E-Update for the Week of April 11, 2022

Highlights:

• On April 4, a group of Senate Democrats and Republicans announced they reached an agreement on a plan to provide an additional $10 billion in COVID-19 relief primarily for therapeutics, testing, and vaccine distribution, which will be offset by unspent funds from prior coronavirus relief bills, including funding for higher education. The agreement is currently stalled over a non-related immigration issue.
• On April 4, the Biden Administration announced an “Action Plan for Building Better School Infrastructure,” an initiative that aims to “upgrade” the nation’s public schools with modern, clean, energy efficient facilities and transportation, while helping districts lower energy costs.
• On April 6, the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (Labor/HHS) Appropriations Subcommittee held a hearing titled, “Social and Emotional Learning and Whole Child Approaches in K-12 Education.”

Budget & Appropriations:

Senate pandemic aid deal would cut $500 million from higher education pandemic funding, as USED extends deadline to spend Higher Education Emergency Relief (HEER) funds: On April 4, Senate Democrats and Republicans announced they reached an agreement on a plan to provide an additional $10 billion in COVID-19 relief primarily for therapeutics, testing, and vaccine distribution, which will be offset by unspent funds from prior coronavirus relief bills. The package includes a $500 million rescission of unspent Higher Education Emergency Relief (HEER) funds which were provided in ARP. The level of funding included in ARP for the HEER Fund was $39.6 billion to support institutions of higher education (IHEs) in serving students and ensuring learning continued during the pandemic. Additional information as to how the $500 million reduction in HEERF funds will impact IHEs and their application for funds is not yet available. Since the announcement, the agreement has been stalled due to an issue related to pandemic-era immigration policies the Biden Administration has proposed to rollback. The Senate will likely consider the legislation following their Easter recess, but a path forward in the House remains unclear.

Separately, on April 4, USED officially announced an extension of the deadline for grantees that received HEER funding to spend their awards. According to a notice in the Federal Register, the deadline for all HEER grants with a balance greater than $1,000 to be spent is extended through June 30, 2023. According to the notice, the Department is “committed to providing consistency, where possible, and extending all available flexibilities that may be authorized by law to grantees under the [HEER] programs as institutions continue to grapple with the financial consequences of COVID-19.”
April 4, 2022

Non-Coronavirus Updates:

Administration:

White House hosts Summit on Evidence for Action: On April 7, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) co-hosted an inaugural White House Summit on Evidence for Action. During the event, federal leaders shared key practices to generate and use research evidence to advance better, more equitable outcomes; build and institutionalize a culture of evidence-based policymaking inside the federal government; and create new and enhanced pathways for connection and collaboration between the evidence communities inside and outside of the federal government. The summit featured speakers who highlighted the experiences and perspectives of leaders within the federal evidence community, and concluded with a series of announcements to kick off a “Year of Evidence for Action.” These actions include the creation of a new pilot funding program led by the National Science Foundation (NSF), OSTP, and OMB, titled the “Analytics for Equity Initiative,” which will leverage NSF’s experience in funding research grants and connecting with academics, and the re-chartering of the OSTP-led National Science and Technology Council Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) Subcommittee. Additionally, during the summit the White House previewed they would be co-hosting various events throughout the year with leading non-profits and academic organizations that aim to mobilize research-based evidence to improve policy, such as the Data Foundation, the Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative at the Pennsylvania State University, the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy at the University of Illinois-Chicago and the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, Pew Charitable Trusts, the Policy Lab at Brown University, Results for America, and the Urban Institute.
April 7, 2022

U.S. Department of Education (USED):

Biden Administration announces “action plan” for bolstering clean school infrastructure and transportation: On April 4, the Biden Administration announced an “Action Plan for Building Better School Infrastructure,” an initiative that aims to “upgrade” the nation’s public schools with modern, clean, energy efficient facilities and transportation, while helping districts lower energy costs. The cross-agency plan will leverage investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and ARP to help pay for lighting upgrades, updated HVAC systems, and staff training, amongst other school infrastructure improvements. Additionally, in the announcement, the White House cited design principles from the science of learning and development to illustrate that students need school environments “filled with safety, belonging, and health to learn and thrive.” As part of the plan, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will launch a $500 million grant program to make public schools more energy efficient (a Federal Register notice requesting information on implementation of this grant program is here). The Department of Treasury will also soon release additional guidance clarifying how state and local governments can use a portion of ARP State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds for a range of air quality and other school facility improvements, and later this spring, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will begin accepting applications for the $5 billion Clean School Bus Program. Lastly, the White House also released a toolkit to help schools and school districts access available funding, as well as provide technical assistance opportunities and planning tools to help schools improve air quality, energy efficiency, and more.
April 4, 2022

Secretary Cardona and Rep. Wasserman Schultz visits high school and holds roundtable on career development pathways: On April 4, USED Secretary Cardona and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) toured Cypress Bay High School in Weston, Florida, where they learned about the school’s career development programs, including the FBI Cyber STEM Academy. After the tour, Secretary Cardona and Rep. Wasserman Schultz participated in a conversation with Broward College students about the educational opportunities, workforce training, and support services offered through Broward UP, a program run by the college.
April 4, 2022

Biden Administration extends student loan pause through August 31: USED announced an extension of the pause on student loan repayment, interest, and collections through August 31. The Administration asserts the extension will provide additional time for borrowers to plan for the resumption of payments, reducing the risk of delinquency and defaults after restart. According to a press release, the Department, during the extension, “will continue to assess the financial impacts of the pandemic on student loan borrowers and to prepare to transition borrowers smoothly back into repayment.” While House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA) praised the Biden Administration for extending the student loan pause, House Education and Labor Committee Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-NC) criticized the decision.  Ranking Member Burr expressed, “Each time the Administration has kicked the can down the road by extending the repayment freeze, it’s cost taxpayers an estimated $5 billion per month. This four-month extension is estimated to cost $20 billion, which is in addition to $100 billion Americans have already spent on the ‘temporary’ executive action. This is an unacceptable burden on taxpayers, which disproportionally benefits higher-income earners who have advanced degrees. Instead, the Administration should work with Congress on existing, bipartisan proposals to simplify student loan repayment programs to give borrowers greater flexibility and certainty.”
April 6, 2022

USED now accepting applications for Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) program: USED released a notice inviting applications for the SEED grant program, which funds efforts that aim to increase the supply of highly effective educators. The SEED program will award $65 million to support the implementation of evidence-based practices that prepare, develop, or enhance the skills of educators.  “This grant competition will support institutions of higher education, national nonprofits, and other eligible partners that provide teachers and school leaders with effective strategies for building inclusive, unbiased, and safe learning environments that support the academic, social, and emotional needs of every student,” USED Secretary Cardona said in a statement. “Building an education system that is the best in the world requires an investment in our dedicated teachers.”  The deadline to submit an application is June 3. In conjunction with the announcement of the open grant competition, the Department released a final rule defining the term “national nonprofit entity” for use in the SEED competition.
April 7, 2022

Congress:

Senate substitutes and passes America Competes Act, leading to a Conference Committee with the House: The Senate voted 68-28 to approve the America Competes Act (H.R. 4521), which had previously passed the House and aims to boost the nation’s economic competitiveness, on March 28. Prior to passage, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) amended the House bill to replace it with language from the Senate-passed, United States Innovation and Competition Act, or USICA, (S. 1260). The amended bill then returned to the House setting the stage for a Conference Committee. On April 7, House and Senate leadership announced the Members who will serve on the Conference Committee. The list of Senate Democrats serving on the committee is here, and the list of Senate Republicans is here. The list of House Democrats is here, and the list of House Republicans is here. The Conference Committee will work to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the bills to produce a Bipartisan Innovation Act.
April 7, 2022

House:

House Education and Labor Committee advances bill to reauthorize workforce development programs: On April 5, the House Education and Labor Committee advanced H.R. 7309, the “Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act [WIOA] of 2022”  by a party-line vote of 29-21. The Democratic proposal, which was introduced by House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Higher Education and Workforce Investment Subcommittee Chairwoman Frederica Wilson (D-FL), would reauthorize and expand the nation’s workforce development system by authorizing $74 billion over six years for WIOA programs. The legislation also focuses on increasing workforce development opportunities for workers from historically underrepresented communities, such as people of color, women, and justice-involved individuals. “We currently have record low unemployment and record job growth, yet job openings currently exceed applicants and employers are clamoring for skilled workers. It is essential we reauthorize WIOA and expand access to high-quality job training opportunities,” said House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA). While the bill could pass the House, the prospects for further action in the Senate remain unclear, particularly given that the bill is likely to only receive Democratic support.
April 5, 2022

House Appropriations Subcommittee holds hearing on social emotional learning and whole child approaches: On April 6, the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (Labor/HHS) Appropriations Subcommittee held a hearing titled, “Social and Emotional Learning and Whole Child Approaches in K-12 Education.” Witnesses included Dr. Pamela Cantor, Founder & Senior Science Advisor at Turnaround for Children; Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond, President & CEO of the Learning Policy Institute (LPI); Max Eden, Research Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI); and Dr. Tom Shriver, Co-Founder & Board Chair at the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). In her opening statement, Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) cited the broad evidence-base that shows how high-quality social and emotional learning (SEL) programs can have “lasting positive academic and life outcomes,” and lamented federal education policymakers have been “slow to focus necessary attention and resources on approaches that adequately address the holistic needs of students to drive stronger achievement in school and beyond.” Chairwoman DeLauro also highlighted the inclusion of $82 million in the recently passed FY2022 Omnibus Appropriations Act for evidence-based, field-initiated SEL grants within the Education, Innovation, and Research (EIR) program, as well as $111 million for School-Based Mental Health Professional Grants and $75 million for Full-Service Community Schools.  Meanwhile, Subcommittee Ranking Member Tom Cole (R-OK) opened by expressing general support for SEL strategies, while warning against federal involvement in setting specific curriculum or teaching methodologies. Ultimately, Ranking Member Cole said he’s glad to see children back in the classroom after pandemic-related school closures, and “perhaps…focus[ing] on social and emotional learning can help these children regain ground and develop a love of learning again.”

In their testimonies, Dr. Cantor, Dr. Darling-Hammond, and Dr. Shriver outlined how the federal government can better support SEL and whole child approaches to education, while highlighting recent research that demonstrates the importance of integrating social, emotional, and academic skills to promote positive student outcomes. “At one level, educators and families have long known that children learn best when their social and emotional needs are met, when they are surrounded by supportive adults, and when they feel motivated and capable of achieving their goals,” said Dr. Shriver. “At another level… we have seen how the integration of cognitive, social, and emotional learning helps children connect more deeply to academic content, engage productively with peers and teachers, work through struggles, and plan toward their goals.” However, in his testimony, Eden presented a view of SEL that diverged from the other witnesses, calling claims that describe SEL as evidence-based “vastly oversold,” and arguing SEL has become an “ideologically charged enterprise.” Furthermore, Eden said data involved in SEL implementation poses “major risks to the privacy of students and families.”
April 6, 2022

House Education and Labor Committee holds a hearing on the HHS’ policies and priorities

On April 6, the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing titled, “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),” in which HHS Secretary Becerra testified. In his opening statement, Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) emphasized the need to address the nation’s mental health crisis and applauded the inclusion of efforts to strengthen coverage and expand access to behavioral health care in the FY2023 President’s budget request. Chairman Scott also highlighted funding included in ARP to ensure schools can open safely during the pandemic. Meanwhile, Committee Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (R-NC) argued the budget request is “full of misplaced priorities and reckless spending,” and lamented the “mixed messages” about masking, school re-openings, and the risk COVID-19 poses to children that she says the agency has relayed over the past year. During the hearing, several Members asked questions related to early childhood education. Specifically, Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Delegate Kilili Sablan (D-Mariana Islands) asked about how the President’s budget request supports Head Start programming. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), and Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) drew attention to the need for additional child care investments to address the lack of affordable, high-quality child care for families and to support the child care workforce. In his responses, Secretary Becerra noted while the budget request proposes increased funding for Head Start and child care, “we will need far more resources to help our states and those local providers get to the point where we can make childcare more affordable, meaningfully more affordable.” He went on to say, “And that’s why the provisions in the Build Back Better legislation were so important because they really let us take it to the next level and I hope that there is a chance that you will at least incorporate the childcare provisions in in a in a bill or in this budget because families are hurting.” Additionally, Representatives Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) asked the Secretary to explain the administration’s decision to require masks in the Head Start program.
April 6, 2022

Senate:

Senate Finance Committee holds hearing on HHS’ budget request: On April 5, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing titled, “The President’s Fiscal Year 2023 Health and Human Services Budget,” during which HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra testified. While the majority of the hearing focused on federal health care programs, several Senators asked questions related to early childhood education and children’s health. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) asked about how the President’s FY2023 budget request can encourage more collaboration between the Office of Head Start and the Office of Child Care. Secretary Becerra assured Senator Hassan that the Department is working to ensure that both child care and Head Start services are as “as seamless as possible.” Meanwhile, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) spoke about how the current shortage of affordable child care is negatively impacting the economy, including the effect on labor force participation.  In his responses, Secretary Becerra agreed with Senator Warren, and explained how the proposals in Build Back Better Act aim to lower the cost of child care for families through subsidies, while increasing child care workers’ wages to draw more people into the field. Additionally, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) asked for Secretary Becerra’s commitment to increase investments in the Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program, which aims to improve maternal and infant health, as well as school readiness. Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) also inquired about cross-agency efforts between USED and HHS to support school-based behavioral and physical health services, to which Secretary Becerra affirmed that the Departments are coordinating so avoid “doing things in separate silos.”
April 5, 2022

Senate Republicans press USED to extend public comment period on charter school proposals: On April 6, Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-NC) led a letter with other Senate Republicans to USED Secretary Cardona urging the Department to extend its 30-day public comment period for USED’s recently proposed priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for the Charter School Programs (CSP), while also criticizing the proposed changes. In the letter, the Senators call the proposed requirements a “blatant reversal of three decades’ worth of bipartisan support for charter schools.” “In addition to being overly prescriptive and overburdensome, the Department proposes foisting such prescriptions and burdens solely upon charter schools, which can only be viewed as an attempt by this Administration to disadvantage charter schools over their traditional public school peers.” The Senators request, “at a minimum,” an extension of the public comment period for stakeholders to have proper time to review the policy changes and provide comments.
April 6, 2022

Upcoming Events (Congress & Administration):

• On April 11 at 2:30 pm, the House Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth will hold a field hearing titled, “Pathways to Opportunity: Lessons from Kenosha.” The hearing will take place at University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha and will focus on education paths that allow workers to enter, re-enter, and remain in the workforce. The hearing will be livestreamed here.
• On April 13 at 3:00 pm, USED will host a webinar titled, “Lessons from the Field – Supporting Transgender & Nonbinary Students in K-12 Schools.” The webinar will feature educators and experts who will discuss challenges faced by many transgender and nonbinary students and actionable strategies for providing support. More information and registration are here.
• On April 27 at 11:00 am, the National Science Foundation’s STEM Education Advisory Panel will meet. The purpose of the meeting is to provide advice to the Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education (CoSTEM) and to assess CoSTEM’s progress. The meeting will include reflections on the STEM Strategic Plan. The Federal Register notice announcing the meeting is here.

Upcoming Events (Outside Organizations):

• On April 12 at 12:30 pm, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) will hold an event titled, “From Banned Books to Democratic Disagreement: Courses on Free Expression.” The event will feature a discussion with three professors who teach courses on controversial speech and free expression. More information and registration are here.
• On April 12 at 4:30 pm, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) will hold an event titled, “Virginia Education Secretary Aimee Guidera on the Virginia Plan for Public Education.” The webinar will feature a conversation with Virginia Education Secretary Aimee Guidera, who will discuss the Glenn Youngkin administration’s education policy priorities and how Gov. Youngkin’s leadership fits into the landscape of American education. More information and registration are here.

Publications (Congressional and Administration):

• On March 30, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report titled, “Career and Technical Education (CTE): Perspectives on Program Strategies and Challenges.” The report found state officials, program providers, and business representatives reported long-standing challenges with delivering, accessing, and replicating CTE programs. The report also examined strategies selected recipients of federal CTE funds have used to support their CTE programs and assist different student populations, and how USED supports CTE programs. The full report is here.

Publications (Outside Organizations):

• On April 1, National Public Radio (NPR) published new reporting on income-driven repayment (IDR) plans. The report found the program, which intends to help low-income student borrowers and eventually offer them debt cancellation, “has failed to live up to its promise.” In its reporting, NPR obtained two-dozen pages of internal USED documents, including emails and, most notably, a previously unreported, 2016 review of student loan servicers’ struggles to implement IDR. According to NPR, the documents shed new light on the 2021 revelation that, at the time, 4.4 million borrowers had been repaying for at least 20 years but only 32 had had loans canceled under IDR. Additionally, the documents showed some servicers weren’t clearly tracking IDR payments and did not know when borrowers qualified for cancellation. The report is here, and a statement from Senate HELP Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA) on the piece is here.
• On April 6, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) released a report titled, “HEERF Works: How Grants Have Supported Students at Public Research Universities.” The report found that public research universities have already spent roughly $14.5 billion in Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF), or more than 70 percent of their grant dollars, as of December 2021. Looking ahead to 2022, “the vast majority” of remaining HEERF funds “will be expended by colleges and universities as they continue to address the ongoing impact of the pandemic.” The report found institutions disbursed more than $6.7 billion in emergency aid grants to students to “meet students’ basic needs, mitigate the spread of Covid-19 and shift to digital then hybrid instruction formats.” The full report is here.

Legislation:

H.R.7375
A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to update the payment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs to allow for electronic fund transfer of educational assistance, administered by the Secretary, to a foreign institution of higher education.
Sponsor: Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ)

H.R.7381
A bill to reauthorize the YouthBuild program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT)

H.R.7384
A bill to direct the Secretary of Energy to establish a grant program to support energy efficiency, renewable energy, and climate resilience improvements at certain institutions of higher education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA)

H.R.7385
A bill to amend the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act to codify a competitive grant program to build community colleges’ capacity to provide employment and training programs for in-demand industries or occupations.
Sponsor: Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA)

H.R.7390
A bill to expand labor representation on State and local workforce development boards, to provide a definition of labor organization, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ)

H.R.7392
A bill to reauthorize the Job Corps program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL)

H.R.7406
A bill to amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to update the definition of supportive services, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN)

H.R.7421
A bill to authorize a Law Enforcement Education Grant program to encourage students to pursue a career in law enforcement.
Sponsor: Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN)

H.R.7454
A bill to promote and support collaboration between Hispanic-serving institutions and local educational agencies with high enrollments of Hispanic or Latino students, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX)

H.R.7461
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to clarify competency-based education.
Sponsor: Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI)

H.R.7465
A bill to ensure that borrowers who have performed qualifying public service are eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
Sponsor: Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA)

H.R.7470
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include a full-time job with a veterans service organization as a public service job eligible for public service loan forgiveness.
Sponsor: Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA)

H.R.7478
A bill to promote youth athletic safety, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ)

H.R.7488
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for certain freedom of association protections, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY)

H.Res.1029
A resolution expressing support for the designation of the week of April 4 through April 8, 2022, as National Assistant Principals Week.
Sponsor: Rep. Andy Levin (D-MI)

H.Res.1034
A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month.
Sponsor: Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA)

H.Res.1036
A resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that all young children and families should have access to high-quality, affordable childcare and early education.
Sponsor: Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR)

H.Res.1046
A resolution expressing support for the designation of the weeks of April 10, 2022, through April 23, 2022, as “National Young Audiences Arts for Learning Weeks”.
Sponsor: Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME)

S.4056
A bill to promote youth athletic safety, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ)

S.4068
A bill to promote and support collaboration between Hispanic-serving institutions and local educational agencies with high enrollments of Hispanic or Latino students, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA)

S.Res.586
A resolution expressing support for the designation of the week of April 4 through April 8, 2022, as National Assistant Principals Week.
Sponsor: Senator Tom Carper (D-DE)