What is the status of reauthorization as the Congress moves into its last days to be in session before the elections?  Since June the expectation has been that the House Committee on Education and Labor was going to make public a draft staff has been working on.  Now, with at least some sections in draft, the question will move to the agenda of a "members-only" meeting sometime soon (week of September 13th - as the members come back to DC for the final weeks of the session).  Some have heard that Chairman Miller would like to move a bill or make public a Democratic plan.  However, several Democrats on the committee would like to avoid taking on any controversial issues related to reauthorization so close to the elections.  In the Senate, the committee staff, who has also been working on drafting sections of the measure and holding meetings on over 19 separate issues well into July, is giving all indications that there draft will be released early in 2011.  Clearly, as the members come back to Washington for the final three to four legislative weeks decisions are going to be made.

One of the wildcards in the deck will be the outcome of the election.  It is possible that the Congress will be called back to a lame-duck session but the question will be how much of an agenda will be pushed.  One of the bell weather issues to determining if there will be a lame-duck session will be if the appropriations process is completed (not likely) or if there will be a long-term (past January 3rd) continuing resolution.

The following was announced today - most likely this will be one of several strands we will see Chairman Miller use to discuss key issues - before the election.

Chairman Miller Announces Hearing to Review School Turnaround Companies
August 18, 2010 12:31 PM

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee today announced plans for a hearing to review companies who contract with school districts to help improve schools.
"Failing schools affect not only students and teachers, but entire communities. Turning around low achieving and persistently failing schools requires critical attention, resources, flexibility and planning for success – and keeping a close eye on the needs of the students and the community. In recent hearings, we’ve heard from expert witnesses and high quality providers with the skills and expertise to help turn around schools.

"However, with increased focus on school reform under this administration, it seems some companies with little or no expertise in education are purporting to be experts in school turnaround to try and take advantage of available federal money. Companies who are hired to help turn around schools as partners should have the best expertise and the best qualifications. I plan to hold a hearing and use the committee’s oversight authority to investigate the process of hiring providers to help turn around schools.”

The Education and Labor Committee has held several hearings looking at best practices for turning around low performing schools.

More information about school turnaround hearings
# # #

On Wednesday August 4th, the Senate voted to close debate on a supplemental funding bill that would provide states with $26 billion for teacher ($10 billion) and other government funded jobs.  On August 5th the final vote should take place.  The measure then goes to the House for a final vote, this vote is now scheduled for August 10th.  The House is coming back from it's summer recess. 

Additionally, the Committee for Education Funding is requesting information on how this additional funding will positively impact schools and children.  The estimate is that this will cover 140,000 teachers or other school based jobs.  If you have data, and would like to share it, please send it to richlong@titlei.org.

National Title I Association Notes from U.S. Senate Hearing July 29, 2010

The State of the American Child: The Impact of Federal Policies on Children

Senators Dodd, Merkley, Casey were present.

Senator Dodd noted that he will introduce legislation to, each year, have the National Commission on Children (establish 20 years ago) take a look at the status of children and families in the US and outline promising new directions for policy and programs. Dodd also emphasized the need to have all agencies share information and work together.

Witnesses:

¨ Cecilia Rouse, PhD , Member, Council of Economic Advisers, Washington, DC

Delineated state of children, 2010: dental, asthma, depressions and obesity on the rise.

On education she commented:

"In the most recent tests, only 32 percent of 8th graders were proficient in reading and only 34 percent in math, where a student is deemed "proficient” if he or she demonstrates age- or grade-appropriate competency over challenging subject matter and shows an ability to apply knowledge to real world situations.”

On work needed to strengthen the education and training of American workers:

"… it is important to emphasize that the task of improving later educational outcomes begins before elementary school. School readiness which involves both cognitive skills – as measured by vocabulary size, complexity of spoken language, and basic counting – and social and emotional skills – such as the ability to follow directions and self-regulate – is critical to later educational and labor market success. Children who arrive at kindergarten without these skills lack the foundation on which later learning will build. And yet relatively recent research indicates that as many as 45 percent of entering kindergarteners are ill-prepared to succeed in school. Because investments in the youngest members of U.S. society generate better-prepared students and healthier workers that earn higher wages, economists have estimated that the long-run benefits outweigh the costs of a high-quality pre-school. Steven W. Barnett and Leonard N. Masse estimate that a dollar investment in one program produced $2.50 in long-run savings for taxpayers. James Heckman, Nobel Laureate in Economics, and his colleagues estimated even higher savings of $7 from another program.”

On World-Class Education:

"… competitiveness of the U.S. economy depends on the productivity of its workers. A

growing share of jobs requires workers with greater analytical and interactive skills, which are

typically acquired with some post-secondary education. And yet students cannot succeed in

post-secondary education and training programs if they are ill-prepared. While the current U.S.

education and training system has been shown to provide valuable labor market skills to

participants, it could be more effective at encouraging completion and responding to the needs of the labor market. As detailed in the CEA report, "Preparing the Workers of Today for the Jobs of Tomorrow,” a comprehensive strategy must include a solid early childhood, elementary, and secondary system that ensures students have strong basic skills; institutions and programs that have goals that are aligned and curricula that are cumulative; close collaboration between

training providers and employers to ensure that curricula are aligned with workforce needs;

flexible scheduling, appropriate curricula, and financial aid designed to meet the needs of

students; and incentives for institutions and programs to continually improve and innovate; and

accountability for results.

"The Federal government's investments in these areas have moved in the right direction

particularly with some of the innovative investments in the ARRA and the Health Care and

Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. The Reauthorizations of the Elementary and Secondary

Education Act of 1965 and the Workforce Investment Act will enable the Federal government to

continue these efforts so that the U.S. education and training system can once again be first in the world. The Administration also remains committed to working with Congress to make the Early Learning Challenge Fund a reality. This proposal, if enacted, would challenge States to establish model systems of early learning and ensure that more children enter school ready to learn and succeed.”

¨ Seth Harris , Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, DC

Harris's presentation emphasized job training, work place readiness, including the Workforce Investment Act that serves both in-school and out-of-school youth with access to tutoring, alternative secondary school service, mentoring, supportive services, etc. Also indicated the importance of the Family and Medical Leave Act is essential to support families.

Noted that via Good Jobs for Everyone workers acquire skills for the future. "The Secretary's vision of Good Jobs for Everyone includes ensuring that young people have access to careers in high growth industries and the skills they need to compete in the global economy. This vision aligns With your determination, Mr. Chairman, to improve life opportunities for our children and youth. In due time, children become adults and have their own children. Putting these young adults on a track to gainful, skilled employment early in life is the best way to ensure not only their own success, but the future success of their children. Research suggests paid work experience may improve educational and employment outcomes for at-risk youth.”

"Under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), the Department administers Youth

Activities funds allocated to state and local areas to deliver a comprehensive array of youth

workforce investment activities. These activities help ensure that youth obtain the skills and

knowledge needed to succeed in a knowledge-based economy, and emerging industry sectors

such as healthcare and "green” jobs. WIA authorizes services to low-income youth, ages 14 to

21, who experience barriers to employment. Many eligible young people are deficient in basic

skills, and are frequently homeless, runaways, pregnant or parenting, criminal offenders, school

dropouts, or foster children.”

¨ David A. Hansell , Acting Assistant Secretary, Administration for Children and Families,

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington

Emphasized the need for high quality early childhood services: "As we move forward we have goals for early childhood programs including improving the quality of child care and Head Start programs, fostering the integration of Ace's early childhood programs with other early learning programs and social services, vertically aligning programs wit the elementary and secondary education system and strengthening program integrity. Using the Child Care and Development Blocks Grants mandatory four percent quality set-aside we are helping States build a systematic framework for quality investments. This effort includes taking actions to strengthen the quality of child care programs by expanding the number of State with Quality Rating and improvement Systems (QRIS). Noted the close relationship of Secretary Sebelius and Secretary Duncan to improve early childhood education from birth to 8.

¨ Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana , Assistant Secretary, Office of Elementary and Secondary

Education, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC

Melendez noted that high quality early learning programs and services are so important to ensuring equity and "…excellence for a child's educational future. Studies show that at least half of the achievement gap between poor and more affluent children already exists when they enter kindergarten. The larger the gap, the harder it is to close later on. That is why the Administration's fiscal year 2011 budget request included $9.3 billion over ten years for the Early Learning Challenge Fund, to support and encourage States to reform and raise the bar across their early learning settings. Many in Congress worked to include the Early Learning Challenge Fund in the Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act earlier this year. We remain committed to working with Congress to advance funding for this important initiative in fiscal year 2011.

"Research also tells us that teachers are the most important in-school factor in student success, but access to effective teachers is not equal. We all know that high-poverty and high-minority schools are being short-changed – often being taught by less experienced, less well-prepared, and less effective teachers. We need to make sure that the best teachers teach where they are needed the most. We want to spur the creation of more effective pathways for preparation of teachers, meaningful career ladders and stronger efforts to retain great teachers, and we want to support educators in their instructional practice and reward them for all they do. Our proposal will provide funds to develop and support effective teachers and leaders and make sure that every child has the opportunity to learn from excellent teachers.

"In order to address the greatest achievement gaps and the lowest graduation rates, our proposal drives efforts and resources to our lowest performing schools. We have set a goal of turning around 5,000 of our lowest performing schools – the bottom 5 percent in each State in the country. These are schools where achievement has been low for years and isn't improving. Many of these schools produce a disproportionate percentage of our high school dropouts. In fact, fewer than 15 percent of all high schools, about 2,000 schools, produce a majority of our nation's dropouts and approximately two-thirds of Latino and African American dropouts.”

¨ Howard K. Koh, MD , Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC detailed the programs addressing family health issues including:

"Early Hearing Detection and Intervention: Prior to the authorization of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program in 2000 (under the Children's Health Act), less than half of the infants in the U.S. were being screened for hearing loss. CDC's EHDI program provides support on the development and implementation of state-level tracking and surveillance systems to ensure that infants and children with hearing loss are identified early and receive services as soon as possible. Collaborative work with state EHDI programs and other partners to ensure infants receive recommended follow-up diagnostic and intervention services in a timely manner to realize the benefits of newborn hearing screening.”

Sen. Dodd referenced this new report:

RATES OF CHILDREN IN POVERTY ALREADY ON THE RISE BEFORE RECESSION BEGAN - Casey Foundation Releases 2010 KIDS COUNT Data Book

According to data released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in its 2010 KIDS COUNT Data Book, overall improvements in child well-being that began in the late 1990s stalled in the years just before the current economic downturn. The 21st annualKIDS COUNT Data Bookprofiles thestatus of America's children on a national and state-by-state basis and ranks states on 10 measures of well-being. Read thenational news releaseto learn more about how kids are faring and visit theData Centerto find state rankings and to create your own maps, graphs, and charts.

Sen. Dodd's questions mostly concerned level of coordination between agencies for strategizing and developing and maintaining programs aimed at early learning through work age continuum.

Deputy Secretary Harris notes more is being done under Obama administration but could do more data sharing and creating of more shared data bases.

Sen. Dodd's question: parental involvement and home visits

Assistant Secretary Melendez's answer- Transition from pre-K to school requires more parental involvement; home visit programs help.

Sen. Dodd: wants examples of successful home visit programs to be shared

Sen. Dodd also wants expansion of after school programs that take advantage of the learning opportunities during that time.

Much discussion of health, obesity, smoking, and unemployment issues and effect on families long term.

Deputy Secretary Harris wants to integrate activity and health issues into all programs for kids

Sen. Casey – Wants better ways to report on the successful programs of all agencies and have them packaged and reported in an organized way so citizens and Congress can know how well they programs are working. We need a national strategy we are clear about.

Sen. Casey asked panel, "How we can put a strategy in place?”

Deputy Secretary Harris— More time talking about how programs improve lives and use this info to innovate and improve program itself.

Assistant Secretary Koh— Need businesses to support this strategy; need to figure out how to let general population know the results of these programs.

Sen. Dodd's question to Deputy Secretary Harris- When will there be another national survey of the status of youth?

Deputy Secretary Harris's answer: No funding for full survey, but in June 2011 will release a new survey on young adults.

Last night the Senate failed to include the Ed Jobs provisions in the supplemental appropriations request.  They sent the measure back to the House without it.  Where does this leave the now $10 billion dollar provision?  Basically now the House would have to reassert it and hope that the Senate agrees to it or not.  The problem is that the supplemental also includes provisions to support the troops in Afganistan and Iraq that have been called critical by the Secretary of Defense. 

During the week of July 26th, the Senate subcommittee on Appropriations for the Departments of Labor/Health and Human Services/Education is scheduled to mark up its spending plan for FY 2011 on Tuesday July 27th.  The Senate Subcommittee on Children and Families is holding a hearing on the state of the American child on Thursday July 29th.

Meanwhile reports of drafting of a new ESEA continue to be quietly heard.  One report is that there will be a draft in the House by the end of July.  What isn't being heard is whether this draft will be for public review or how complete it might be.