Yesterday, the Obama Administration released comprehensive emergency
guidelines on school safety for school districts. These guidelines were
assembled from contributions by four federal agencies – The U.S. Departments of
Homeland Security, Education, Justice and Health and Human Services. The plan
was prompted by the Sandy Hook School Shooting, but features guidelines for
preventing, protection and response for technological, human-caused, natural
and biological threats to school safety. The report details broadly how schools
can plan for emergencies more effectively, and provides specific questions that
emergency management planning teams will need to address. The guidelines also
focus on specific federal legislation, detailing how and when acts such as Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, and
the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA will apply to
emergency situations.
The guidelines also state that in terms of school climate, school districts should create positive, less punitive environments so that students feel safe reporting issues. In addressing situations that involve active shooters specifically, the guidelines remind school districts that there is no foolproof way to predict an active shooter or respond once the incident once started. The guidelines specify that students and staff should be trained to diffuse troubling situations and learn the best methods for survival once an event has begun.
CEC commends the administration for releasing these guidelines and will continue to monitor the ongoing conversation about emergency management, particularly as it pertains to students with disabilities, their families, and the professionals who work with them.
Read more about CEC’s response to Sandy Hook and the emerging conversation about keeping our students safe.
Today the House education committee passed the Student Success Act (H.R. 5) legislation
which would reauthorize ESEA. CEC opposed this bill because if enacted exclude
many students with disabilities from the accountability system. While H.R. 5
eliminates two provisions which CEC supports removing - (adequate yearly progress
and maintains disaggregating student achievement data so that we know how
students with disabilities are performing) the list of concerns with the bill
is long. Read
more about CEC’s response to the Student
Success Act.
In order for ESEA reauthorization to become law the House and Senate will have to reconcile the differences between the Student Success Act and the Strengthening America Schools Act (SASA) of 2013 recently passed by the Senate education committee. Because the two bills are dramatically different (see CEC’s summary for SASA) a path forward seems politically challenging. Stay tuned for more updates on the Policy Insider.
For more information, please see the House Education and the Workforce Committee’s summary.
Education
reforms are quickly taking hold in most states.
Whether it is the implementation of the common core standards, new
teacher evaluation systems, new assessments, growth of charter schools, or the
many other new initiatives underway -- states and school districts are under
pressure to make major changes... and quickly!
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Education acknowledged the challenge of implementing many reforms simultaneously by allowing some states to now opt to apply for two additional waivers; the first would allow states to postpone the implementation of teacher evaluation systems that link teachers to student performance until the 2016-2017 school year. This extension would enable states to postpone personnel consequences for teachers and principals tied to the new assessments for up to one year.
The second waiver would allow states that will be piloting the new assessments to provide only one end-of-year test to students. This waiver seeks to address the concern of "double testing" for some students who would take both the pilot assessment and their current end-of-year state test. States that apply for this waiver would be able to choose which end-of -year assessment students would take.
Only the 34 states that received an ESEA waiver prior to 2013 would be eligible to apply for either or both of these waivers.
CEC appreciates the Department's efforts to ensure that students are not asked to participate in "double testing" and that educator evaluation systems are developed and implemented in a thoughtful, evidence-based manner Read CEC's position on special education teacher evaluation. CEC members from across the nation have shared their concerns about the pace at which some reforms are being implemented and the need to balance the urgency to move quickly with the importance of getting it right!
Tomorrow, the House Education and the Workforce Committee
will consider the Student Success Act (H.R. 5),
legislation which proposes dramatic changes to the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act/No Child Left Behind, introduced by Chairman John Kline (R-MN)
along with every republican on the Committee.
While H.R. 5 eliminates adequate yearly progress and maintains disaggregating student achievement data so that we know how students with disabilities are performing – two CEC supported provisions, our list of concerns with the bill is long:
Read CEC's full response to H.R. 5.
Think you’ve heard this debate before? You’re correct, H.R. 5 is nearly identical to the legislation introduced over the last couple of years. (see here for more info)
Congressman George Miller (D-CA), the highest ranking democrat on the Committee, will issue an alternative bill which is more about putting forth the Democrat vision for ESEA rather than having any real chance of passing the Committee which has a republican majority. CEC is encouraged that Rep. Miller’s bill includes key protections for students with disabilities in the assessment and accountability systems.
Many in Washington have reflected that education used to be a bi-partisan issue – unfortunately, tomorrow’s markup looks like it will follow last week’s Senate education committee markup and pass on a strict party line vote.
Watch tomorrow’s markup live via webcast at 9am (EST) or stay tuned for an updated blog posting!
Yesterday, the Senate Education Committee voted to make
significant changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA),
better known as No Child Left Behind.
But, like so many issues considered now in Congress, this vote fell
along party lines with all democrats voting for the bill and all republicans
voting against it, making it difficult to see how the two sides will come
together as the bill continues through the legislative process.
That said, students with disabilities achieved a meaningful victory yesterday with the defeat of an amendment proposed by Senator Isakson (R-GA) that would promote the use of alternate assessments for any student with disabilities, which CEC opposed. Speaking against the amendment, Senator Harkin (D-IA) and chairman of education committee cited CEC’s opposition in his defense of students with disabilities and the importance of high expectations.
The legislation passed by the education committee yesterday, titled the Strengthening America’s Schools Act of 2013 (SASA), makes major changes to ESEA and seeks to build upon the 37 states plus the District of Columbia that have ESEA waivers.
While SASA weighs in at 1,150 pages, we’ve included a few highlights below:
Next week, the House Education and the Workforce Committee will consider the Student Success Act, the republican vision for ESEA reauthorization in the U.S. House of Representatives. Stay tuned!
As Senators on the education committee continue to debate
the reauthorization -- rewrite -- of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
(ESEA), one thing is clear: the future vision for public education is
drastically different among Democrats and Republicans.
Leading the republicans, Senator Alexander (R-TN) has repeatly called legislation put forth by the democrats as "creating a national school board". To which democrats have defended by saying that states are under no obligation to receive federal monies, and therefore would not be bound by federal requirements. A clear philosophical difference exists between the two political parties.
The debate about ESEA centers on the Strengthening America's Schools Act, legislation introduced by Senator Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the education committee which has the support of only democrats on the committee. Read CEC's response to SASA.
While the process to reauthorized ESEA origianlly started as a bi-partisan initiative, talks broke down over key issues such as the federal role in teacher evaluations and the design of the accountability system.
Today, the Committee voted against an amendment offered by Sen. Isakson which would have allowed for an unlimited number of students with disabilities to take an altrnate assessment based on alternate standards. CEC opposed this amendment as it would have resulted in the exclusion of many students with disabilities from the accountability system.
CEC commends Sen. Harkin for leading the oppositon to Sen. Isakson's amendment. As a leading adoctate for children with disabilities, Sen. Harkin eloquenlty explained the importance of having high expectations and challenging students with disabilities. Harkin stated, "For too long we've had a patronizing attitude toward children with disabilities." Harkin continued that we have to set up students with disabilities for success rather than precluding students with disabilities from receiving a regular high school diploma.
Debate will continue today, with a vote on the full bill expected later today.
An overwhelming show of support for global
accessibility was unmistakable, as Senate Building room 106 filled with
disabilities rights advocates on June 5, 2013.
Attendees gathered for the Enabling briefing and panel discussion for
the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Panel members included Francis West of IBM,
Judy Weber of World Wide Web Consortium, Andrew Kirkpatrick of Adobe Systems, Brian Markwalter of Consumer Electronics Association,
and David Dikter
of Assistive Technology Industry
Association. Moderated
by former U.S. Congressman Tony Coelho, the panel identified several benefits
of World Wide Accessibility, a global application of principles founded in the
Americans with Disabilities Act. Benefits of CRPD identified included financial
gains, creation of jobs, and engineering of innovative technology. Frances West, IBM, Director, Worldwide Human
Ability & Accessibility Center, described the inclusion of persons with
disabilities in the IBM workforce as early as 1914.
Discussion of solutions based innovations born from inclusion led to the reminder that the US has been viewed as the premier leader in Assistive Technology and accessibility for persons with disabilities. The panel cautioned that failure to ratify the CRPD may impact our global reputation as leaders and diminish a substantial potential for economic growth. The result of the discussion clearly established the need for U.S. ratification of CRPD. Only a few senate votes short of ratification last year, CEC will continue to advocate for U.S. ratification of the CRPD. Urge your Senator to vote!
Starting tomorrow, June 11th,
the Senate Education Committee will start debate to reauthorize – rewrite – the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act, better known as No Child Left
Behind.
During this debate, CEC believes amendments will be offered that will (1) exclude many students with disabilities from the accountability system, and (2) weaken qualifications for special education teachers. If enacted, these amendments will turn back the clock on progress that has been made on behalf of children with disabilities (read more). Urge your Senators to reject these proposals today by using CEC’s Legislative Action Center!
CEC has commended Senator Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Education Committee for putting forth his vision for the future of ESEA and has outlined areas of support and concern included in his legislation the Strengthening America’s Schools Act of 2013 such as supporting increased inclusion of students with disabilities, accurate information about student achievement, improved assessments, increased attention to equitable distribution of teachers; focus on gifted education, particularly for students from low income backgrounds; and emphasis on early learning. Areas of concern include over emphasis on teacher evaluation systems at the possible expense of investment in professional development; and allowing individuals to be considered highly qualified before they have completed an alternate route to certification program.
Stay tuned for more updates!
It seems like we keep talking and talking about No Child Left Behind (NCLB) also known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) with not a lot of action. But now, the Senate is set – yet again - to consider passing a new version of the bill and they released their draft this week.
ESEA/NCLB has been up for reauthorization since 2007 but despite many attempts, Congress has failed to reach a compromise on the nation’s largest piece of education legislation. The last time they got close was October of 2011, when the Senate education committee passed – with a bipartisan vote – a version of the bill. Unfortunately, although the U. S. House of Representatives also passed a version, the two legislative bills were so far apart they never even met to discuss finding common ground.
It appears we are in for round three! The democrats on the Senate education committee released Strengthening America’s Schools Act, legislation that incorporates much of what was in its last version of the ESEA bill and includes some new policy changes. On June 11th, the Committee will consider the bill. Here is a short list of what we are monitoring:
Notably, Senator Harkin, Chairman of the Senate education committee and long time champion of disability rights, has strengthened the bill this go around and has secured the support of all other 11 democrats on the education committee. Even with this support, the legislation faces an uncertain future. CEC is closely reviewing the 1,150 page bill to ensure it appropriately addresses the needs of children and youth with disabilities and the educators who work on their behalf. We will continue to provide comments and suggestions to the Committee before next Tuesday’s mark-up. To read the full legislation, click on the following links:
Dr. Joan McLaughlin has been named the Acting Commissioner
of the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) effective July 1,
2013, announced John Eastin, Director of the Institute for Education Sciences,
of which NCSER is a division. McLaughlin has served as the Deputy Commissioner
since February 2009 and has also served as NCSER’s program officer for the
Early Intervention and Early Learning in Special Education grant program.
Prior to joining IES, McLaughlin spent 16 years working in
the Education and Family Services area of Abt Associates Inc., a research consulting
firm as principal investigator or project director for evaluations of federal
education, food assistance, and early childhood programs. McLaughlin has also
served as a program officer in the Office of Analysis and Evaluation at the
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, where she oversaw studies
of programs and initiatives focused on maternal and child health, and child
nutrition issues. She also served as a program analyst in the Program
Evaluation and Methodology Division of the U.S. Government Accountability
Office.
McLaughlin received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of
Notre Dame and her master’s and doctoral degrees in developmental psychology
from Cornell University. McLaughlin replaces Deborah Speece, who is leaving
after serving 2 years as Commissioner to become Associate Dean of Research and
Faculty Development in the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth
University in Richmond.
CEC congratulates Dr. Joan McLaughlin in her new role, and is looking forward to the opportunity to work with her.
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