May 7, 2008
On April 22, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) proposed new regulations for Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act intended to build on state accountability systems that have been developed since NCLB was signed into law. The proposed regulations are focused on the areas of assessment, accountability, supplemental educational services (SES) and public school choice.
The Secretary’s action follows comments she has made indicating she would take action on NCLB if Congress did not move to reauthorize the law this year, and a tour of states where she discussed moving the Bush Administration NCLB agenda forward.
Rep. George Miller, Chair of the Education and Labor Committee in the House of Representatives, has indicated mixed reaction to the Secretary’s announcement stating “What the Bush administration proposed today is a series of piecemeal changes to a law that really needs a comprehensive overhaul. Some of the proposed changes, like requiring a uniform graduation rate, are long overdue; other proposed changes are unhelpful.”
Senate Democrats, including Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Sen. Edward Kennedy appear happier with the proposals, although they indicate some of the issues will need to be reviewed during reauthorization of the law.
A week after the release of the newly proposed regulations in the Federal Register, Secretary Spellings announced a series of public meetings to be held around the country to discuss the proposed changes. The meetings will seek comments from the public.
Generally, ACTE is supportive of the proposed regulations which put into action many of the recommendations that have been made by ACTE and other organizations over the past few years since NCLB was passed into law. ACTE has developed a series of talking points this week to help CTE educators better understand the regulations in relation to ACTE’s NCLB recommendations released last year.
April 1, 2008
At an event hosted by the America's Promise Alliance on April 1, U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings announced that the federal Department of Education will begin moving toward requiring a uniform graduation rate and the dissagregation of graduation rate data. This administrative step will allow for the direct comparison of federally-reported graduation rates across states. A proposed definition of the uniform rate is expected to be published in the federal register soon for public comment before being implemented.
March 18, 2008
On Tuesday, March 18, U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings announced a new “differentiated accountability” program that invites up to 10 states to create more nuanced ways of distinguishing between schools in need of dramatic intervention, and those that are closer to meeting NCLB goals. The plan requires states to meet four eligibility criteria related to accountability, and priority is given to states that have at least 20% of their Title I schools identified for improvement, innovative and rigorous efforts to implement reform proposals, and significant and comprehensive approaches to intervention. States must submit proposals to participate in the program by May 2, 2008.
November 8, 2007
Both the House and Senate appear to have put consideration of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) on the backburner as the legislative calendar for 2007 dwindles to a close. In the House, the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act has apparently taken precedent, and will be considered in the next few weeks. This pushes Education and Labor Committee work on NCLB back indefinitely.
In the Senate, it appears to be even more certain that NCLB will not be considered this year. According to the AP, “Sens. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., and Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., have decided that there's not enough time this year to complete work on the legislation, which has not yet been formally introduced.” The Senate is now hoping to release formal legislation to begin the reauthorization process early in 2008. Unfortunately, 2008 will likely lead to more difficulties, as the Presidential election looms and politics will continue to play a large role in the reauthorization discussions.
October 24, 2007
Both the House and Senate continue to work steadily on the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. After soliciting comments from a wide range of stakeholders in early September, House Education and Labor Committee staff have been attempting to incorporate the feedback received into draft legislation. Reportedly, committee leaders are close to introducing a formal bill that will begin the official legislative process.
In the Senate, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee circulated a partial bi-partisan draft the week of October 15. Leaders of this committee also hope to introduce formal legislation soon, and both chambers continue to express optimism that a bill will be completed this year. However, as time passes, the prospects of a full reauthorization before the end of the year continue to decline. ACTE continues to review draft legislation and submit comments, and will keep you updated on new activity.
September 13, 2007
The reauthorization of No Child Left Behind has begun in full swing. At the end of August, the House Education and Labor Committee released over 1,000 pages of draft legislation to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act. ACTE submitted comments on the draft language reflecting the Association’s NCLB and High School Reform recommendations. Please view the discussion drafts.
On Monday, September 10, 2007, ACTE Executive Director, Jan Bray, testified before the Committee. She focused her comments on the workforce readiness and high school reform sections of the draft bill. Ms. Bray began her comments by addressing a new Graduation Promise Fund, a fund that would provide funding to schools with the highest dropout rates to make the necessary improvements to ensure that students graduate.
She followed this by commending the Committee on the draft language added on postsecondary and workforce readiness. This new section of the bill specifically addresses ACTE’s NCLB recommendations by creating funding incentives for states and localities to align their curriculum with the skills that employers expect in today’s competitive workplace. She urged the Committee to add language that would encourage academic and technical skills integration in high schools to provide relevance to core academics which could help retain at risk students in high schools.
Multiple indicators were addressed in the bill, and ACTE supports this measurement of student progress. ACTE believes that multiple indicators show student achievement more accurately than a single assessment.
ACTE is concerned that the draft bill does not contain enough language related to guidance and career development. ACTE urged the Committee to review this section to include more guidance on career exploration for students.
You can view Ms. Bray’s testimony.
It is expected that bipartisan No Child Left Behind legislation will be officially introduced by the end of this month. ACTE is following this legislation very closely.
May 23, 2007
As No Child Left Behind (NCLB) reauthorization discussion continues, focus has turned to improving the quality of teachers and other educators. On May 11, the House Education and Labor committee held a hearing on “ESEA reauthorization: Boosting Quality in the Teaching Profession.” Witnesses focused on strategies the federal government might use to improve teacher quality, and a great deal of time was spent on performance based pay and incentives. An archived Webcast of the hearing, as well as all written testimony, can be found on the Committee's Web site. A follow-up hearing was held by the Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness Subcommittee on “Preparing Teachers for the Classroom: The Role of the Higher Education Act and No Child Left Behind.” A Webcast and testimony for this hearing can also be found on the Committee's Web site.
Additionally, two major pieces of legislation have been introduced related to teacher quality issues. These pieces of legislation, or concepts from them, may eventually be incorporated into a full NCLB reauthorization. The first, the “Teacher Incentive Fund Act,” H.R. 1761, is sponsored by Rep. Tom Price (R-GA). The bill would authorize a Teacher Incentive Fund that would allow districts, states and nonprofit organizations to develop performance-based compensation systems for teachers and principals based primarily on measures of academic achievement.
The second, the “Teacher Excellence for All Children Act (TEACH Act),” is sponsored by Rep. George Miller (D-CA) in the House as H.R. 2204, and Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) in the Senate as S. 1339. The TEACH Act would authorize states and districts to provide financial incentives to recruit outstanding teachers; provide higher education grants to recruit teachers in STEM fields; provide bonuses to the best teachers and principals who transfer to hard-to-staff schools; hold education schools accountable for the quality of their graduates; build state induction programs for new teachers; overhaul state principal certification and professional development programs; require the Education Department to review teacher licensure exams; and make No Child Left Behind funding contingent on state compliance with teacher equity plans.
April 25, 2007
Both the House and Senate held key hearings on NCLB during the week of April 23, covering the topics of dropout prevention and middle and high school reform. In the House, the Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on “NCLB: Preventing Dropouts and Enhancing School Safety.” Witnesses included Dr. María "Cuca" Robledo Montecel, executive director of the Intercultural Development Research Association; Kenneth Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services; Kenneth Smith, president of Jobs for America’s Graduates; Gov. Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education; and Jane Norwood, vice-chair of the North Carolina State Board of Education. While numerous programs to help lower the dropout rate were highlighted, almost all the witnesses mentioned student engagement as a key to success, and several panelists alluded to CTE providing this engagement. Rep. Biggert (R-IL) specifically asked about Perkins and the role of CTE in reducing dropouts. The hearing testimony and a complete Webcast can be viewed on the Education and Labor Committee's Web site.
In the Senate, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a hearing on “NCLB Reauthorization: Modernizing Middle and High Schools for the 21st Century.” Witnesses included Robert Balfanz, associate director of the Talent Development Middle School Project; Gov. Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education; Tony Habit, president of the New Schools Project; Edna Varner, senior program consultant with Hamilton County Public Education Foundation and Public Schools; and John Podesta, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress. The hearing focused on topics such as teacher quality, dropout prevention, competitiveness, and differences between high and low performing schools. The hearing testimony and a complete Webcast can be viewed on the Committee's Web site.
The hearing was held a day after key Senate leaders introduced new high school reform legislation – the “Graduation Promise Act.” This proposed legislation would authorize a $2.4 billion High School Improvement and Dropout Reduction Fund to support states in their efforts to turn around high schools with low graduation rates; $60 million in competitive grants for the development and implementation of successful models geared toward students who are struggling in conventional education settings; and $40 million in competitive grants to states to identify statewide barriers holding students back from graduating, and create new policies that improve graduation rates. Click here to read a press release on the new bill.
March 14, 2007
Over the last two weeks, both the House and the Senate have begun intense work on the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held two hearings during the week of March 5. On Tuesday, March 6, the Committee held a hearing titled “NCLB Reauthorization: Strategies for Attracting, Supporting, and Retaining High Quality Educators.” This hearing featured testimony from teachers, administrators, researchers, and teacher educators from around the country. Testimony can be viewed on the Committee's Web site.
On Wednesday, March 7, the Committee held its second hearing, titled “Strengthening American Competitiveness for the 21st Century.” This hearing featured Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates. It can be viewed in its entirety or testimony can be downloaded from the Committee's Web site.
Finally, the House and Senate also held a joint hearing to more closely examine NCLB reauthorization issues on March 13. Leaders of national education groups and reform movements were invited to testify before this joint hearing, including Gov. Roy Barnes with the Aspen Institute Commission on No Child Left Behind, Elizabeth Burmaster with the Council of Chief State School Officers, Mike Casserly with the Council of Great City Schools, Wade Henderson with the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, Ed McElroy with the American Federation of Teachers, Arthur J. Rothkopf with the Business Coalition for Student Achievement, and Reg Weaver with the National Education Association. Statements and testimony from the hearing, as well as an archived Webcast, will be available on the Education and Labor Committee's Web site.
February 14, 2007
On February 13, the Aspen Institute’s Commission on No Child Left Behind released its final recommendations for the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The report focuses of issues including teacher and principal effectiveness, elementary and secondary school improvement, and accountability measures. Headed by former Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson, and former governor of Georgia, Roy Barnes, the Commission has received much attention from the media over the past year. It is expected that its recommendations will be seriously considered by Congress. For more information on the Commission’s recommendations visit
February 8, 2007
On February 8, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held its first hearing in the No Child Left Behind reauthorization process. The hearing was conducted in a roundtable format and was titled, “NCLB Reauthorization: Strategies that Promote School Improvement.” The Committee heard testimony from, and directed questions to, witnesses from around the country who focused on how they had successfully improved their schools and increased student achievement. Discussion centered on “what works” in school improvement and did not focus in depth on the specifics of NCLB policy. Click here to view the Majority's press release click here, to view the Minority's press release click here.
Both the Senate and House are expected to hold additional hearings on the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind in the coming months. While many Washington insiders are skeptical about the completion of a reauthorization this year, staff from both the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the House Education and Labor Committee vow to introduce legislation and move a bill forward.
January 25, 2007
On January 24, the U.S. Department of Education unveiled its No Child Left Behind reauthorization priorities. The Department’s proposal includes expansion of an NCLB federal funding transferability option that would allow states to co-mingle 100 percent of funds from applicable federal programs. Under this proposal, the Perkins Act would be added to the pool of funds that could be transferred for these purposes. In order to get on record with Members of Congress early about our concern and opposition to this proposal, ACTE drafted a letter for national organizations to sign to show their support. The letter, which has been sent to leaders of key congressional committees, explains how co-mingling of funds will dilute the important funding and purposes of the Perkins Act. The letter can be found here.
