Federal Policy Discussion How do Policy Issues play out? ESEA–Budget-Appropriations

1. Federal Policy DiscussionHow do Policy Issues play out?ESEA–Budget-Appropriations AASA National Conference Town Hall on Policy issues February 17, 2012 Bruce Hunter

2. Federal Policy Topics • Federal role in general • Transformation, Reform or Improvement • Can the current structure, and financing deliver the level of education desired by politicians, business leaders and policy elites? • Can any system deliver high achievement for 100% of students?

3. Federal Policy Topics • Washington elites think standards based reform can deliver the desired outcomes. • What is standards based reform? • A list of what students should know and be able to do • A test or tests that indicate what students have achieved • Consequences for schools and school districts where results are deemed too low

4. Federal Policy Topics • Growing chorus thinks the current system cannot deliver what is needed because it is: • Too focused on lock step student progress • Too focused on tests • Not focused enough on content • Isn’t individualized enough to deliver for all • Is very costly to individualize the current system

5. Federal Policy Topics • So the current federal policy topics are • Should control over accountability, assessment and consequences be returned to states? or • Should NCLB carry forward but new acronyms? or • Should federal waivers drive state decisions regarding structure, accountability, assessment and consequences? • No one on the hill is questioning the current standards based format?

6. Title I Structure • HR 3989 • Adds Programs to Title I • Title I • Migrant Education • N & D • Indian education • ELL grants • Rural • Senate Committee • Keeps current structure • Independent funding authorization • Title I • Migrant Education • N & D

7. ESEA policy moves House Bills Senate Committee October 18,19 &20 Chairman Tom Harkin, IA Ranking Member Mike Enzi, WY Voted from committee 16-7 12 D’s & 4R’s Floor - ? - Harkin says only when House has a bipartisan bill • Introduction Feb. 9 • HR 3989 Student Success Act • HR 3990 Encouraging Innovation and Teachers Act • Hearing – Feb. 17 Jimmy Cunningham • Markup Week of 2/29? • Floor?

8. Title I Structure • HR 3889 • Permits shifting funds within Title I programs • Except • Not REAP • No funds out of Title I grants to LEAs, only in • No state approval, • but must be reported and included in local application • Senate Committee • No funding flexibility

9. Assessment and AccountabilityImprovements -Accountability HR 3899 • States must establish an accountability system • Eliminates the impossible goal of 100% • Eliminates Adequate Yearly Progress, AYP, • Eliminates Annual Measurable Objectives, AMOs Senate Committee • States must establish an accountability system • Eliminates the impossible goal of 100% • Eliminates Adequate Yearly Progress, AYP, • Eliminates Annual Measurable Objectives, AMOs, • Eliminates all or nothing scorekeeping

10. Assessment and AccountabilityStatus Quo – Accountability HR 3899 • Disaggregation required - same sub groups • Reporting results by sub group required • School improvement grants for low performers Senate Committee • Disaggregation required - same sub groups • Reporting results by sub group required • School improvement grants for low performers

11. Assessment and AccountabilityImprovements- Assessment HR 3899 • Permits multiple measures • Requires tests that measure individual proficiency and growth • Provides adaptive assessment for students with the most severe cognitive disabilities Senate Committee • Permits multiple measures • Includes computer based adaptive assessment • Requires adoption of new more accurate assessments

12. Assessment and AccountabilityChanges - Assessment House Draft • Eliminates caps on special education testing -IEP team decision • Maintains current 1 year ELL testing requirement • Permits shifting to measuring growth, but keeps status testing too Senate Committee • Eliminates the 2% testing cap • Changes testing requirement for ELL from one year to two years • Permits shifting to measuring growth, but keeps status testing too

13. Assessment and AccountabilityChanges – Graduation Rate HR 3899 • 4 year cohort graduation rate in accountability • State can elect to use adjusted rate for years 5 & 6 Senate Committee • 4 year cohort graduation rate in accountability • State can elect to use adjusted rate for years 5 & 6 • Continuous improvement on track • Ranking schools required –identify the bottom 5% • Achievement • Achievement gap

14. Assessment and AccountabilityChanges – Teacher Qualifications • HR 3899 • Section 1119 of Title I deleted – • Silent on teacher qualifications • HQT gone • Senate Committee • Maintains HQT language • Unchanged from current law

15. School Improvement Strategies HR 3899 • State selects school improvement strategies Senate Committee • Transformation • Turnaround • Closure • Restart • Strategic Staffing Strategy • Whole School Reform Strategy • State Flexibility • Rural Waiver

16. AASA Concerns • HR 3899 • Maintenance of Effort • Funding Cap • Equitable Participation • Senate Committee • Comparability • Foster Children

17. AASA ConcernsOther ESEA Titles • HR 3890 • Charter Schools • Vouchers • Senate Committee • Charter Schools

18. FY 2013 Obama Budget ProposalEducation • USED only non-defense funding increase -about $1.7 billion • $30 billion to retain, hire teachers and first responders • $30 billion to modernize at least 35,000 schools

19. FY 2013 Obama Budget ProposalEducation • Level funds Title I and IDEA • Consolidates 38 programs down to 11 • $850 million for RTT • $150 million for i3 • $2.5 billion for teacher quality formula grants • $400 million for Teachers/Leaders Innovation Fund • NEW $5 billion grant program to reform the teaching profession

20. FY 2013 Obama Budget ProposalEducation • Formula v Competitive grants • Reauthorizing ESEA through grants to states • Creating 50 even more federally driven SEA’s