriations for Even Start Family Literacy Programs through FY 013.
• “Strengthening Communities through Education and Integration Act of 2008 (S.3334)” seeks to
• expand and increase the appropriation authorization for the Even Start Family Literacy Program,
• expand learning time for middle and secondary school English Language Learners,
• define the term English Language Learner, and
• provide tax credits for teachers of English Language Learners.

 

 

Legislative Update November 7, 2008

In this issue:

• IRA Letter to President-Elect Obama
• New Regulations Finalized for NCLB
• Changes at ED re: Title III
• Issues Early 2009: Audio Call November 18, 8 PM EST
  
  IRA Letter to President-Elect Obama to Emphasize Professional Development
  
  The IRA board of directors approved sending a letter to the president-elect. Linda Gambrell chairs the letter-drafting committee that includes Jay S. Blanchard, William T. Hammond, Marsha E. Lewis, Maryann M. Manning, James E. Newkirk, Brenda J. Overturf, Ray Reutzel, and advisor Richard C. Anderson. Staff members on the committee are Alan Farstrup, Richard Long, Cathy Roller, and Barbara Tierney. The Legislative Action Team supplied input via the September 2008 survey. Look for an article outlining survey responses in the November 2008 Reading Today.
  
  Recommendation to President-Elect: Emphasize Professional Development.
  Professional development is one of many tools a teacher should have access to with the goal of helping all of their students. Not all teachers need a massive amount of professional development. Target date to send the letter: mid-November. We will send the letter to the Legislative Action Team (LAT) when it is released. It will also be posted on the LAT blog at http://www.latadvisory.blogspot.com/.
  
  New Regulations Governing Title I of NCLB
  
  On October 29th, 2008 the U.S. Department of Education (US ED) issued new regulations governing parts of Title I of No Child Left Behind. Among the key elements: graduation requirements, growth models, supplemental education services, public school choice, and school improvement. For a copy of the regulations and a summary from US ED: http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2008/10/10282008.html
  
  These regulations are over 400 pages long and take effect on December 1, 2008. The graduation rate requirement will hold schools accountable for dropouts and others who do not graduate from high school with a regular diploma. Schools must have written confirmation that the student has enrolled in another school or educational program that culminates in a regular high school diploma. The schools can also use a separate formula (other than the primary four-year formula) to reflect that some students need more than four years to graduate. The regulations also cover areas such as when buildings don’t need to withhold 20% of their Title I Part A funds for Supplemental Education Services (SES) and public school choice. The regulations outline how a building can reallocate their 20% obligation and also what the penalty is for claiming that they don’t need these monies but later find they need them for SES and/or public school choice.
  
  While the U.S. Department of Education claims that many of these regulations reflect a new state of practice in implementing NCLB, others see that the new regulations will require a significant amount of time to implement. It is possible that the new Congress or Administration may make changes in the coming year. How likely this is to happen is hard to tell since many in Congress did not publicly raise any issues when comments were solicited at the notice of proposed rule making in April 2008.
  
  Changes at US ED and Title III
  
  In June 2008, the U.S. Department of Education (US ED) announced that it would change the program monitoring of Title III of NCLB. Title III is the section of NCLB that provides funds to those schools which apply and meet the criteria to provide English language acquisition programs to students who are ELLs.
  
  U.S. ED hopes to better coordinate both monitoring visits and how different facets of NCLB are integrated. However, some are worried that the ELL program may lose emphasis - either by a funding cut or by a loss of leadership at the U.S. Department of Education. While the monitoring function has shifted to Title I, the Office of English Language Acquisition will still be doing policy work.
  
  On October 2, 2008, U.S. ED sent a policy letter to the Chief State School Officer of each state outlining U.S. ED’s concerns around the use of funds for assessment programs and how they are –– or are not –– impacted by the supplement/not supplant requirements. The letter outlined how some schools are using federal funds to conduct assessments and points out that this is a local responsibility. The federal funds are designed to be used in addition to the local funds –– and not to replace the local funds.
  
  Issues in Early 2009: Audio Call Nov. 18, 8 PM EST
  
  The new president will face a wide range of challenges. He will create and submit a new budget shortly after he takes office, and deal with the funding for the current fiscal year. (Funding runs out in early March for most government agencies.) The new president and Congress will allocate resources and either change the funding plan for the balance of the fiscal year - or simply allow for the old policy to be maintained. Few expect that the old funding plan will simply be extended.
  
  Audio call: “What Is the Likely Education Agenda for President Obama?” – Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 8 PM EST. For more information contact btierney@reading.org.
  
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