E-Update for the Week of June 20, 2022

Highlights:

• On June 12, a bipartisan group of 20 Senators announced a deal on a gun control package “framework,” as members are continuing work to draft legislative text.
• On June 14, the U.S. Department of Education (USED), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF), published a letter to state, territorial, tribal, and local policymakers with targeted recommendations to support equitable social-emotional development in early education environments.
• On June 15, the White House held an event to commemorate the ten-year anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, which allowed eligible immigrants, who came to the U.S. unlawfully as children, protection from deportation and permission to work.

Administration:

White House:

White House celebrates ten-year anniversary of the DACA policy: On June 15, the White House held an event to commemorate the contributions of DACA recipients, or “Dreamers,” and reaffirm its commitment to preserving this policy. Additionally, the White House used the event to call on Congress to pass legislation to provide lasting protections to Dreamers. In its release, the White House stated that from 2012 to 2016, the number of DACA recipients with a Bachelor’s degree tripled. Additionally, Dreamers’ professional job attainment grew by 34 percent and their incomes more than doubled. “Over the last ten years, Dreamers have thrived in our schools, contributed to our communities, and built successful careers in education, health care, the military and so much more,” USED Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement.
June 15, 2022

President Biden signs Executive Order advocating for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) equality: On June 15, President Biden signed an Executive Order (EO) titled, “Advancing Equality on Advancing Equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Individuals.” Amongst other actions, the order aims to address discriminatory legislative attacks against LGBTQI+ children and families. Specifically, the EO reaffirms it is the policy of the Biden Administration to “to combat unlawful discrimination and eliminate disparities that harm LGBTQI+ individuals and their families, defend their rights and safety, and pursue a comprehensive approach to delivering the full promise of equality for LGBTQI+ individuals.” The order also calls on the HHS Secretary to establish an initiative to reduce the risk of youth exposure to so-called “conversion therapy,” which may include issuing guidance clarifying that conversion therapy does not meet criteria for use in federally funded health and human services programs, increasing public awareness of the harms and risks associated with conversion therapy, and seeking funding opportunities for providers of evidence-based trauma-informed services to better support survivors of conversion therapy. Additionally, the EO calls for safeguarding access to health care for LGBTQI+  individuals, establishing a working group on LGBTQI+ students and families by the USED Secretary, and strengthening supports for LGBTQI+ older adults, among other actions. A fact sheet on the order can be found here.
June 15, 2022

White House establishes task force to address online harassment and abuse: On June 16, President Biden signed a Presidential Memorandum establishing the White House Task Force to Address Online Harassment and Abuse. Noting that online attacks disproportionately affect women, girls, people of color, and LGBTQI+ individuals, the Task Force will “produce recommendations for the Federal government, state governments, technology platforms, schools, and other public and private entities to prevent and address technology-facilitated gender-based violence.” Recommendations will focus particularly on increasing support for survivors of online harassment and abuse; expanding research to better understand the impact and scope of the problem; enhancing prevention, including prevention focused on youth; and strengthening accountability for offenders and platforms. In her remarks announcing the Task Force, Vice President Kamala Harris said, “we…have a responsibility to stand together to support those who have gone through this, but to also recognize they shouldn’t have to be alone fighting on this issue.” A readout of the launch meeting is here.
June 16, 2022

U.S. Department of Education (USED):

USED awards $1.5 million in grant funds to support Uvalde schools: On June 13, USED delivered $1.5 million to Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District in response to the tragic mass shooting at Robb Elementary School last month. Awarded through the School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) program, the funds can be used to provide mental health services for staff and students, and overtime pay for teachers and staff during the end of the school year and the summer. USED Secretary Miguel Cardona initiated the emergency funding through a letter to the district superintendent that outlines key assurances around the federal funding.  “No community should have to experience a tragedy like this alone,” Secretary Cardona said in a statement. The release of the funds is “an initial step that will be followed by technical assistance and on-the-ground supports in the months and years to come.”
June 13, 2022

USED creates National Parents and Families Engagement Council: On June 14, USED launched the National Parents and Families Engagement Council to “facilitate strong and effective relationships between schools and parents, families and caregivers” as communities continue to recover from the pandemic.  According to the Department, the Council will consist of various stakeholder representatives that will develop constructive ways to engage families at the local level. Certain Council members include the National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement (NAFSCE), National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), National Parents Union (NPU), United Parent Leaders Action Network (UPLAN), and UnidosUS. The announcement and full list of members can be found here.
June 14, 2022

USED and HHS recommend resources to support equitable early childhood social-emotional development:  On June 14, USED, in partnership with HHS’s ACF, published a letter to state, territorial, tribal, and local policymakers with targeted recommendations to support equitable social-emotional development in early education environments. The letter acknowledges that, “Social-emotional development and mental health are foundational for family well-being and children’s healthy development and early learning, and are associated with positive long-term health, educational, and well-being outcomes,” and that “early childhood systems and programs play a vital role in supporting the social-emotional development and mental health of children and families.” Building upon USED’s October 2021 report, “Supporting Child and Student Social, Emotional, Behavioral, and Mental Health Needs,” the letter makes four recommendations, including (1) implementing evidence-based practices that support positive social-emotional development and mental health for all children and wellness for every caregiver; (2) prioritizing workforce wellness and expanding workforce capacity to identify and respond to children’s and families’ social-emotional and mental health needs, leveraging policy and funding to increase access to SEL supports, and using data to promote equitable implementation and outcomes. The letter goes on to note, “The joint HHS-ED recommendations included in this letter are intended to set a vision for stronger collaboration and coordination across early childhood systems and programs; raise awareness of the importance of social-emotional development and mental health for young children; [and] encourage early childhood programs and other services and systems that interact with young children and their families and caregivers to prioritize access to the full continuum of social-emotional and mental health supports and services…”
June 14, 2022

Supreme Court:

Supreme Court ends ‘public charge’ immigration rule: On June 15, the Supreme Court dismissed a case led by more than a dozen Republican attorneys general attempting to reinstate and defend a previous interpretation of the “public charge” regulation that determines one’s immigration status based on an individual’s likelihood to become a public charge or rely on government assistance. Under the Trump Administration, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) expanded the array of public benefits that if expected to be received could disqualify an immigrant from obtaining a green card to include programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance, and non-cash benefits such as Medicaid and CHIP. The lawsuit aimed to defend the “public charge” rule, following the Biden Administration’s decision not to do so. However, a federal appeals court had blocked the states from joining the lawsuit, and the Supreme Court ultimately dismissed the case as “improvidently granted,” which lets the federal appeals court decision stand, according to Roll Call.
June 15, 2022

Congress:

Ranking Members Burr and Foxx issue letter to Secretary Cardona regarding Federal Student Aid (FSA) data breach: One June 14, House Education and Labor Committee Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-NC) sent a letter to USED Secretary Cardona inquiring about a recent report that the Department used Facebook’s “Meta Pixel” code to collect students’ data from their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and shared it with Facebook.  In the third letter sent by the Members on this topic, Senator Burr and Representative Foxx request that all Department staff retain “all past and future emails, documents, and records related to this incident and the Department’s relationship with Facebook for future Congressional oversight.” “We remind the Department that complying with Congressional oversight is not optional,” the Members wrote.
June 14, 2022

Ranking Members Burr and Foxx send letter requesting clarity on USED’s authority on student loan repayment freeze and forgiveness: On June 15, House Education and Labor Committee Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-NC) sent a letter to USED Secretary Cardona requesting additional information about the Department’s statutory authority to both continue the student loan repayment freeze, as well as issue a potential executive action to forgive student loans. Requesting a detailed explanation of USED’s legal authority to carry out these actions, the Members express concern that the Department “continues to pretend student loans will eventually go back into repayment when talking to Congress, while simultaneously telling the country the repayment pause will remain until a decision is made on broad student loan forgiveness.”
June 15, 2022

Senate:

Bipartisan group of 20 Senators reach agreement on a gun safety framework: On June 12, a bipartisan group of 20 Senators – including 10 Democrats and 10 Republicans – announced a deal on a gun safety  “framework,” according to Politico. The announcement is significant because if the entire Democratic/Independent caucus and 10 Republican Senators ultimately agree on legislative text, then the package could overcome cloture (which requires 60 votes) allowing passage in the Senate. Amongst other provisions, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), who along with Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) led negotiations, announced that the framework includes an agreement on principles, including: funding to support states wishing to adopt their own laws addressing State Crisis Intervention Orders (also known as “Red Flag” laws); additional funding for school safety and community mental health clinics; new penalties on “straw purchases” of guns, which are designed to cut down on illegal weapons trafficking; and enhanced background checks for gun buyers under 21. Members of the bipartisan group are now continuing work on the legislative text for the package with the goal of releasing text in the coming days.

Relatedly, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing titled, “Protecting America’s Children From Gun Violence,” on June 15. The hearing marked the ninth hearing that the Committee has held in the 117^th Congress on the nation’s epidemic of gun violence. Witnesses included Ernest Willingham, whose brother, father, cousin and best friend were victims of gun violence; Moira A. Szilagyi, MD, PhD, FAAP, President, American Academy of Pediatrics; and Jeri L. Williams, Chief, Phoenix Police Department, and President, Major Cities Chiefs Association; among other witnesses. During the hearing, Senate Judiciary Committee Dick Durbin (D-IL) expressed support for the bipartisan framework noting, “I’m glad there’s now a bipartisan deal on a framework for reform that would help save lives and better protect our kids…This framework doesn’t include everything I want. But it’s made up of reforms that Americans overwhelmingly support.” While Senate Judiciary Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-IA) did not reference the bipartisan framework during his opening statement for the hearing, he noted that, “school safety should remain a top priority,” and went on to say, “Mental health issues are also a root cause of many tragedies we see across the country. Any legislation proposed in the Senate that is looking to impact change must include resources to address mental health.”
June 12, 2022

Ranking Member Burr and Senator Casey introduce College Savings Recovery Act: On June 14, Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-NC) and HELP Children and Families Subcommittee Chairman Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced S. 4400, the “College Savings Recovery Act.” The bipartisan legislation would provide the opportunity for families to transfer unused funds from college savings accounts, also known as 529 accounts, into a Roth IRA without being penalized. “We should encourage parents to save for their family’s future, while recognizing that they can’t always predict what the future holds. Their child might not decide to pursue a higher education,” Ranking Member Burr said in a statement.
June 14, 2022

Senate Judiciary Subcommittee holds a hearing on immigration, higher education, and the workforce: On June 14, the Senate Judiciary Immigration, Citizenship and Border Safety Subcommittee held a hearing titled, “Strengthening our Workforce and Economy through Higher Education and Immigration.” Witnesses included Bernard Burrola, Vice President For International, Community, And Economic Engagement, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU); Dalia Larios, Harvard Radiation Oncology Pro, Harvard Medical School; and Mia Love, National Outreach Director at the Center for Growth and Opportunity, Utah State University. During the hearing, Members discussed the impact of immigration reform on higher education and the economy. The hearing took place a day before the ten-year anniversary of the DACA policy. While DACA was the focus of much of the hearing, most Senators and the three witnesses expressed strong support for updating current immigration law to maintain American competitiveness and address current and future workforce needs.

In his opening statement, Subcommittee Chairman Alex Padilla (D-CA) called for making the protections under DACA permanent and for reforming policies to better attract foreign students to U.S. colleges and universities, as well as allowing an option for those who study here to stay. He noted that current policy requires international students who want to secure a student visa to prove that they have no intention of staying in the country after they graduate. Subcommittee Ranking Member John Cornyn (R-TX) also expressed support for reforming immigration laws related to higher education and the workforce, though was critical of the “unilateral” nature of the DACA program.

In his testimony, Burrola discussed the “immense contributions that international students and undocumented students make to the United States and its public universities.” According to him, foreign students contributed over $30 billion last year to the U.S. economy and over 20% of billion dollar startups were established by international students. Burrola claims that, because of the complicated and time-consuming immigration process, international student enrollment has declined by 7% since 2016, while other countries – Australia, Canada, and the U.K. – have seen 25-50% increases in international student enrollment because of more favorable immigration policies. Burrola also supported the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) provisions in the America COMPETES Act, currently in a House-Senate conference. In her testimony, Dr. Larios, a DACA beneficiary and the first DACA recipient to attend Harvard Medical School, shared her experience as an undocumented student, and the importance of the DACA program to her – and thousands of others’ – success. In an exchange about state-level policies, Dr. Larios and Burrola shared that there are currently 19 states that provide in-state tuition for undocumented students. Former Representative Love, in her opening statement, emphasized the current labor shortage of nearly 5 million workers – jobs that, she argued, need to be filled by immigrants. On this issue, Subcommittee Chairman Padilla further emphasized his support for reforming immigration policies related to higher education by citing a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that, by 2030, there will be more than 11 million jobs in the STEM fields, but less than eight million qualified American graduates to fill these jobs.
June 14, 2022

Bipartisan group of Senate Finance Committee Members release discussion draft for youth mental health care policies: On June 15, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID), and Senators Tom Carper (D-DE) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA), released a discussion draft of legislation aimed to improve youth mental health care. The draft includes policies that allow all providers to receive Medicaid reimbursement for behavioral and physical health services delivered on the same day, updates Medicaid guidance to states to clarify allowable payments for mental health care in schools, and improves enforcement and oversight of Medicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit, among other provisions. Chairman Wyden cited the “unprecedented challenges” currently facing youth, and noted the importance of strengthening access to Medicaid, which provides health care coverage to half of American children.
June 15, 2022

Senate HELP Committee holds a hearing on federal response to COVID-19: On June 16, the Senate HELP Committee held a hearing titled, “An Update on the Ongoing Federal Response to COVID-19: Current Status and Future Planning.” Witnesses included Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Robert Califf, MD, Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA); and Dawn O’Connell, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at HHS. Anthony Fauci, MD, Director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) testified remotely, following a positive COVID test. In her opening statement, Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA) urged for Congress to pass emergency COVID funding amid threats of new COVID variants and a fall surge. In addition to Congress passing funding, Chairwoman Murray called on the Biden Administration to “stay the course” in preparing for what is next in the course of the pandemic, and asked witnesses how they’re working with USED to ensure schools are prepared to safely welcome back students in the fall. “We need to make sure we are getting our communities the guidance, and technical assistance they need to get ready as well. This is especially critical to our schools. Schools officials and educators want to do everything they can to keep students safely in the classroom,” said Chairwoman Murray. “But we can’t leave them waiting until back-to-school season if we are going to make it happen. Schools back in my state want to know what they can be doing – right now – to get ready for next school year.” Meanwhile, Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-NC) criticized the Administration for what he called a “failure” to release a comprehensive COVID-19 plan, despite his repeated requests. “I have asked you over and over for the plan,” he said. “The plan for gaining back the trust of the American people, and moving our country forward. Six months later, I still have not received an adequate response as to what the plan actually is.”
June 16, 2022

House:

House Ways and Means Committee holds a hearing on support for working women: On June 15, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee held a hearing titled, “The Burnout Epidemic and What Working Women Need for a Stronger Economy.” Witnesses included Tori Snyder, a member of MomsRising, Pittsburgh, PA; Nija Phelps, volunteer parent advocate for the Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund, Milford, CT; Donna Price, nurse and a mom of three kids, Cleveland, OH; Johna Beech, caregiver for her parents, Kenai, AK; and Alicia Huey, First Vice Chairman, National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Birmingham, AL. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA) kicked off the hearing by acknowledging, “Women are working hard, our economy still doesn’t seem to be working for all of them. The pandemic didn’t create this problem, but it made it worse. In the last two years, millions of women had been driven from the workforce for reasons out of their control. One million women have still not returned to the workforce.” During the hearing, several Democratic Members then went on to lift up how additional federal efforts to improve the affordability of child care, including through a budget reconciliation bill, could make a difference for working women and families. Committee Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-TX) used his opening statement to draw attention to the baby formula shortage, the impact of rising inflation, increases in the cost of child care, and worker shortages, noting that, “Under President Biden, working women haven’t had it this bad for decades.” Additionally, the Ranking Member and several Republicans took issue during the hearing with Democratic policies that they assert would limit parent choice and ability to seek child care at faith-based centers, as well as one size fits all solutions from the federal government related to paid leave and child care.
June 15, 2022

House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee holds a hearing on data privacy: On June 14, the House Energy and Commerce Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee held a hearing titled, “Protecting America’s Consumers: Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Data Privacy and Security.” Witnesses included Caitriona Fitzgerald, Deputy Director, the Electronic Privacy Information Center; David Brody, Managing Attorney of the Digital Justice Initiative, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Bertram Lee, Senior Policy Counsel, the Future of Privacy Forum; Jolina Cuaresma, Senior Counsel, Common Sense Media; John Miller, Senior Vice President of Policy and General Counsel, the Information Technology Industry Council; Graham Dufault, Senior Director for Public Policy, ACT: The App Association; Doug Kantor, General Counsel, National Association of Convenience Stores; and Maureen Ohlhausen, Co-Chair, 21st Century Privacy Coalition. While the hearing generally focused on the need to create a comprehensive, national data private standard (as opposed to sector-specific privacy-related statutes), certain Members raised issues related to education technology and the need for increased protections for children’s data. Representative Lori Trahan (D-MA) expressed concern that student data rights are under threat, particularly given the increased use of online technology during the pandemic, and asked witnesses how the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) could be improved to better protect children from software that puts students in “a state of constant surveillance.” Fitzgerald advocated to expand FERPA’s definition to cover the data that’s collected from other websites and apps that students use in the classroom. “I’m not sure even the districts understand the amount of student data that’s being funneled to these companies and how it’s being used,” she said.  Chairman Frank Pallone’s (D-NJ) opening statement is here, Subcommittee Chair Jan Schakowsky’s (D-IL) opening statement is here, and Subcommittee Ranking Member Gus Bilirakis’ (R-FL) opening statement is here.
June 14, 2022

House Republicans introduce Educational Choice for Children Act: On June 16, House Education and Labor Committee Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (R-NC) cosponsored H.R. 8137, the “Educational Choice for Children Act,” which was introduced in the House. According to a press release, the legislation aims to “support parents in choosing the school option that best meets the needs of their children” by providing a charitable donation incentive to private entities that fund scholarship awards to cover expenses related to K-12 public and private education. The bill “offers families a lifeline so their children can receive an education tailored to meet their own needs,” Ranking Member Foxx said. A companion bill (S.4416) was introduced in the Senate by Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA).
June 16, 2022

Upcoming Events (Congress & Administration):

• On June 22 at 10:00 am, the Senate HELP Committee will hold a hearing titled, “Supporting Students and Schools: Promising Practices to Get Back on Track.” Witnesses include Dan Goldhaber, Director, CALDER (National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research at American Institutes for Research) and Director, CEDR (Center for Education Data and Research at University of Washington); Charlene Russell-Tucker, Commissioner, Connecticut State Department of Education; Kurt Russell, 2022 National Teacher of the Year and High School History Teacher, Oberlin High School; and Erin Wall, Parent, Cary, NC. The hearing will be livestreamed here.
• On June 23 at 5:30 pm, the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor/HHS) Appropriations Subcommittee will mark up the fiscal year (FY) 2023 House Labor/HHS Appropriations bill. The markup will be livestreamed here.
• On June 30 at 10:00 am, the full House Appropriations Committeewill mark up the FY2023 House Labor/HHS Appropriations bill. More information is here.
• On July 19 to 22, the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) will hold a virtual meeting to consider applications from institutions of higher education (IHEs) for renewal of recognition, as well as compliance reports for certain IHEs. Information on how to attend and/or provide written or oral comments can be found here. Those who are interested can register here.

Upcoming Events (Outside Organizations):

• On June 22 at 1:00 pm, Data Science for Everyone will hold an event titled, “Preparing All Students for a Data Science Future.” The event will bring together a core group of leaders in policy, philanthropy, industry, and data science education in a virtual conversation and community-building opportunity dedicated to Preparing All Students for a Data Science Future. Speakers will include: Dr. Dominique Duval-Diop, Deputy Chief Data Scientist of the United States, White House Office of Science & Technology Policy; Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA); and Bill Tucker, Senior Advisor, Education Pathways, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; among other speakers. More information can be found here.
• On June 23 at 11:00 am, the Washington Post will hold an event titled, “Title IX 50 Years Later.” The event will feature a conversation with USED Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine Lhamon, Briana Scurry, former goalkeeper for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, and Jasmyne Spencer, player for the Angel City Football Club, about the societal and cultural impact of this groundbreaking legislation and the challenges that remain. More information and registration are here.

Publications (Outside Organizations):

• On June 14, the Pew Charitable Trusts released new survey data titled, “Government Hits Reset on Student Loan Defaults, But Many Could Experience Default Again.” The data found that most borrowers who experience default do so multiple times. According to the 2021 survey, over the last two decades, 35 percent of federal student loan borrowers said they’d defaulted on payments while 65 percent said they never defaulted. The survey found that the most frequently cited reasons for missing payments was other higher-priority debt; feeling overwhelmed; and unaffordable payments. The full report is here.
• On June 15, the RAND Corporation released a report titled, “Restoring Teacher and Principal Well-Being Is an Essential Step for Rebuilding Schools: Findings from the State of the American Teacher and State of the American Principal Surveys.” The survey examined educator statements about their well-being during January’s Omicron-driven surges of COVID-19, and found that roughly twice as many teachers and principals reported experiencing frequent job-related stress when compared to the general population of working adults at the beginning of this year. More specifically, higher numbers of teachers and principals reported symptoms of depression and not coping well with job-related stress than other working adults, the report concluded. The full report is here.
• On June 15, the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) released a policy update titled, “Building Trauma-Informed School Systems.” The brief found that only 16 states require educator professional development for trauma, though there are nuances in these policies that may have implications for how teachers receive this training. Meanwhile, only a handful of states, including Pennsylvania, Washington and Illinois, require that school employees receive training on recognizing the signs of trauma in students and the impact of secondary trauma on school employees. The full report is here.
• On June 15, NWEA and the University of Virginia (UVA) released a paper titled, “The COVID-19 School Year: Learning and Recovery Across 2020-2021.” The paper examined the aftermath of pandemic-related learning disruptions by modeling student achievement trends prior to and during the pandemic, with particular focus on growth in 2020-2021. The paper found that while the average student demonstrated positive test score gains in math and reading during the 2020-2021 school year, students were still behind pre-pandemic averages by spring 2021. The full report is here.
• On June 15, the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) released a report titled, “2021 Fact Book on Higher Education.” The report includes data on the population and economy, enrollment, degrees, student tuition and financial aid, faculty and administrators, revenue and expenditures. More specifically, the report found that enrollment in two-year colleges fell by about 7 percent in SREB states and 11 percent nationwide between 2014 and 2019. The report is here.
• On June 16, the Vera Institute released a report titled, “Second Chance Pell: Five Years of Expanding Higher Education Programs in Prisons.” The report found that over 9,000 incarcerated students have earned a certificate or diploma through the Second Chance Pell initiative since it launched. Additionally, from 2016 through 2021, a total of 28,119 incarcerated students used federal Pell Grants to enroll in a higher education program, with enrollment in prison higher education programs overall steadily increasing year over year. The full report is here.

Legislation:

H.R.8037
A bill to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide eligibility to elementary and secondary schools for certain security grants for target hardening and other security enhancements to protect against terrorist attacks, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA)

H.R.8055
A bill to require State educational agencies to hire and train school resource officers, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Mike Garcia (R-CA)

H.R.8076
A bill to prohibit the mass cancellation of student loans.
Sponsor: Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN)

H.R.8086
A bill to amend the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to provide direct hire authority for Job Corps graduates, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ)

H.R.8095
A bill to impose limitations on the amount of indirect costs allowable under Federal research awards to institutions of higher education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA)

H.R.8098
A bill to limit eligibility for public service loan forgiveness to borrowers of Federal student loans with incomes below a certain maximum threshold, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO)

H.R.8102
A bill to prohibit the mass cancellation of student loans.
Sponsor: Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN)

H.R.8103
A bill amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to include indoor agricultural technology as an activity that supports well-rounded education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY)

H.R.8112
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to treat all institutions of higher education equally for purposes of determining the Federal share under the Federal work-study programs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Fred Keller (R-PA)

H.R.8137
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a credit against tax for charitable donations to nonprofit organizations providing education scholarships to qualified elementary and secondary students.
Sponsor: Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN)

S.4384
A bill to authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants to support educational programs in civics and history, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Senator Chris Coons (D-DE)

S.4403
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for a civics and history education program.
Sponsor: Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)

S.4410
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for comprehensive student achievement information.
Sponsor: Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT)

S.4416
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a credit against tax for charitable donations to nonprofit organizations providing education scholarships to qualified elementary and secondary students.
Sponsor: Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA)

S.Res.675
A resolution expressing support for the designation of June 23, 2022, as “National Pell Grant Day”.
Sponsor: Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)