E-Update for March 31, 2017
Highlights
- On March 28, USED released guidance on the Peer Review Criteria for State Plans under ESSA. USED’s new peer review criteria are meant to: 1) support each state developing a consolidated state plan for the sections that will be peer reviewed; and 2) guide peer reviewers who will evaluate those sections.
- On March 27, President Donald Trump signed two resolutions of disapproval of USED’s regulations on teacher preparation issues and ESSA’s accountability and state plans provisions under the Congressional Review Act. The resolutions are H.J. Res. 57 and H. J. Res 58, respectively. President Trump’s remarks can be found here.
- On March 28, the Trump Administration proposed cuts in Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 nondefense discretionary spending to offset increases in defense spending. Proposed cuts for USED include a $1.3 billion rescission in the Pell Grant surplus and a $1.2 billion (or ~50%) cut to Title II which supports teacher and principal quality.
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA):
Secretary Devos Makes Remarks on The Brookings Institution’s Educational Choice and Competition Index: USED Secretary Betsy DeVos spoke at an event at The Brookings Institution regarding the Institution’s Educational Choice and Competition Index. During her remarks, Secretary DeVos highlighted the opportunities presented by school choice policies and stated, “Choice alone isn’t a panacea, but there’s evidence that it works.”
- When asked about the Department’s plans to review and approve state plans under ESSA, the Secretary responded that it’s “too early to say” whether she will approve every plan that is submitted. At the event, Russ Whitehurst, a senior fellow at Brookings Institution, also asked the Secretary, “So you see it as at least possible, that a state that’s complacent with a system that you see as antithetical to serving parents’ interest would be given a revise and resubmit direction here?” USED Secretary DeVos responded, “I think that there’s certainly going to be a lot of discussion and back-and-forth as we go through this process. And, I mean, the goal is clearly to implement as Congress has intended, and to really push it back to the states to step up and create and innovate in ways that they haven’t done before.” This comment sparked some question about whether states would have to include choice as part of their state plans. According to EdWeek, USED later clarified that Secretary DeVos wants to “encourage” states to consider choice in developing plans for the law. An EdWeek blog covering the event can be found here.
March 29, 2017
USED Releases New Guidance on ESSA State Plan Peer Review Criteria: USED released guidance on the Peer Review Criteria for State Plans under ESSA. USED’s new peer review criteria are meant to: 1) support each state developing a consolidated state plan for the sections that will be peer reviewed; and 2) guide peer reviewers who will evaluate those sections.
March 28, 2017
President Trump Signs Two Resolutions of Disapproval Under Congressional Review Act: President Donald Trump signed two resolutions of disapproval of USED’s regulations on teacher preparation issues and ESSA’s accountability and state plans provisions under the Congressional Review Act. The resolutions are H.J. Res. 57 and H. J. Res 58, respectively. President Trump’s remarks can be found here. Statements from Republican members of the House Education and the Workforce Committee on H.J. Res 57 are available here and on H.J. Res 58 here. Statement from Senate House, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) is available here. Statement from Ranking Member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Ranking Member of the Senate HELP Committee Patty Murray (D-WA) can be found here.
March 27, 2017
U.S. Congress:
HELP Committee Sends Letter Regarding Concerns About Unavailable Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Internal Revenue Service Data Retrieval Tool: The Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Senate House, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the House Education and the Workforce Committee, along with 39 additional members of Congress, sent a letter to U.S. Department of Education (USED) Secretary DeVos regarding their concerns with the currently unavailable Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Internal Revenue Service Data Retrieval Tool. The members asked the Secretary to increase support to students and families in filling out the FAFSA and requested a briefing on steps that USED plans to take to fix the situation while protecting students’ data privacy. The press release is available here.
March 28, 2017
- USED released a statement announcing that students and families should expect the Data Retrieval Tool to be unavailable until the beginning of the next FAFSA season due to security concerns. The statement provides instructions for filling out the FAFSA without the tool and explains why the tool was made unavailable. The statement is available here.
March 30, 2017
House:
House Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) Issues Statement on USED Cuts to Diversity Grant: Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) issued a statement regarding USED’s decision to cut a $12 million grant program intended to help school districts advance socio-economic diversity. A USED official noted that the grant program was cut because “it would not be a wise use of tax dollars.” An article from the Washington Post can be found here.
March 30,2017
House LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee Holds Hearing on HHS FY2018 Budget Proposal: The House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee held a hearing on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget proposal for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), during which HHS Secretary Tom Price testified. While members primarily focused their questions on healthcare and proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health, Rep. Martha Roby (R-AL) asked HHS Secretary Price about the agency’s plans for Preschool Development Grants. In response, Secretary Price indicated that resources should be targeted at effective programs.
March 29, 2017
Ranking Member Scott and Rep. Jason Lewis Introduce H.R. 1909, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2017: Rep. Jason Lewis (R-MN) and Ranking Member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee Bobby Scott (D-VA) introduced H.R. 1809, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2017, to support at-risk youth and juvenile offenders. The bill text can be found here.
March 30, 2017
Senate:
Democratic Senators Send Letter to USED Secretary DeVos on Corinthian College IG Report: A group of Democratic Senators, including Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) sent a letter to USED Secretary DeVos regarding USED’s Inspector General (IG) report on the Department’s failure to identify Corinthian Colleges’ poor financial situation. The Senators called on the Secretary to implement the report’s recommendations to better protect students and taxpayers in the future. The letter can be found here.
March 28, 2017
Upcoming Event:
On April 4, the House LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee will hold a hearing entitled, “Examining Federal Support for Job Training Programs” at 10:00 am. More information can be found here.
Administration:
White House
Trump Administration Proposes Cuts to FY2017 Nondefense Discretionary Spending: The Trump Administration proposed cuts in FY2017 nondefense discretionary spending to offset increases in defense spending. Proposed cuts for USED include a $1.3 billion rescission in the Pell Grant surplus and a $1.2 billion (or ~50%) cut to Title II which supports teacher and principal quality. The proposal is widely considered dead on arrival given the late stage of negotiations on a possible FY2017 Omnibus Appropriations bill for the remainder of the fiscal year, which could be introduced following the Congressional April recess.
March 28, 2017
USED Secretary DeVos Speaks at Community College Roundtable: USED Secretary DeVos spoke at a student roundtable discussion at Valencia College in Florida, during which she noted that the Department will consider restoring eligibility for year-round Pell grants. Secretary DeVos added that there should be greater flexibility for Pell grant eligibility in order to meet “the needs of students at their level.”
March 24, 2017
Publications
REL Program Releases District Guide on Analyzing Disciplinary Data: On March 29, the Institute of Education Sciences’ Regional Education Laboratory (REL) Program released a guide for districts on “analyzing student-level disciplinary data.”
March 29, 2017
NCES Releases Brief on Nonparental Child Care: The Institute of Education Sciences’ National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released a statistics brief entitled, “The Years Before School: Children’s Nonparental Care Arrangements From 2001 to 2012.” The brief describes relative, non-relative, and center-based care arrangements for children birth through age 5.
March 28, 2017
NCES Releases Report on Youth in Special Education: NCES released a multi-volume report entitled, “Preparing for Life after High-School: The Characteristics and Experiences of Youth in Special Education” which includes findings from the 2012 National Longitudinal Transition Study. The report indicates that students with an individualized education program (IEP) are more likely to be behind in taking important steps towards higher education and jobs in comparison to their non-IEP peers. Report here.
March 28, 2017
Legislation
S. 749
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the disclosure of the annual percentage rates applicable to Federal student loans.
Sponsor: Senator Michael Enzi (R-WY)
S. 754
A bill to support meeting our Nation’s growing cybersecurity workforce needs by expanding the cybersecurity education pipeline.
Sponsor: Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA)
S. 764
A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the enrollment of veterans in certain courses of education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
S. 774
A bill to address the psychological, developmental, social, and emotional needs of children, youth, and families who have experienced trauma, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND)
H.R. 1748
A bill to provide at-risk and disconnected youth with subsidized summer and year-round employment and to assist local community partnerships in improving high school graduation and youth employment rates, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA)
H.R. 1757
A bill to address the psychological, developmental, social, and emotional needs of children, youth, and families who have experienced trauma, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL)
H.R. 1767
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to discontinue certain administrative cost allowances, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Steve Russell (R-OK)
H.R. 1772
A bill to authorize the creation of a commission to develop voluntary accessibility guidelines for electronic instructional materials and related technologies used in postsecondary education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. David Roe (R-TN)
H.R. 1793
A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the enrollment of veterans in certain courses of education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH)
H.R. 1809
A bill to reauthorize and improve the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Jason Lewis (R-MN)
Highlights
- On March 28, USED released guidance on the Peer Review Criteria for State Plans under ESSA. USED’s new peer review criteria are meant to: 1) support each state developing a consolidated state plan for the sections that will be peer reviewed; and 2) guide peer reviewers who will evaluate those sections.
- On March 27, President Donald Trump signed two resolutions of disapproval of USED’s regulations on teacher preparation issues and ESSA’s accountability and state plans provisions under the Congressional Review Act. The resolutions are H.J. Res. 57 and H. J. Res 58, respectively. President Trump’s remarks can be found here.
- On March 28, the Trump Administration proposed cuts in Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 nondefense discretionary spending to offset increases in defense spending. Proposed cuts for USED include a $1.3 billion rescission in the Pell Grant surplus and a $1.2 billion (or ~50%) cut to Title II which supports teacher and principal quality.
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA):
Secretary Devos Makes Remarks on The Brookings Institution’s Educational Choice and Competition Index: USED Secretary Betsy DeVos spoke at an event at The Brookings Institution regarding the Institution’s Educational Choice and Competition Index. During her remarks, Secretary DeVos highlighted the opportunities presented by school choice policies and stated, “Choice alone isn’t a panacea, but there’s evidence that it works.”
- When asked about the Department’s plans to review and approve state plans under ESSA, the Secretary responded that it’s “too early to say” whether she will approve every plan that is submitted. At the event, Russ Whitehurst, a senior fellow at Brookings Institution, also asked the Secretary, “So you see it as at least possible, that a state that’s complacent with a system that you see as antithetical to serving parents’ interest would be given a revise and resubmit direction here?” USED Secretary DeVos responded, “I think that there’s certainly going to be a lot of discussion and back-and-forth as we go through this process. And, I mean, the goal is clearly to implement as Congress has intended, and to really push it back to the states to step up and create and innovate in ways that they haven’t done before.” This comment sparked some question about whether states would have to include choice as part of their state plans. According to EdWeek, USED later clarified that Secretary DeVos wants to “encourage” states to consider choice in developing plans for the law. An EdWeek blog covering the event can be found here.
March 29, 2017
USED Releases New Guidance on ESSA State Plan Peer Review Criteria: USED released guidance on the Peer Review Criteria for State Plans under ESSA. USED’s new peer review criteria are meant to: 1) support each state developing a consolidated state plan for the sections that will be peer reviewed; and 2) guide peer reviewers who will evaluate those sections.
March 28, 2017
President Trump Signs Two Resolutions of Disapproval Under Congressional Review Act: President Donald Trump signed two resolutions of disapproval of USED’s regulations on teacher preparation issues and ESSA’s accountability and state plans provisions under the Congressional Review Act. The resolutions are H.J. Res. 57 and H. J. Res 58, respectively. President Trump’s remarks can be found here. Statements from Republican members of the House Education and the Workforce Committee on H.J. Res 57 are available here and on H.J. Res 58 here. Statement from Senate House, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) is available here. Statement from Ranking Member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Ranking Member of the Senate HELP Committee Patty Murray (D-WA) can be found here.
March 27, 2017
U.S. Congress:
HELP Committee Sends Letter Regarding Concerns About Unavailable Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Internal Revenue Service Data Retrieval Tool: The Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Senate House, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the House Education and the Workforce Committee, along with 39 additional members of Congress, sent a letter to U.S. Department of Education (USED) Secretary DeVos regarding their concerns with the currently unavailable Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Internal Revenue Service Data Retrieval Tool. The members asked the Secretary to increase support to students and families in filling out the FAFSA and requested a briefing on steps that USED plans to take to fix the situation while protecting students’ data privacy. The press release is available here.
March 28, 2017
- USED released a statement announcing that students and families should expect the Data Retrieval Tool to be unavailable until the beginning of the next FAFSA season due to security concerns. The statement provides instructions for filling out the FAFSA without the tool and explains why the tool was made unavailable. The statement is available here.
March 30, 2017
House:
House Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) Issues Statement on USED Cuts to Diversity Grant: Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) issued a statement regarding USED’s decision to cut a $12 million grant program intended to help school districts advance socio-economic diversity. A USED official noted that the grant program was cut because “it would not be a wise use of tax dollars.” An article from the Washington Post can be found here.
March 30,2017
House LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee Holds Hearing on HHS FY2018 Budget Proposal: The House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee held a hearing on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget proposal for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), during which HHS Secretary Tom Price testified. While members primarily focused their questions on healthcare and proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health, Rep. Martha Roby (R-AL) asked HHS Secretary Price about the agency’s plans for Preschool Development Grants. In response, Secretary Price indicated that resources should be targeted at effective programs.
March 29, 2017
Ranking Member Scott and Rep. Jason Lewis Introduce H.R. 1909, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2017: Rep. Jason Lewis (R-MN) and Ranking Member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee Bobby Scott (D-VA) introduced H.R. 1809, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2017, to support at-risk youth and juvenile offenders. The bill text can be found here.
March 30, 2017
Senate:
Democratic Senators Send Letter to USED Secretary DeVos on Corinthian College IG Report: A group of Democratic Senators, including Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) sent a letter to USED Secretary DeVos regarding USED’s Inspector General (IG) report on the Department’s failure to identify Corinthian Colleges’ poor financial situation. The Senators called on the Secretary to implement the report’s recommendations to better protect students and taxpayers in the future. The letter can be found here.
March 28, 2017
Upcoming Event:
- On April 4, the House LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee will hold a hearing entitled, “Examining Federal Support for Job Training Programs” at 10:00 am. More information can be found here.
Administration:
White House
Trump Administration Proposes Cuts to FY2017 Nondefense Discretionary Spending: The Trump Administration proposed cuts in FY2017 nondefense discretionary spending to offset increases in defense spending. Proposed cuts for USED include a $1.3 billion rescission in the Pell Grant surplus and a $1.2 billion (or ~50%) cut to Title II which supports teacher and principal quality. The proposal is widely considered dead on arrival given the late stage of negotiations on a possible FY2017 Omnibus Appropriations bill for the remainder of the fiscal year, which could be introduced following the Congressional April recess.
March 28, 2017
USED Secretary DeVos Speaks at Community College Roundtable: USED Secretary DeVos spoke at a student roundtable discussion at Valencia College in Florida, during which she noted that the Department will consider restoring eligibility for year-round Pell grants. Secretary DeVos added that there should be greater flexibility for Pell grant eligibility in order to meet “the needs of students at their level.”
March 24, 2017
Publications
REL Program Releases District Guide on Analyzing Disciplinary Data: On March 29, the Institute of Education Sciences’ Regional Education Laboratory (REL) Program released a guide for districts on “analyzing student-level disciplinary data.”
March 29, 2017
NCES Releases Brief on Nonparental Child Care: The Institute of Education Sciences’ National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released a statistics brief entitled, “The Years Before School: Children’s Nonparental Care Arrangements From 2001 to 2012.” The brief describes relative, non-relative, and center-based care arrangements for children birth through age 5.
March 28, 2017
NCES Releases Report on Youth in Special Education: NCES released a multi-volume report entitled, “Preparing for Life after High-School: The Characteristics and Experiences of Youth in Special Education” which includes findings from the 2012 National Longitudinal Transition Study. The report indicates that students with an individualized education program (IEP) are more likely to be behind in taking important steps towards higher education and jobs in comparison to their non-IEP peers. Report here.
March 28, 2017
Legislation
S. 749
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the disclosure of the annual percentage rates applicable to Federal student loans.
Sponsor: Senator Michael Enzi (R-WY)
S. 754
A bill to support meeting our Nation’s growing cybersecurity workforce needs by expanding the cybersecurity education pipeline.
Sponsor: Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA)
S. 764
A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the enrollment of veterans in certain courses of education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
S. 774
A bill to address the psychological, developmental, social, and emotional needs of children, youth, and families who have experienced trauma, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND)
H.R. 1748
A bill to provide at-risk and disconnected youth with subsidized summer and year-round employment and to assist local community partnerships in improving high school graduation and youth employment rates, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA)
H.R. 1757
A bill to address the psychological, developmental, social, and emotional needs of children, youth, and families who have experienced trauma, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL)
H.R. 1767
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to discontinue certain administrative cost allowances, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Steve Russell (R-OK)
H.R. 1772
A bill to authorize the creation of a commission to develop voluntary accessibility guidelines for electronic instructional materials and related technologies used in postsecondary education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. David Roe (R-TN)
H.R. 1793
A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the enrollment of veterans in certain courses of education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH)
H.R. 1809
A bill to reauthorize and improve the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Jason Lewis (R-MN)