Final FY 2007 Appropriations Legislation Signed into Law

After months of delay, the final Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 appropriations bill has been signed into law. President Bush signed the omnibus funding resolution on February 15, just in time to avoid a government shut down. The resolution, funding all the programs in the federal budget except those in defense and homeland security categories for the rest of the fiscal year, will provide approximately $463.5 billion. Education programs received one of the few significant increases in the legislation, and education overall will be funded at $57.5 billion, a $1.17 billion increase over FY 2006. While federal departments are still preparing budget tables in response to the final resolution, ACTE expects the Perkins Act to be level funded for FY 2007, a significant victory considering the threats of elimination. Larger education programs, including Pell Grants, Title I, IDEA, and Head Start, will receive modest increases. For more details and the latest information on FY 2007 and FY 2008 federal funding, visit ACTE’s Web site at http://www.acteonline.org/policy/legislative_issues/funding.cfm.

Pell Grant Equity Act of 2007 Passes House

On February 27, 2007, H.R. 990, the “Pell Grant Equity Act of 2007” passed the House. The bi-partisan bill, sponsored by Rep. George Miller (D-CA), Rep. Buck McKeon (R-CA), Rep. Ric Keller (R-FL), and Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX) would eliminate the tuition sensitivity provision in the Pell Grant program, providing all low-income students with the same opportunity to receive a Pell Grant, regardless of the institution they are attending. The bill, if enacted, would expand Pell Grant eligibility to approximately 90,000 to 100,000 additional students attending colleges charging low tuitions, such as community and technical colleges. At this point, it is unclear whether the Senate will attempt to pass this legislation as a stand-alone bill, or combine it into other efforts to reauthorize the Higher Education Act. For more details and the latest information on Higher Education Act issues, visit ACTE’s Web site at http://www.acteonline.org/policy/legislative_issues/HEA.cfm.    

National Assessment of Career and Technical Education Advisory Panel Appointed

Recently, the new members of the independent advisory panel of the National Assessment of Career and Technical Education (NACTE) were appointed. The NACTE, formerly known as the “National Assessment of Vocational Education (NAVE),” is authorized under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006. The independent panel is charged with advising the Secretary on the implementation of the national assessment, including the issues to be addressed and the methodology to be used in research studies. The panel will also prepare an independent analysis of the findings and recommendations resulting from the national assessment upon its completion (scheduled for July 2011).  Members appointed include: 

• Dr. Walter Bumphus, Professor of Educational Administration, University of Texas at Austin
• Mr. David Byer, Senior Manager, Education Leadership and Policy, Apple
• Dr. Adam Gamoran, Professor of Sociology and Educational Policy Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Mr. Timothy W. Lawrence, Executive Director, SkillsUSA
• Dr. Belinda McCharen, Associate State Director for Career Services, Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education
• Ms. Katharine Oliver, Assistant State Superintendent, Division of Career Technology & Adult Learning, Maryland State Department of Education
• Dr. James Palmer, Professor of Educational Administration and Foundations, Illinois State University
• Mr. Jay Pfeiffer, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Accountability, Research, and Measurement, Florida Department of Education
• Dr. James Rosenbaum, Professor of Sociology, Education & Social Policy, Northwestern University
• Mr. Larry Rosenstock, Chief Executive Officer, High Tech High
• Dr. Becky Smerdon, Senior Associate, Education Policy Center, The Urban Institute
• Mr. John Tarka, President, Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers
• Ms. Mala Thakur, Executive Director, National Youth Employment Coalition
• Dr. John Tyler, Professor of Education, Public Policy and Economics, Brown University
• Mr. Charlie Ware, Chair, Workforce Development Council, National Association of State Workforce Board Chairs, and Executive Vice President, Wyoming Contractors Association
• Mr. Ross Wiener, Vice President for Practice and Policy Development, The Education Trust