CEC Policy Insider

Senate Education Committee Passes Overhaul of ESEA by Partisan Vote; CEC Cited During Debate

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:

• Accountability:  Eliminates AYP and States with ESEA waivers could keep in place those accountability systems; states without waivers would have to set up a new accountability system that incorporates student achievement targets and student growth.  While all schools would have to report this data, only the lowest performing 15% of schools and schools with the largest achievement gaps would be subject to prescribed interventions, known as turnaround models which CEC largely does not support.
• Assessments:  The assessment system remains largely the same as NCLB in terms of the grades and subject matter covered.  Though it’s important to remember that the next generation of assessments are now under development, click here and here for more info.  
• Alternate Assessments: Prohibits the alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards (known as the 2%) but would put into law the alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards (known as the 1%), capped at 1% of the total number of students in the grade level and subject area.
• Teacher evaluation: To access Title II funding (which has traditionally focused on professional development), districts and states must have teacher evaluation systems based in part on student outcomes, as well as other measures such as observation.
• Coordination of early intervening services: Reinforces early intervening services are a joint special and general education collaboration by including provisions in the Title I state plan, professional development, and technical assistance that would ask how a state will assist LEAs in implementing EIS.
• Addresses the Excellence Gap and gifted education: Requires states to describe how they will assist school districts in identifying and serving students with gifts and talents, particularly from underserved backgrounds.
• Establishes an equity report card: Provides data from schools in key areas such as student performance, school funding sources, high school graduation rate, participation in kindergarten, participation in advanced studies (AP, IB, gifted), school climate information, and school discipline data.
• Expands requirements for charter schools to better address the needs of students with disabilities.
• Emphasis on addressing school climate and mental health: Includes numerous provision to support analysis if school climate and access to mental health services.
• Supports research in gifted education: Requires the U.S. Department of Education to continue research and development in gifted education, including the establishment of a national research center and demonstration grants.
• Formally establishes Race to the Top and Investing in Innovation programs.
• Includes the Student Non-Discrimination Act which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.

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!

Support Shown for U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at Senate Hill Briefing

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!   

Senate Education Committee to Start Debate on ESEA Tomorrow; Tell Your Senators: Vote NO on Anti-Disability Amendments

Starting tomorrow, June 11^th, 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!

Calling all Stories about the Impact of Sequestration!

CEC is looking for stories about the impact of sequestration – not just the amount of education money cut from the budgets of districts, schools and states, but about the consequences of those budget cuts – layoffs, reduction or changes in services, fewer children/students served, etc. As many of you know, the sequestration cuts came about as part of Congress’s approach to the deficit, and include a 5% across-the-board cut to all education funding, including IDEA. Your district will see this cut in July. For more information on sequestration, you can read our one-pager here.

If you have any stories from your own schools, please send them our way! Reach out to other schools and districts as well. The more stories we have the better we’ll be able to demonstrate to Congress the detrimental consequences of sequestration. We would like to receive a first batch of stories by Tuesday, May 7. You can email them to pubpol@cec.sped.org. Please include your name, your school district, city and state, your role, and a contact phone number.

Help us continue to advocate for children and youth with disabilities, their families and the professionals who work with them. Send us your stories, and then, send a letter to Congress via CEC’s Legislative Action Center telling Congress to protect education funding. We need your help today – make your voice heard!

Education is not an Expense, it is an Investment: Secretary Duncan Testifies about President Obama’s Education Budget

Today, the US Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, testified before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor Health and Human Services about the President’s budget proposal. He staunchly defended investment in education and urged the Senate to eliminate sequestration cuts.

According to Secretary Duncan, “The big takeaway message here is that education is more than a set of numbers on the ledger line. Education is not just an expense—it's an investment. In fact, it is one of the most critical investments in the future that we, as a Nation, can make. America cannot win the race for the future without investing in education—it's that simple.”

Secretary Duncan highlighted several investments in the President’s Budget proposal including his focus on early childhood and early learning. He also specifically urged Congress to reject the 8% across the board sequestration cuts which are slated to be in place for the next 9 years.

CEC was pleased to hear the Secretary speak out on these important issues and continues to urge members of Congress to reject the coming 9 years of Sequestration. Want to join us? Know your zipcode? Then use CEC’s Legislative Action Center to contact your members of Congress and tell them to invest in education.

Want to know more about what Secretary Duncan told Congress today? Read his statement or watch the full hearing.

Not sure what “sequestration” is? Read our 1 page explainer!

Curious about where we are in the budget process? Read our 1 page quick explanation!