E-Update for May 29, 2015
EducationCounsel E-Update for May 29, 2015
Since Chairman of the Senate HELP Committee Lamar Alexander (R-TN) introduced S. 1177, the post-markup version of the “Every Child Achieves Act,” no action has been taken on ESEA reauthorization in the House or the Senate. The bill is widely anticipated to be considered on the Senate Floor in mid-June, though the exact timing remains unclear. The text of the bill, now including all amendments from Senate Committee markup, is available here.
Events
On June 3, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing entitled, “Reauthorizing the Higher Education Act: Ensuring College Affordability.” The hearing will take place at 10AM in room 430 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. More information is available here.
On June 3, the Alliance for Excellent Education and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will host a discussion entitled, “Teachers Know Best: Making Data Work for Every Classroom, Every Teacher, and Every Student.” The event will focus on a report about how teachers use digital tools and data to support student learning. The event will be streamed live online. Register here.
On June 3, the Regional Educational Lab for the Northeast and Islands will host a webinar entitled, “Teacher Evaluation Systems: Lessons from New Implementations in New Hampshire and Pittsburgh” where presenters will discuss two research studies about the implementation process for teacher evaluation systems. Information and registration is available here.
On June 3, the Committee for Children will host a webinar entitled, “Second Step Bullying Prevention Unit: A School-wide Approach,” where attendees can learn about three major elements a school needs to effectively prevent bullying: policies and procedures, staff response training, and student lessons. Register here.
On June 4, Dr. Jack P. Shonkoff, director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, will discuss his work leading a collaboration of researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and investors to develop new approaches to strengthen early supports for vulnerable children in America. The event will be hosted by the American Enterprise Institute at 3:30PM. RSVP here.
On June 5, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) will host a webinar entitled, “Innovation in Action: State Pathways for Advancing Student-Centered Learning.” CCSSO manages a subgroup of states called the Innovation Lab Network (ILN), which aims to scale successful local innovations to the state and national level. The webinar will present a framework the ILN developed to drive widespread student success. Register here.
U.S Department of Education Headlines
U.S. Department of Education Completes Review of Major Student Loan Servicers: The U.S. Department of Education (USED) announced on May 26 that it completed its review of major student loan servicers to ensure that the companies followed federal law when it comes to loan interest rates for active-duty servicemembers. The reviews by the Department found that the four servicers – Navient, Great Lakes, PHEAA and Nelnet – complied in the vast majority of cases with the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) as required by the Higher Education Act (HEA). The reviews, which looked at active-duty servicemembers’ SCRA eligibility between 2009 and 2014, show that in less than 1 percent of cases, borrowers were incorrectly denied the 6 percent interest rate cap required by the laws.
May 26, 2015
Secretary Duncan Calls for Nation to Tackle School Funding Disparities: U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently posted a statement online calling for more equitable funding of America’s schools. He noted that “not every child in America gets a fair shot at success, including equal access to educational resources. Many students in high poverty districts are short-changed. Often, their peers in low poverty districts receive more per-pupil funding, and that translates to more resources, more opportunities, and better access to effective teaching.” As Congress debates reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Duncan called for “scrapping the current law, known under the label No Child Left Behind, and replacing it with one that expands funding and support for schools and educators, and maintaining high expectations for students.”
May 27, 2015
Congressional Headlines
Kline Leads Congressional Delegation to Discuss Education and Workforce Policies with Transatlantic Allies: House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) and a bipartisan delegation of House members are traveling through Northern Europe to exchange ideas on ways to improve education and workforce competitiveness. In recent days, the congressional delegation participated in several meetings with senior government officials, education and business leaders, and others in Norway and Sweden. Members of the congressional delegation reaffirmed the strong relationship between the United States and its transatlantic allies and discussed a broad range of policies affecting schools and workplaces.
May 27, 2015
House Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to End the College Blackout: Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) introduced H.R. 2518 to amend the Higher Education Act to update reporting requirements for institutions of higher education and provide for more accurate and complete data on student retention, graduation, and earnings outcomes at all levels of postsecondary enrollment. The “Student Right to Know Before You Go Act,” was co-authored by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and Rep. Mia Love (R-UT) and is cosponsored by Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee Paul Ryan (R-WI) as well as Reps. Susan Davis (D-CA), Trey Gowdy (R-SC), and John Carney (D-DE). The Senate version of the bill was introduced earlier this session by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Mark Warner (D-VA).
May 21, 2015
New Legislation
The House and Senate were in recess this week.
Publications
National Center for Education Statistics Report: The Condition of Education 2015: The Condition of Education report summarizes important developments and trends in education using the latest available data. The report presents 42 indicators on the status and condition of education. The indicators represent a consensus of professional judgment on the most significant national measures of the condition and progress of education for which accurate data are available.
May 28, 2015
Institute for Education Sciences Quick Review: Impacts of the Teach for America Investing in Innovation Scale-Up: The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), a group that reviews educational research, evaluated a research study which examined the effectiveness of teachers in the Teach for America (TFA) program relative to other teachers on improving elementary students’ mathematics and reading achievement in the 2012-13 school year. The study reported that TFA teachers in the study were as effective as the elementary school teachers in the comparison groups in terms of students’ math and reading achievement. The WWC reviewed the study and found it met WWC group design standards without reservations.
May 27, 2015