ESEA May Get Done This Year
What are the big issues?
William & Mary University
March 28, 2011
Bruce Hunter
Possible Timeline for ESEA
• Out of Senate HELP
committee by Easter
• Through the Senate by June
• To the President by August
• At least most important parts
of ESEA this year
• Possible but ambitious
• Seems less possible every day
Competitors for Dominance in Education policy?
“Reformers”
• Blow it up and start again
Choice & Corporate
control model
– Democrats for Education
Reform
– Education trust
– Fordham foundation
– Alliance for Excellent
Education
– Aspen Group
– Gates Foundation
– Broad Foundation
– Walton foundation
Educators
• Federal support for state
and local leadership
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
AASA
NSBA
NEA
AFT
CCSSO
PTA
NAESP
NASSP
NABSE
etc
Competitors for Dominance in
Education policy
• Standardization
• Federal requirements &
mandates dictate
• State as federal enforcer
• Diminished Local authority
• Increased Local
Responsibility
• Decreased Local authority
• Federal leadership in Equity,
Research & Demonstration
• Federal Assistance for
Students With Greater Needs
• Federal Funds to Help Address
Systemic problems
• Balance local/state federal
authority and responsibility
• Greater federal/state
transparency in rule making
Research Lacking Regarding
Key Reform Proposals
• Performance pay improves instruction and
therefore student outcomes
• Charter schools will lead to improved student
outcomes
• Test Scores primary tool to evaluate teachers and
principals
• Firing teachers improves student outcomes
persistently low scoring schools
• Firing principals in every low scoring school is
essential to improve student outcomes
Reauthorization Issues
Accountability:
• Reformers like NCLB accountability
system,
• Educators don’t like NCLB
accountability system -want an
accountability system that is fair &
accurate as well as valid & reliable
AASA Positions on ESEA
Our Heaviest Lift
1. Separating Accountability and assessment for
instructional planning – One test can’t serve
two purposes
– Accountability assessments controlled by states
with broad federal guidelines - growth (value
added if desired) could use sampling, NAEP, PISA
– Instructional assessment controlled by school
districts - measuring growth, by multiple methods,
that are transparent and provide immediate
feedback to teachers and administrators
Reauthorization Issues
Standards:
• Reformers don’t have much to say about standards.
• Educators want standards that will result in students as
well prepared as students anywhere and that have
broad public and political support.
• The NGA and the CCSSO created Core Standards internationally benchmarked, fewer, higher and clearer.
• Thirty seven states have signed up to implement the
core standards.
• AASA: don’t put the new standards under federal
control
Reauthorization Issues
Assessment:
• Educators, including AASA, would like to
move beyond the current generation of
state tests to assessment systems
• Reformers are largely silent on the issue
of better tests, but the really like having a
single score for accountability.
State Assessment Consortia
• Two consortia, representing 44 states and DC.
• Eleven states belong to both, 6 to neither
• Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) hosts 31 states and
received $160 million
• Partnership for Assessment of College and Career Readiness (PARCC) hosts
26 states and received $170 million
SBAC
PARCC
BOTH
NEITHER
AL
MI
OR
AL
KY
PA
AL
NJ
AK
CO
MO
PA
AR
LA
RI
CO
OH
MN
CT
MT
SC
AZ
MA
SC
DE
OK
NE
DE
NV
SD
CA
MD
TN
GA
PA
TX
GA
NH
UT
CO
MS
KY
SC
VA
HI
NJ
VT
DC
ND
NH
ID
NM
WA
DE
NH
BOLD = both consortia
IA
NC
WV
FL
NJ
ORANGE = RTTT winner
KS
ND
WI
GA
NY
KY
OH
IL
OH
ME
OK
IN
OK
WY
Reauthorization Issues
Assessing Special Learners:
• Reformers are largely silent on this issue, but
view educators concerns in these areas as just
making excuses
• Educators fair, accurate and instructionally
useful assessment for ELL and special
education students is a priority
• The 2% rule must either be eliminated or
made sensible.
AASA Positions on ESEA
•
•
•
•
•
Improving Accountability and
Assessment Provisions of Title I
Improve the clarity and accuracy of accountability
measures.
Less intrusive and less costly testing – e.g., sampling
Measure student progress by growth.
Use multiple sources of information to measure
learning for instructional guidance.
Measure special education students consistent with
the Individualized Education Program
– No arbitrary percentage caps.
• Assess English language learners in a language they
understand.
Reauthorization Issues
Formula vs. Competitive:
• Administration requested an increase in the
proportion of federal dollars for competitive
grants.
• Reformers want to use competitive grants to
force compliance.
• Educators like formula grants - more
predictable for staffing and long term plans.
• AASA supports formula grants opposes shift
to more competitive grants
Reauthorization Issues
Charter Schools:
• Reformers -charter schools are essential for
wide scale improvement in student outcomes
• Educators -some charter schools work as well
as regular public schools - ought to be a local
option.
• Stanford study found that 17% of charters get
significantly better and that 37% get
significantly worse results than traditional
public schools. CREDO, Stanford University, June 2009
Hottest ESEA issue for the 112th
Teachers
• Compensating teachers
– Experience & Degrees
– Student outcomes/effectiveness
• Evaluating teachers primarily by
test scores
• Balancing teacher quality
– Across all schools
– By per pupil costs
• Eliminating seniority for assignment
• Alternative certification
– Special education
– Rural isolated districts
Reauthorization Issues
Teachers:
• Differences between reformers and administrators
• Reformers want:
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New teacher preparation programs
Alternative paths to teaching
Uniform evaluation based on test scores
To be able to fire teachers more easily
To eliminate sonority for placement
• School administrators want:
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Better teacher programs tied to practices in school districts
To retain control of teacher evaluation
To be able to remove ineffective teachers more easily
Teacher placement strategies that work to place effective
teachers in hard to staff schools
Reauthorization of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act
• Improving the Effectiveness of Teachers and Administrators
• Accountability for the effectiveness is a state and local
responsibility.
• Compensation decisions are a state and local matter.
• Evaluations must be created at the local school district.
• Permit use of ESEA funds to encourage teachers to work in
hard-to-staff schools.
• Provide ESEA funds for hard-to-staff schools.
• Distribute professional development funds by percentage of
poverty.
• Local flexibility in professional development programs.
Reauthorization Issues
Serving the total child:
• Reformers view this as making excuses because
schools alone can bring every child to high levels
of achievement
• Educators have a consensus that in school and
non-school barriers to learning must be
addressed simultaneously for all children to
succeed.
• AASA - Connection of children’s health and
personal and social development to students and
families will improve student outcomes;
• DIPLOMA
Reauthorization Issues
Early Childhood Education:
• Reformers are largely silent in this area, but there
doesn’t seem to be significant opposition.
• Educators view developmental and educational
support for children in their first five years of life
as essential.
• There is solid research that early support at home
& organized settings makes a difference
• The Obama administration strongly supports
state efforts to increase access to and the quality
of early childhood programs.
Bullying and Harassment
• A priority for the Obama Administration
– Special education
– Gender
– Sexual orientation
• Avoiding new administrative burdens
– Administration and advocates want more data
• Cyber bullying – legal issues
– Free speech
– Off campus
• Better PD needed but one size does not fit all
• Local policy improvement – if we don’t the feds
will
Vouchers
• FY11 CR includes language to reverse current sunset
provisions.
• Both the House and Senate have the votes to support voucher
provisions, and each chamber has introduced a bill to
reinstate and expand the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program
 4 consecutive government reports document the lack of reliable, valid
academic progress
• We expect to be fighting vouchers on a regular basis in this
Congress.
Will they finish ESEA this year?
• Thursday’s (3/10/11) meeting included Democratic
Sens. Tom Harkin of Iowa and Jeff Bingaman of New
Mexico; Republican Sens. Michael B. Enzi of Wyoming
and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee; Democratic Reps.
George Miller of California and Dale E. Kildee of
Michigan; Kline and Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter of
California.
• “It was a good general meeting, a good kickoff,” said
Harkin, chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and
Pensions Committee. “We all agreed we’re going to get
it done this year, and I think there are some principles
we all pretty much agreed on.”
Kline and Hunter Issue Joint Statement on
White House Education Meeting (3/11/11)
• "We appreciate the opportunity to discuss with President Obama
and our Senate counterparts the challenges facing America’s
classrooms. Although we have our different approaches,
everyone agrees current law is broken and in need of
repair. The status quo is failing both students and taxpayers; it is
time we reconsidered the role of the federal
government in our schools. As we work to develop reforms
that focus on what’s best for students, parents, teachers, and
communities, we are engaging our colleagues on both sides of the
aisle and listening to the concerns of state and local education
leaders. For the sake of our children's future and the
strength of the American workforce, we must take
the time necessary to get this right."
Obama Vows Not to Cut Education Funding, Calls for a
Rewrite of ‘No Child’
By Lauren Smith, CQ Staff CQ TODAY ONLINE NEWS –
March 14, 2011 – Updated 4:01 p.m.
• As for the president’s proposed timeline, last week a
bipartisan group of lawmakers from both chambers
pledged to rewrite the law this year.
• In reacting to the president’s Monday speech, however,
Kline cautioned that “arbitrary” timelines could undermine
efforts. “We need to take the time to get this right,” he
said.
• “The president made a great case today for why we need
to fix our education law in this country,” said Rep. George
Miller, ranking member on the House committee. “The
status quo is failing our students and putting our future, our
economic stability and our global competitiveness at risk.”
I didn’t realize the Congress alone could fix our education laws.
The must have powers not enumerated in the constitution
Will they finish ESEA this year?
• Kline Statement on President Obama's
Education Speech
• WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. House Committee on Education and
the Workforce Chairman John Kline (R-MN) released the following
statement on President Obama’s education speech at Kenmore
Middle School:
• “The president's remarks affirm the importance of fixing the
nation’s broken education system. As we develop targeted, fiscally
responsible reforms, the Committee on Education and the
Workforce continues to work with school officials and state and
local leaders to learn about the tools they need to prepare students
for the future. We need to take the time to get this right – we
cannot allow an arbitrary timeline to undermine quality reforms
that encourage innovation, flexibility, and parental involvement.”
Summary
• The debate is very contentious between
Educators and “Reformers”, though voice of
reformers is increasingly muted.
• The administration has sided almost entirely
with the “Reformers”
• The hill is split between educators and
reformers.
• There are other contentious issues that
require time for consideration.
How About Funding?
Federal Budgeting
A Two Step Process
• Budget –Step 1
– A Resolution – not a law – not binding
– Does set spending limits
– House and Senate each produce a budget in
committee
– Usually comes to the floor, but often doesn’t in
election years
– A blueprint to be followed as much as the
Appropriations committees want to
– Due by April 15
Federal Budgeting
A Two Step Process
• Appropriations – Step 2
– Funds are actually allocated by Appropriations
Committees House and Senate
• Harold Rogers, KY - House Chairman
• Daniel Inouye, HI, - Senate Chairman
– Appropriations bills are laws and are enforced
– 13 subcommittees are given individual allocations
each must pass a bill or some functions of the federal
government are unfunded
• Labor, HHS, Education Subcommittee -funds education
• Dennis Rehberg, MT – House Chairman
• Tom Harkin, IA – Senate Chairman
Federal Budgeting
A Two Step Process
• Appropriations
– Ear marks are funds appropriated that were
not authorized by a law
– Riders are provisions attached to an
appropriations bill that last as long as the
appropriations bill, i.e. one year
• Examples this year are defunding Planned Parenthood
and NPR
Federal Budgeting
A Two Step Process
• Continuing Resolutions
– When the House and Senate are unable to agree
on spending in one or more of the 13
appropriations bills, a CR, is passed to keep the
government working
– If several appropriations bills are not passed an
Omnibus bill is passed that wraps all the unpassed
bills together
FY11 Appropriations
Due by October 1, 2010
 Trying for Long-Term CR:
 House proposed long-term CR (HR 1)
would cut $61.5 billion from FY10 levels,
including more than $5 billion from
USED
 Proposed eliminating 60 programs and
cut 13
FY 11 Appropriations
The dog that didn’t bark
 House passed CR – much publicity
 CR cut roughly 16%
 Title I funding is cut $693.5 million.
 IDEA Part B funding level funded.
 Rural Education Achievement program (REAP) funding is level funding,
receiving NO CUTS.
 Education Technology State Grants are cut $100 million (elimination).
 Fund for the Improvement of Education (FIE) is cut $271.6 million.
 21st Century Learning Community Centers funding is cut $100 million.
 Head Start funding is cut by just over $1 billion.
 Failed in the Senate, as did Senate Democratic substitute
FY11 Appropriations
• Congress is now on the 6th round of CRs!
• Impact of CRs on Education:
 Had been level-funded in CRs through March 4
 The subsequent CR (through March 18) cuts $4 billion from the federal
budget, including $888 million in education:
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Striving Readers -$250m
LEAP Program -$64m
Even Start -$66m
Smaller Learning Communities -$88m
 The current CR (through April 8) cuts government spending by $6
billion, but includes no cuts to education
 Going Forward: Recess this week, returning to work on the budget.
 Government shut down?
Obama FY12 Budget Proposal
• FY12 budget proposal released Feb 14 (2012-13 school year)
• Despite tight economic times, including non-defense
discretionary budget freeze, education receives historic
increases
• Proposal includes massive restructuring in ESEA
reauthorization 38 programs consolidated to 11
• Policy shift toward competitive grants
• Despite overall increases:
– Title I receives $300 million
– IDEA received a $200 million increase, falling to 16.5% instead of the
promised 40%
Obama Budget Proposal
New Authority
(change relative to consolidated programs cumulative total)
Effective Teachers and Leaders
- $447.7 m
Teacher and Leader Innovation Fund
+ 489.4 m
Teacher and Leader Pathways
+ $113.9 m
Effective Teaching and Learning: STEM
+ $25.5 m
Effective Teaching and Learning: Well Rounded Education
+ $20.1 m
College Pathways and Accelerated Learning
- $17.3 m
Successful, Safe and Healthy Students
Level Funded
Expanding Educational Options- $37.1 m
Consolidated Programs
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Ready to Teach
Teacher Quality State Grants
Advanced Credentialing
Teacher Incentive Fund
School Leadership
Teach for America
Teacher Quality Partnership
Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow
Transition to Teaching
Mathematics and Science Partnership
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Teaching American History
Academies for American History and Civics
Civic Education
Close-Up Fellowships
Excellence in Economic Education
Foreign Language Assistance
Arts in Education
Advanced Placement
High School Graduation Initiative
Javits Gifted and Talented Education
Alcohol Abuse Reduction
Elementary and Secondary School Counseling
Foundations for Learning
Mental Health integration in Schools
Physical Education
Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Activities
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Charter School Grants
Credit Enhancement for Charter School Facilities
Parental Information and Resource Centers
Smaller Learning Communities
Voluntary Public School Choice
What Funding Should Schools Expect?
• No one knows because the House and Senate
seem to be a long way from agreement
• The President’s proposals for consolidation
depend on reauthorization of ESEA