E-Update for June 17, 2014
E-Update for June 17, 2014
Updates
On June 10, the Senate Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Subcommittee approved Fiscal Year 2015 spending levels for most federal childcare, education, and workforce programs. The complete bill has not yet been publicly released, but the Subcommittee has announced funding levels for several key accounts. Early learning was the biggest winner in the Senate bill. The Subcommittee provided a combined increase of $348,327,000 for key early childhood care and education programs, including Head Start, the Child Care and Development Block Grant, Preschool Development Grants, and IDEA Grants for Infants and Families. In addition to early learning, the committee released funding levels for several higher education accounts (i.e. Pell Grants, Campus-Based Student Aid, and TRIO) and ESEA, Title. Further information can be found here. Full committee action has not yet been scheduled.
Events
Smart Rural Community and Senator Mark Begich (D-Alaska) hosted an event entitled “Educational Broadband for K-12 and Beyond” on Tuesday, June 17 at 11am at the Capitol Visitor Center. The event included opening remarks by Shirley Bloomfield, Chief Executive officer of NCTA-The Rural Broadband Association, and a keynote address by Senator Mark Begich. It also included a technology demonstration by Discovery Education and an interactive conversation with the American Association of Community Colleges, the American Library Association, and the National Education Association.
Intel, in conjunction with the Maker Caucus, the STEAM Caucus, and the E-Learning Caucus, hosted a panel discussion on “Who/What The Maker Movement Is + Why The White House & The Private Sector Are So Excited About It” on Tuesday, June 17 at 12pm in Rayburn HOB B-339. Panelists included Michael A. Bell (Corporate Vice President & General Manager, Intel Corporation), Tom Kalil (Deputy Director of the Technology & Innovation Division, White House Office of Science & Technology Policy), Dale Dougherty (Founder & CEO of Maker Media, Inc.), Maura Marx (Deputy Director for Libraries, Institute of Museum & Library Services), and Joey Hudy (Student Maker).
U.S Department of Education
Statement from U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Regarding the Decision in Vergara v. California: “For students in California and every other state, equal opportunities for learning must include the equal opportunity to be taught by a great teacher.”
June 10, 2014
U.S. Department of Education Announces $75 Million GEAR UP Competition: To focus on building successful practices aimed at improving college fit and college readiness for underrepresented, underprepared and low-income students across the country, the U.S. Department of Education announced today the availability of $75 million for two new Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs competitions.
June 3, 2014
Congressional Headlines
Praise for Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Improve America’s Workforce Development System: Since a bipartisan, bicameral group of legislators announced a deal to improve the nation’s workforce development system through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), a broad array of labor, business, and workforce development leaders, as well as governors and mayors from around the country, has expressed support for the proposal. Read a summary of the bill here. Excerpts from letters of support sent to the bipartisan, bicameral group are immediately below, and a full list of supporters is included at the bottom of this release.
June 5, 2014
Harkin Statement on Republican Obstruction of Bill to Ease Student Loan Debt: Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, issued the following statement today after Republicans obstructed Senate consideration of the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act, a bill that would allow borrowers with outstanding student loan debt to refinance at the lower interest rates currently offered to new borrowers and achieve much-needed savings for families across the country. “By allowing students to refinance their loans to today’s rates, we can help them save money and get on a strong financial footing. By refusing to consider this bill, Republicans are hurting millions of borrowers with outstanding student loans.”
June 11, 2014
Harkin Welcomes Action from President Obama to Help Students Manage Federal Loan Debt: Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today welcomed an Executive Order from President Obama that will allow an additional five million borrowers with Federal Direct student loans to cap their monthly payments at just 10 percent of their income, according to the White House.
June 9, 2014
New Legislation
H.R.4815 : American Manufacturing Jobs for Students Act
Sponsor: Rep Brownley, Julia [CA-26] (introduced 6/9/2014)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
Latest Major Action: 6/9/2014 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
H.R.4826 : School Modernization and Revitalization Through Jobs Act
Sponsor: Rep Maloney, Sean Patrick [NY-18] (introduced 6/10/2014)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
Latest Major Action: 6/10/2014 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
H.R.4827 : Youth Access to American Jobs Act of 2014
Sponsor: Rep Horsford, Steven A. [NV-4] (introduced 6/10/2014)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
Latest Major Action: 6/10/2014 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
H.R.4828 : I-STEM Act
Sponsor: Rep Garcia, Joe [FL-26] (introduced 6/10/2014)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
Latest Major Action: 6/10/2014 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
H.R.4831 : Twenty-First Century Manufacturing Skills and Jobs Act of 2014
Sponsor: Rep Kildee, Daniel T [MI-5] (introduced 6/10/2014)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce; House Ways and Means
Latest Major Action: 6/10/2014 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
H.R.4832 : Education for Jobs Act
Sponsor: Rep Lujan Grisham, Michelle [NM-1] (introduced 6/10/2014)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
Latest Major Action: 6/10/2014 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
H.R.4833 : Women and Minorities in STEM Booster Act of 2014
Sponsor: Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-12] (introduced 6/10/2014)
Committees: House Science, Space, and Technology
Latest Major Action: 6/10/2014 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
H.R.4860 : To clarify that a closure of a branch or campus of an institution of higher education may qualify a borrower for loan discharge under the Higher Education Act of 1965, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Hahn, Janice [CA-44] (introduced 6/12/2014)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
Latest Major Action: 6/12/2014 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
H.RES.614 : Strongly supporting the quality and value of diversity and innovation in the Nation’s higher education institutions, and strongly disagreeing with the President’s proposal to create and administer a Postsecondary Institution Ratings System.
Sponsor: Rep Goodlatte, Bob [VA-6] (introduced 6/10/2014)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce
Latest Major Action: 6/10/2014 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
S.2432 : Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act
Sponsor: Sen Warren, Elizabeth [MA] (introduced 6/4/2014)
Latest Major Action: 6/11/2014 Senate floor actions. Status: Motion by Senator Reid to reconsider the vote by which cloture was not invoked on the motion to proceed to the measure (Record Vote No. 185) entered in Senate.
S.2451 : Local School Board Governance and Flexibility Act
Sponsor: Sen Inhofe, James M. [OK] (introduced 6/10/2014)
Committees: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Major Action: 6/10/2014 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
S.2452 : Strong Start for America’s Children Act
Sponsor: Sen Harkin, Tom [IA] (introduced 6/10/2014)
Committees: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Major Action: 6/10/2014 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 427.
S.2459 : A bill to revise counseling requirements for certain borrowers of student loans and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Grassley, Chuck [IA] (introduced 6/10/2014)
Committees: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Major Action: 6/10/2014 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
S.2460 : Christopher Bryski Student Loan Protection Act
Sponsor: Sen Menendez, Robert [NJ] (introduced 6/10/2014)
Committees: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Major Action: 6/10/2014 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
National and State Headlines
President Vows to Strengthen Tribal Communities through Education and Economic Development: The Administration is taking action to strengthen Native American communities through education and economic development. These initiatives build on the significant progress the President has already made in partnering with tribes on a nation-to-nation basis to promote prosperous and resilient tribal nations.
June 13, 2014
Oklahoma Gov. Fallin Signs HB 3399 to Repeal and Replace Common Core Standards: Governor Mary Fallin today signed HB 3399, a bill that replaces Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English and math with academic standards to be designed by the state of Oklahoma. HB 3399 repeals the adoption of CCSS and directs the State Board of Education to create new, more rigorous standards by August 2016. While those new standards are being written, the state standards for English and math will revert to the Oklahoma Priority Academic Student Skills (PASS) standards used from 2003 to 2010.
June 5, 2014
South Carolina Governor Signs Bill Requiring State to Replace Common Core: Pursuant to Act 200 passed by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor in June 2014, Common Core will only be the basis for instruction and assessment in the 2014-15 school year; SC has initiated the process to develop new, high-level College and Career Ready standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics with the intent of putting those new standards in place for the 2015-16 school year.
June 13, 2014
Publications
Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2013: A joint effort by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and National Center for Education Statistics, this annual report examines crime occurring in schools and colleges. This report presents data on crime at school from the perspectives of students, teachers, principals, and the general population from an array of sources–the National Crime Victimization Survey, the School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, the School Survey on Crime and Safety, the School and Staffing Survey and the Campus Safety and Security Survey.
June 10, 2014
Enrollment in Distance Education by State: Fall 2012: These Web Tables use IPEDS data to provide insight into the impact of distance education courses on enrollment at the state level. Enrollment data from Fall 2012 were used as well as data collected on Institutional Characteristics regarding distance education.
June 2, 2014