E-Update for February 23, 2015
E-Update for February 23, 2015
Updates
The House will take up Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization this week, along with several other education bills. The House will consider H.R. 5, the Republican bill known as the “Student Success Act, on Wednesday and Thursday, with a final vote expected on Friday. In addition, the House will take up the “STEM Education Act” and the “Strengthening Education Through Research Act” (SETRA) this week. Both bills passed the House last Congress and are expected to pass the House again this week.
On the Senate side, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee will host a hearing this Tuesday entitled, “Recalibrating Regulation of Colleges and Universities” to examine the report from the Task Force on Government Regulation of Higher Education. Hearing information will be available here.
Events
On February 25, the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) will host a webinar on “Advancing Career Pathways with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014.” The webinar will focus on how to realize the promise of career pathways under Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) from national policy experts, as well as a team of education and workforce development practitioners, who will share their strategies for promoting individual prosperity and economic development through career pathway partnerships. Register here.
On February 25, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies will host a hearing to examine the fiscal year 2016 Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) budget request. HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell will testify. More information here.
On February 26, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) will host an event on “Empowering Parents and Voters for K-12 Education Reform.” AEI’s Andrew P. Kelly and Jon Valant will discuss two new pieces of research on parent empowerment and K–12 education reform. They will emphasize that families must be able to comprehend the choices they are presented with to understand and navigate the complex education landscape. Register here.
February 26 through February 28, the School Superintendents Association (AASA) will bring together hundreds of superintendents, school system administrators and other education decision makers to celebrate 150 years of supporting and advancing public education at the 2015 National Conference on Education at the San Diego Convention Center. Themed “Celebrate Public Education in America,” AASA’s anniversary celebration will address some of public education’s most critical issues, including the Common Core State Standards, superintendent/school board relationships, digitizing learning and healthy school environments. More information here.
On March 23, the Foundation for Excellence in Education will launch three new massive open online courses (MOOCs) for education policy leaders. The courses, hosted by Instructure’s Canvas Network, explore topics on data privacy, “the urgent need for education reform,” and a “communications boot camp” course on “winning the education reform conversation.” All three courses are free and feature instructors such as Education Department Chief Privacy Officer Kathleen Styles, Amplify CEO Joel Klein, and Facebook Global Politics and Government Outreach Manager Katie Harbath. More information here.
White House
White House Releases “Investing in Our Future” Report: On February 13, the White House released a report criticizing the funding levels and a portability provision that would change the way Title I dollars for low-income students can be used in the House Republican rewrite of the No Child Left Behind Act, H.R. 5, the “Student Success Act.” The report criticizes the bill’s appropriation levels, which would lock in current funding through fiscal year 2021, capping spending for the next six years at $800 million lower than it was in fiscal 2012. The White House characterized that as “effectively locking in sequestration-era cuts for the rest of the decade.”
February 13, 2015
Congressional Headlines
Kline Statement on White House Education Report: House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) issued the following statement in response to the White House education report released on February 13: “The White House report pretends the president’s budget proposal is the law of the land. It isn’t and never will be. The White House has entered the realm of make-believe in order to falsely suggest states will lose money, when in reality the “Student Success Act” maintains current K-12 education spending and even increases funding for low-income students.”
February 13, 2015
News Legislation
H.R.922 : Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Professional Readiness Education Preparation Act
Sponsor: Rep Adams, Alma S. [NC-12] (introduced 2/12/2015) Cosponsors (3)
H.R.927 : To prevent and reduce the use of physical restraint and seclusion in schools, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Beyer, Donald S., Jr. [VA-8] (introduced 2/12/2015) Cosponsors (25)
H.R.932 : Healthy Families Act
Sponsor: Rep DeLauro, Rosa L. [CT-3] (introduced 2/12/2015) Cosponsors (76)
H.R.933 : Head Start on Vaccinations Act
Sponsor: Rep Eshoo, Anna G. [CA-18] (introduced 2/12/2015) Cosponsors (8)
H.R.937 : Fast Track to College Act of 2015
Sponsor: Rep Hinojosa, Ruben [TX-15] (introduced 2/12/2015) Cosponsors (1)
H.R.939 : Pell Grant Funding Act
Sponsor: Rep Kind, Ron [WI-3] (introduced 2/12/2015) Cosponsors (None)
H.R.958 : To posthumously award a Congressional gold medal to Clyde Kennard in recognition of his sacrifice for education equality.
Sponsor: Rep Thompson, Bennie G. [MS-2] (introduced 2/12/2015) Cosponsors (None)
H.R.966 : To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to award grants to prepare individuals for the 21st century workplace and to increase America’s global competitiveness, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Yarmuth, John A. [KY-3] (introduced 2/13/2015) Cosponsors (6)
H.R.970 : To prohibit the Secretary of Education from engaging in regulatory overreach with regard to institutional eligibility under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Foxx, Virginia [NC-5] (introduced 2/13/2015) Cosponsors (3)
H.R.1004 : To reauthorize the Enhancing Education Through Technology Act of 2001.
Sponsor: Rep Roybal-Allard, Lucille [CA-40] (introduced 2/13/2015) Cosponsors (None)
H.R.1020 : STEM Education Act of 2015
Sponsor: Rep Smith, Lamar [TX-21] (introduced 2/20/2015) Cosponsors (7)
S.474 : A bill to require State educational agencies that receive funding under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to have in effect policies and procedures on background checks for school employees.
Sponsor: Sen Toomey, Pat [PA] (introduced 2/12/2015) Cosponsors (2)
S.476 : A bill to recruit, support, and prepare principals to improve student academic achievement at eligible schools.
Sponsor: Sen Franken, Al [MN] (introduced 2/12/2015) Cosponsors (1)
S.478 : A bill to promote career readiness indicators and career counseling for students.
Sponsor: Sen Kaine, Tim [VA] (introduced 2/12/2015) Cosponsors (2)
S.486 : A bill to amend the Head Start Act to ensure that all children in Head Start and Early Head Start programs are vaccinated, and allow exemptions only for children with underlying medical conditions, for whom vaccines are therefore medically contraindicated.
Sponsor: Sen Boxer, Barbara [CA] (introduced 2/12/2015) Cosponsors (1)
S.492 : A bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 in order to improve environmental literacy to better prepare students for postsecondary education and careers, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Reed, Jack [RI] (introduced 2/12/2015) Cosponsors (5)
S.514 : A bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish the Promise Neighborhoods program.
Sponsor: Sen Murphy, Christopher S. [CT] (introduced 2/12/2015) Cosponsors (4)
S.516 : A bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to permit alternate standards and assessments for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.
Sponsor: Sen Murphy, Christopher S. [CT] (introduced 2/12/2015) Cosponsors (1)
S.528 : A bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 in order to improve the requirements regarding alternate standards and assessments for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Casey, Robert P., Jr. [PA] (introduced 2/12/2015) Cosponsors (1)
Publications
National Center for Education Statistics Report: Early High School Dropouts: What Are Their Characteristics?: This Data Point uses data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) to examine the extent to which high school students drop out of school between the ninth and eleventh grade and how dropout rates vary by sex, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. HSLS:09 is a nationally representative, longitudinal study of more than 23,000 ninth-graders in 2009. HSLS:09 surveyed students, their parents, math and science teachers, school administrators, and school counselors.
February 19, 2015
Annenberg Institute Study: Demographics and Performance in New York City’s School Networks: An Initial Inquiry: Research released by Brown University’s Annenberg Institute for School Reform indicates that while some principals and educators felt that the current network structure of New York City’s public schools successfully supported their professional growth and development, it did not improve students’ academic performance across all schools and networks. These findings informed New York City School Chancellor Carmen Fariña’s recent decision to dismantle the city’s 55 Children First Networks (CFN) instituted in 2003 by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Chancellor Joel Klein.
February 19, 2015