The information covered below is from August 30, 2024, through September 12, 2024.

Highlights:

• On September 4, the Biden-Harris Administration announced multiple new actions to support student success, including issuing draft School Improvement Guidance.
• On September 11, the House Ways and Means Committee held a markup and advanced several bills, including H.R. 9462, the “Educational Choice for Children Act.” H.R. 9462 would provide taxpayers a tax credit for donations or charitable contributions to scholarship granting organizations (SGOs), which are tax-exempt organizations that provide scholarships for education expenses, including to attend private or parochial schools, to elementary and secondary school students.
• On September 11, the House Education and Workforce Committee held a markup during which several bills were advanced, including H.R. 736, the “Parental Rights Over The Education and Care of Their Kids Act” or the ‘‘PROTECT Kids Act.”

Administration:

Biden-⁠Harris Administration announces new guidance and actions to support students’ academic success: On September 4, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a number of new actions to support student success, including issuing draft School Improvement Guidance. The purpose of the draft guidance is to support effective implementation of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as well as provide examples of evidence-based approaches to support teaching and learning and drive student achievement. Aligned to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Improving Student Achievement Agenda, the guidance specifically details strategies to address school improvement in the areas of chronic absenteeism, high-quality tutoring, and afterschool, expanded, and summer learning programs. The draft School Improvement Guidance is open for public comment until October 4, 2024, with the U.S. Department of Education (USED) expected to issue updated guidance following community input potentially by the end of the year.

Additionally, USED issued final 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) Program Guidance to provide State educational agencies (SEAs) and their subgrantees with updated information to assist them in meeting their obligations under the 21st CCLC program. Additionally, the guidance addresses information on eligible services for children, youth, and their families under the program. 21st CCLC programs provide academic enrichment and support a well-rounded education, including a broad array of services, programs, and activities during non-school hours or periods when school is not in session, such as before and after school, weekends, summer, or during school breaks. The updated guidance also addresses allocation of program funds, State and local uses of funds, and evaluation and monitoring of funds.

As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to address student success, the USED’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) also posted a Dear Colleague letter to Chief State School Officers offering guidance on public reporting requirements to help ensure stakeholders “have critical data and a common framework for gauging educational progress and success.” Specifically, the letter addressed the requirements for states to: 1) prepare and widely share report cards that provide information on State, LEA, and school performance and progress in an understandable, uniform format; and 2) publicly report the State’s progress in ensuring that low-income and minority children in Title I schools are not served at disproportionate rates by ineffective, out-of-field, and inexperienced teachers.

The White House issued a fact sheet outlining additional actions to drive academic success of all students, including $149 million in investments through the Comprehensive Literacy State Development grant program to support states in implementing evidence-based reading interventions, and awarding $30 million through the Competitive Grants for State Assessments program to support states in their comprehensive assessment systems that inform teaching and support learning. Additionally, the USED released a new resource for educators on evidence-based strategies for increasing student literacy and math achievement.

U.S. Department of Education (USED):

President Biden nominates Adam Gamoran for Director of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES): On September 9, President Biden announced the nomination of Adam Gamoran to Director of the IES at the USED, which oversees the Department’s education research, evaluation, and statistics arm. Gamoran is currently the president of the William T. Grant Foundation and formerly served as the John D. MacArthur Chair in Sociology and Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he spent three decades engaged in research on educational inequality and school reform. Additionally, as President of the Grant Foundation, Gamoran launched an initiative to support research on reducing inequality in youth outcomes and continued ongoing work to improve the use of research evidence in policy and practice decisions that affect young people. In 2021-2022, Gamoran led the committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine which produced a report on, “The Future of Education Research at IES.” Gamoran is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member and former vice president of the National Academy of Education, as well as was twice appointed by former President Barack Obama to serve on the National Board for Education Sciences. USED Secretary Cardona issued a statement on the nomination, stating that Gamoran’s “credentials, research acumen, publishing record, and focus on improving educational outcomes make him eminently qualified to lead our Department’s independent research arm.”

USED outlines additional actions related to the rollout of the 2025–2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): On September 11, the USED announced additional details related to “beta testing” period ahead of making the 2025–2026 FAFSA form available to all students and contributors on or before December 1, 2024. Following the Department’s August announcement about a phased rollout of the 2025-2026 FAFSA form, the Department announced that starting September 11, high schools, community-based organizations (CBOs), institutions of higher education (IHEs) and state entities can submit the interest form to participate in subsequent stages of the testing period, including Beta 2 (launching in mid-October), Beta 3 (early November), and Beta 4 (mid-November).The first phase, Beta 1, opens on October 1 and will include primarily CBOs, and other groups.

USED’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) releases new resources to help schools comply with the 2024 amendments to Title IX regulations: On September 12, the USED’s OCR released two new resources to help schools comply with the 2024 amendments to Title IX Regulations, which went into effect August 1, 2024. The first tool, 2024 Title IX Regulations: Impact on Title IX Coordinator Duties, highlights new and updated requirements for Title IX coordinators who ensure compliance with their schools’ Title IX obligations. The second tool, 2024 Title IX Regulations: Nondiscrimination Based on Pregnancy or Related Conditions & Parental, Family, or Marital Status, clarifies prohibitions on sex discrimination on these bases for students, employees, and applicants for admission or employment. These new resources follow other previously-released documents, including a summary of major provisions and pointers for implementation, among other resources.

USED Secretary Cardona concludes “Back to School Bus Tour” and releases state fact sheets detailing Biden-Harris Administration investments in America’s public education system: On September 6, USED Secretary Miguel Cardona concluded the 2024 Back-to-School Bus Tour, a week-long, multi-state road trip that showcased how schools, families, and communities are focusing on accelerating student achievement and “raising the bar” in public education. The tour featured stops in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, where Secretary Cardona was joined by Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten and Under Secretary James Kvaal to celebrate public education, as this year’s theme was “Fighting for Public Education.” In his final stop, Secretary Cardona was joined by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten, where they visited a full-service community school in Pennsylvania to see how it has been supporting students’ academic recovery following the pandemic and ensuring that students have access to food both in school and at home. At the conclusion of the tour, the USED also released state fact sheets that detail the Biden-Harris Administration’s investments in public education, including COVID-19 pandemic-related investments for school reopening and academic recovery, as well as resources aimed at tackling the youth mental health crisis and strengthening and expanding teacher educator pipelines, among other topics.

USED announces $28 million in new awards in the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) program: On September 4, the USED announced more than $28 million in new awards through the TQP program to recruit, prepare, develop, and retain a strong, effective, and diverse educator workforce. The awards will be issued across 18 grants for teacher preparation programs in high-need communities at colleges and universities for the undergraduate, “fifth-year” level, and for teaching residency programs for individuals new to teaching with strong academic and professional backgrounds. Additionally, a number of awardees responded to an invitational priority of the program and will focus on the establishment of Grow Your Own (GYO) and registered apprenticeship programs for teachers. In conjunction with the new awards, the announcement included new state-by-state data showing the breakdown of borrowers approved for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), which includes educators.

Congress:

Senate:

Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Cassidy hosts roundtable discussion on innovation in K-12 education: On September 10, Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA) hosted a roundtable discussion to explore ways to innovate within K-12 education to improve student success. In his opening remarks, Ranking Member Cassidy called attention to the nationwide increase in families electing school models outside of the public school system, including micro-schools and hybrid homeschooling, stating, “It’s important to incentivize these innovative school models.” Ranking Member Cassidy also highlighted S. 120, the “Educational Choice for Children Act,” which he has sponsored to allow a tax credit for charitable donations to nonprofit organizations providing education scholarships for education expenses, including to attend private or parochial schools, to qualified elementary and secondary students. Panelists at the roundtable included: Amar Kumar, Founder & CEO of KaiPod Learning; Heidi Vasiloff, Academic Executive Director of Great Hearts Nova; Kelby Woodard, President & CEO of the Cristo Rey Network; Ruben Morris, Founder of the Alabama Aerospace and Aviation High School; and Steve Grubbs, CEO & Co-Founder of VictoryXR. Panelists discussed implementing programs that provide students with access to increased and varied high-quality learning opportunities, which they shared enable students to succeed in school and in the workforce.

House:

House Education and the Workforce Committee advances legislation ranging from student safety and child protection to requiring elementary and middle schools to obtain parental consent before changing a student’s pronouns: On September 11, the House Education and Workforce Committee held a markup during which several bills were advanced, including H.R. 736, the “Parental Rights Over The Education and Care of Their Kids Act” or the ‘‘PROTECT Kids Act.” H.R.736 would require any public elementary and middle school that receives federal funds to obtain parental consent before changing a student’s gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on any school form; or sex-based accommodations, including locker rooms or bathrooms. Following the adoption of an amendment in the nature of substitute, the Committee approved H.R. 736 by a vote of 22-12. In her opening remarks, Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) stated, “While respecting the privacy of students, this bill reinforces the role of parents as the primary decision-makers in their children’s education and well-being.” Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) stated that the bill “puts politicized culture wars over kids’ wellbeing in the classroom…[and] provides no protections for parents – it just creates more paperwork and bureaucracy while fostering a culture of fear and distrust between parents and schools and between students and teachers.”

Separately, the House Education and Workforce Committee also advanced, H.R. 5646, the ‘‘Stop Campus Hazing Act,’’ which is a bipartisan bill to require institutions of higher education to disclose hazing incidents. H.R. The Committee approved H.R. 5646 by a vote of 28-2. The Committee also approved H.R. 7233, the “Jenna Quinn Law of 2024,” by a unanimous vote of 33-0. H.R. 7233 would amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to provide for grants in support of training and education to teachers and other school employees, students, and the community about how to prevent, recognize, respond to, and report child sexual abuse among primary and secondary school students.

House Ways and Means Committee advances legislation that would provide a tax credit aimed at increasing K-12 education scholarships for low-income students: On September 11, the House Ways and Means Committee held a markup and advanced several bills, including H.R. 9462, the “Educational Choice for Children Act.” H.R. 9462 would provide taxpayers a tax credit for donations or charitable contributions to scholarship granting organizations (SGOs), which are tax-exempt organizations that provide education scholarships for education expenses, including to attend private or parochial schools, to elementary and secondary school students. H.R. 9462 was approved by a vote of 23-16. According to a fact sheet, the bill would require that the scholarships go to students in households with incomes at or below 300% of the median income level in their area, and the maximum credit under this legislation is the greater of 10% of adjusted gross income or $5,000. The fact sheet also notes that this “pilot program” would receive an annual allocation of $5 billion in credits to be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis during a four-year trial period. In his opening remarks, Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) stated that, “Students in need would have their lives changed and not a single dime of public funding for public schools would have to be touched.” Committee Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA), expressed opposition to the bill, stating, “I staunchly oppose diverting funds from the public school system, by creating a Byzantine system where the Federal government funds private schools, using the tax code as a conduit.” In the Senate, U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA), is the sponsor of companion legislation, S. 120, also titled the, “Educational Choice for Children Act.”

House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Foxx subpoenas Minnesota Governor Tim Walz over administration of federal child nutrition programs (FCNP) during COVID-19 pandemic: On September 11, House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) issued a subpoena to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz regarding the Minnesota Department of Education’s (MDE) administration of federal child nutrition programs (FCNP) and Feeding Our Future (FOF). The cover letter from Chairwoman Foxx references five individuals associated with Minnesota-based Feeding Our Future (FOF) who have been convicted of defrauding the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) of more than $250 million in taxpayer funds. Chairwoman Foxx continued, writing that after requesting further information from MDE in November 2023 and June 2024, “the Committee has been unable to obtain substantive responsive materials.” The required documents listed in the subpoena include all documents and communications with MDE and USDA referring to Feeding our Future (FOF and/or FOF sites), and documents and communications with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) referring to allegations involving fraud committed by FOF and/or FOF sites, among others. Following the subpoena, Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) issued a statement on the subpoena’s timing, including a timeline of when the investigation was first opened in 2021 through Vice President Kamala Harris selecting Governor Walz as her running mate in the presidential election, “The timing of the Republican’s subpoena to Governor Walz is weird.”

Upcoming Events (Congress & Administration):

• From September 15-19, the USED and the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) will host the Annual National HBCU Week in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This year’s theme is "Raising the Bar: Where Excellence and Opportunity Meet," and the objective is to identify and target tangible opportunities that will connect federal and private resources to the HBCU community while showcasing HBCU excellence. The week will feature sessions on navigating the future with AI and safeguarding democracy through HBCUs, as well as a meeting of the President's Board of Advisors on HBCUs Fall Advisory Board Meeting on September 19. More information and registration is here.
• From September 17-19, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute will host its Annual Leadership Conference and Awards Gala. This year’s theme is "Latino Excellence in Action: Innovation, Influence, and Representation," which honors the creativity, resilience, and representation of Hispanic people in the tapestry of America. Issue based breakouts and plenaries at the Leadership Conference will cover topics including health, education, workforce, economic empowerment, and technology. Specifically, Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) will deliver remarks on "Latino Pathways to Higher Education Success" and Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) will deliver remarks on "AI and the Future of Latino Prosperity." More information and registration are here.
• On September 17 at 2:00 p.m., the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law will host a hearing titled, “Oversight of AI: Insiders’ Perspectives.” Witnesses include: Helen Toner, Director of Strategy and Foundational Research Grants at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University; Margaret Mitchell, Former Staff Research Scientist at Google AI; William Saunders, Former Member of Technical Staff at OpenAI; and David Evan Harris, Senior Policy Advisor at the California Initiative for Technology and Democracy and Chancellor’s Public Scholar at UC Berkeley. The hearing will be held in Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226 and livestreamed here.
• On September 17 at 2:30 p.m., the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection will hold a hearing titled, “Back to School: Shedding Light on Risks and Harm in the Private Student Lending and Servicing Market.” Witnesses include: Ms. Aissa Canchola Bañez, Policy Director of the Student Borrower Protection Center; Dr. Beth Akers, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute; and Ms. Dalié Jiménez, Professor of Law and Director of the Student Loan Law Initiative at the University of California, Irvine School of Law. The hearing will be held in 538 Dirksen Senate Office Building and livestreamed here.
• On September 19 at 10:00 a.m., the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability will hold a hearing titled, “A Legacy of Incompetence: Consequences of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Policy Failures.” Announcing the hearing, Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) stated that the hearing aims “to bring transparency to the Administration’s poor policy decisions and subsequent consequences for the American people.” Witnesses include: The Honorable Brendan Carr, Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission; Mark Krikorian, Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies; Meaghan Mobbs, Director of the Center for American Safety and Security at the Independent Women’s Forum; and Mandy Gunasekera, Former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The hearing will be held in 2154 Rayburn House Office Building and livestreamed here.

Upcoming Events (Outside Organizations):

• From September 16-18, the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) will host its 2024 National Conference. The multi-day event brings together thousands of postsecondary access and success practitioners, leaders, and advocates for non-stop networking, learning, knowledge-sharing, and celebrating members from the field. Topics include policy and advocacy, connecting college and career, and financial aid and literacy. Speakers include: Kim Cook, Chief Executive Officer of NCAN; Steve Colón, Chief Executive Officer of BottomLine; and Marquise Dixon, Chief Executive Officer of Degrees of Change, among others. More information and registration are here.
• On September 18 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., the Aspen Institute will host the 2024 Aspen Cyber Summit. The summit aims to connect the cybersecurity challenges of today with the issues that matter to members of the public and information security officers alike. Sessions will cover a wide range of topics, including the rapid growth of AI and regulatory policies for cybersecurity and data privacy, among many others. Speakers include: FBI Director Christopher Wray; David Luber, Director of the Cybersecurity Directorate for the National Security Agency (NSA); Nathaniel Fick, Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy at the U.S. Department of State; Lisa Monaco, Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice; Becky Waite, Head of Global Response for OpenAI; and Jessica Rosenworcel, Chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). More information and registration is here.
• On September 18 from 9:00 a.m., to 4:00 p.m., the Learning Sciences Exchange (LSX) at New America will host, "Seeing and Solving Through Multiple Lenses: New Ways to Transform Education." The Learning Sciences Exchange (LSX) at New America works to help problem-solvers see through various lenses by drawing on talent from many sectors and applying the science of learning to help children and adolescents thrive. This hybrid event showcases three prototypes designed by 15 LSX fellows to address education’s challenges—unveiling new ways to bring joyful learning to homes and schools, foster middle-school students’ sense of belonging, and games designed with migrant children to create inclusive, welcoming classroom communities. Speakers include: Paul Butler, President of New America; Lisa Guernsey, Director and Co-Founder of LSX, New America; Gregg Behr, Executive Director of the The Grable Foundation; and Ralph Smith, Managing Director of the The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, among others. More information and registration are here.
• On September 18 at 3:00 p.m., the Urban Institute will host a virtual event titled, “Summarizing Approaches for Designing Inclusive Apprenticeship Programs.” The webinar will feature findings from its Research to Support the Partnership for Inclusive Apprenticeship Project, which was launched to document different approaches to inclusive apprenticeship program design and implementation. Speakers include: Zach Boren, Senior Policy Program Manager at the Urban Institute; Jennifer Carlson, Cofounder and Executive Director of Apprenti; Jackson Costa, Senior Economist, Office of Disability Employment Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor; Scott Robertson, Senior Policy Adviser in the Office of Disability Employment Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor; and Taryn Williams, Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy in the Office of Disability Employment Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor. More information and registration are here.
• On September 19 at 2:00 p.m., EducationWeek will host a webinar titled, “How to Teach Digital & Media Literacy in the Age of AI.” The webinar will explore what the teaching of digital and media literacy should look like in the age of AI, and at what ages it should start. Additionally, speakers will consider how teachers are trained to deliver this kind of learning. More information and registration are here.
• From September 23-25, the EdTrust-West will host the 5th Education Equity Forum. This year’s forum will highlight ways participants can harness the power of truth-telling and authentic engagement to be bold and resilient as we continue the work of creating education systems students of color and multilingual learners deserve. The keynote conversation will feature Nikole Hannah-Jones and participants will also hear from Christopher J. Nellum, Executive Director of EdTrust-West; Rob Shorette, Strategy Officer for Student Success at the Lumina Foundation; and Melissa Chabran, Program Officer for Education at the Hewlett Foundation, among many others. More information and registration are here.
• On September 24 at 3:00 p.m., the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading will host a webinar titled, “The ESSER Funding Cliff Approaches: What States Did & What They Learned.” The webinar will convene a panel of Chief State School Officers to discuss their American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) investments and how they are planning to prioritize and sustain the successful efforts initiated with the ESSER dollars. Panelists will explore what it took to scale their programs and how they plan to expand the strategies that have made a positive impact on student academic and developmental progress. Panelists include: Dr. Susana Codova, Commissioner of the Colorado Department of Education; Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education; McKenzie Snow, Director of the Iowa Department of Education; Charlene Russell-Tucker, Connecticut Commissioner of Education; Tony Thurmond, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction; and Dr. William Hite, CEO and President of KnowledgeWorks. More information and registration are here.
• On September 24 at 4:00 p.m., the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) will host a hybrid event titled, “What Can the US Learn from England’s Rise in Reading Scores? A Conversation with Former Education Minister Nick Gibb.” The webinar will feature information on the U.S.’s new focus on the science of reading and persistent reading deficits, and how England has used a similar approach and seen steady growth in reading test scores. Participants will hear from: Robert Pondiscio, Senior Fellow at AEI; Nick Gibb, Former Minister of State for Schools at the UK Department for Education; and Emily Hanford, Senior Correspondent for the American Public Media Reports. More information and registration are here.

Publications (Congress & Administration):

• On August 26, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report titled, “Student, Teacher, and School Characteristics Associated with English Learners' Academic Performance.” The report examined the student, teacher, and school characteristics associated with these English learners’ academic performance. The study found that students’ school experience and demographic both had an impact on performance: having positive feelings about school, being Asian, and being female were associated with higher reading scores, while feeling disconnected from school, frequent absences, having a disability, and being economically disadvantaged were associated with lower reading scores. Furthermore, for some student groups, having a teacher of the same ethnicity was associated with higher scores in math or reading. Overcrowded classrooms and high levels of teacher absences were significantly associated with lower reading and math scores and less progress towards English proficiency.
• On September 12, the GAO published a report titled, “Child Care Accessibility: Agencies Can Further Coordinate to Better Serve Families with Disabilities.” The GAO reviewed the barriers children and parents with disabilities face in accessing child care and addressed (1) the prevalence of children and parents with disabilities, (2) what barriers children and parents with disabilities face to accessing and participating in child care facilities and services, (3) what selected federally funded child care providers report about their ability to serve children and parents with disabilities, and (4) the extent to which USED and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provide informational resources about child care to families with disabilities and to child care providers about serving these families. The report found that selected federally funded child care providers made efforts to support children and parents with disabilities but faced challenges in meeting some families' needs. The GAO recommended that the USED and HHS further coordinate to leverage existing and planned information-sharing mechanisms to more fully promote Parent Training and Information Centers and other resources designed to help parents of children with disabilities with HHS's state and local child care partners.
• On September 12, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) published a new report titled, “Student Loan Repayment, 2009 to 2019.” To better understand patterns of student loan repayment before payments were suspended during the pandemic, the CBO used several measures of student loan repayment to describe borrowers’ outcomes from 2009 to 2019. The report found that in the first six years after repayment began, the balances of nearly a quarter of loans fell by 50% or more, and a modest share of loans were paid off entirely. However, balances increased for 57% of loans. The study also showed that loans in repayment plans whose monthly payments depended on borrowers’ income were repaid more slowly but were also less likely to default. Additionally, students who received Pell grants repaid their loans more slowly than students who did not, and those differences increased with time.

Publications (Outside Organizations):

• On September 10, The Ad Council Research Institute released a research study titled, "Back to the Classroom,” and a coinciding communications toolkit. These resources provide messaging insights for school leaders and educators to communicate with parents of chronically absent students and increase class attendance. Some key findings include parents seeing the academic benefits of in-person school attendance as only one piece of the overall benefits attendance provides a student, and that they are most trusting of their child’s teacher and prefer to har messages from them about why attendance is important. It also found that parents generally agree with the benefits of in person learning.
• In September, the Aurora Institute released its 2024 Federal Policy Priorities. The priorities outline four core policy areas to advance learner-centered education and transform public education systems including: Transforming systems of assessments; Aligning accountability and data systems; Supporting out-of-school learning opportunities; Supporting innovation and continuous improvement through research and development.
• In September, the United Negro College Fund published its 2024 HBCU Annual Impact report titled, “Transforming Futures: The Economic Engine of HBCUs.” The report highlights information showing that Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) generate $16.5 billion annually in economic impact on communities across the country. Additionally, the report notes that for each job created on an HBCU campus, another 1.5 public- and private-sector jobs are created off campus because of HBCU-related spending.

Legislation:

Introduced in the House of Representatives:

H.R. 9441
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to reduce the maximum interest rates for Federal Direct student loans, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL)

H.R. 9448
A bill to amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to improve program requirements, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT)

H.R. 9462
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. Adrian Smith (R-NE)

H.R. 9497
A bill to amend the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 to establish a center on artificial intelligence to ensure continued United States leadership in research, development, and evaluation of the robustness, resilience, and safety of artificial intelligence systems, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-CA)

H.R. 9517
A bill to direct the Secretary of Education to deem each month for which certain Federal student loans are in deferment during a period of active duty service as months counted toward public service loan forgiveness, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT)

H.R. 9521
A bill to amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to expand the eligibility of students to participate in the supplemental nutrition assistance program, establish college student food insecurity demonstration programs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT)

H.R. 9530
A bill to require the Secretary of Education to establish a program to provide for antisemitism monitors at institutions of higher education.
Sponsor: Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY)

H.R. 9548
A bill to direct the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on high-impact tutoring in schools operated by the Department of Defense Education Activity, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ)

H.R. 9550
A bill to amend the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to require the provision of training and information to certain personnel relating to food allergy identification and response, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA)

H.R. 9556
A bill to establish a National STEM Week to promote American innovation and enhance STEM education pathways for all students, including those in rural, urban, and underserved communities.
Sponsor: Rep. Mike Carey (R-OH)

H.R. 9559
A bill to amend the Child Care Access Means Parents In School Program under the Higher Education Act of 1965.
Sponsor: Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA)

H.R. 9570
A bill to provide grants to local educational agencies to help public schools reduce class size in the early elementary grades, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA)

H.R. 9584
A bill to promote digital citizenship and media literacy.
Sponsor: Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI)

H.Res. 1430
A resolution providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1398) to establish the CCP Initiative program, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1425) to require any convention, agreement, or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response reached by the World Health Assembly to be subject to Senate ratification; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1516) to establish Department of Homeland Security funding restrictions on institutions of higher education that have a relationship with Confucius Institutes, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 7980) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude vehicles the batteries of which contain materials sourced from prohibited foreign entities from the clean vehicle credit; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 9456) to amend the Defense Production Act of 1950 with respect to foreign investments in United States agriculture, and for other purposes; and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 9494) making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2025, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Nicholas Langworthy (R-NY)

H.Res. 1434
A resolution recognizing the role of the Scarboro 85 in the desegregation of public schools following the landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in Brown v. Board of Education.
Sponsor: Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN)

H.Res. 1437
A resolution designating the week beginning on September 9, 2024, as "National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week."
Sponsor: Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX)

H.Res. 1443
A resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that all young children and families should have access to high-quality, affordable child care and early education.
Sponsor: Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR)

H.Res. 1445
A resolution expressing support for the designation of the week of September 15 through September 21, 2024, as "Community School Coordinators Appreciation Week."
Sponsor: Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA)

Introduced in the Senate:

S. 5031
A bill to promote a 21st century artificial intelligence workforce and to authorize the Secretary of Education to carry out a program to increase access to prekindergarten through grade 12 emerging and advanced technology education and upskill workers in the technology of the future.
Sponsor: Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-CA)

S. 5033
A bill to amend the Child Care Access Means Parents In School Program under the Higher Education Act of 1965.
Sponsor: Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)

S. 5041
A bill to provide grants to local educational agencies to help public schools reduce class size in the early elementary grades, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR)

S.Res. 814
A resolution designating September 2024 as "National Literacy Month."
Sponsor: Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI)

S.Res. 815
A resolution designating the week beginning on September 9, 2024, as "National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week".
Sponsor: Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA)