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Posts Tagged ‘Secondary’

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Legislative Update: ESEA

Friday, March 4th, 2011

Moderate Senators Release ESEA Proposal

A group of eleven moderate Democratic Senators, led by Sens. Michael Bennet (CO) and Kay Hagan (NC), this week unveiled a plan to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The plan, which closely resembles the President’s Blueprint for Reform released last year, focuses on the following key principles:

1. Accountability Structure

2. School Turnaround

3. Teachers and Leaders

4. Foster Innovation

5. Equity in Resources

“In North Carolina, we understand that our economic strength as a country is dependent on well educated and highly skilled workers ready to compete in the global economy,” said Hagan.

Other Senators that signed onto the proposal include Joe Lieberman (CT), Mary Landrieu (LA), Thomas Carper (DE), Joe Manchin (WV), Chris Coons (DE), Herb Kohl (WI), Dianne Feinstein (CA), Mark Warner (VA) and Mark Begich (AK).

By admin in Legislation
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Legislative Update: Appropriations, Community College Grants, ESEA

Friday, February 11th, 2011

Budget Cuts Could Get Deeper

House Republican freshmen this week rejected Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan’s (WI) proposal to cut $74 billion from President Obama’s FY1 budget, saying that it did not go far enough. The conservative wing of the party wants to keep their campaign pledge to cut $100 billion from the budget. House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (KY) and the rest of the Republican leadership have agreed to do so, and a new proposal is expected today.

Speaker John Boehner (OH) on Thursday said, “We are working with our members and our committee chairmen to make sure that this cut is as big as possible to send a signal that we’re serious about cutting spending here in Washington.”

What we are hearing on the Hill is that the larger the cuts get in the House bill, the less likely the bill is to pass the Democratically-controlled Senate. There is speculation that if the Senate rejects the bill, another short –term continuing resolution will be passed while both chambers work on passing a bill with less significant cuts. But that doesn’t mean Perkins is safe. Be sure to call your Member of Congress today to make sure they know how vital CTE is for turning around our economy!

TAA Bill Pulled From the House Floor

The Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) bill that would have cut funding for the Community College Career Training Grant (CCCTG) program was pulled from the House floor on Tuesday because Republicans did not have the votes the pass it. This is because the conservative members of the Republican Study Committee opposed extending the trade adjustment program and because there was general concern about using the CCCTG program as an offset. The CCCTG program is funded through FY 2014, but many of the TAA worker benefit provisions expire tomorrow.

Senate Republicans Outline Areas of Focus for ESEA Reauthorization

On a recent call with media, Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Sen. Mike Enzi (WY) and Sen. Lamar Alexander (TN), the Ranking Member of the subcommittee overseeing K-12 policy identified nine areas that they believe ESEA reauthorization should focus on in order to fix the problems of NCLB. These areas are:

1.      Refining or eliminating the 2014 100 percent proficiency goal,

2.      Revamping the “prescriptive” AYP formula,

3.      Reviewing the use of assessments,

4.      Examining how sanctions impact rural schools,

5.      Revisiting HQT requirements,

6.      Expanding flexibility at the state and local level,

7.      Identifying education programs that are duplicative or overlapping,

8.      Making funding more flexible, and

9.      Involving parents in their child’s education more.

By admin in Legislation
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States Progressing with College- and Career-Ready Agenda, Survey Finds

Wednesday, February 9th, 2011

Each year Achieve, Inc. reports on the progress of all 50 states and the District of Columbia in implementing college- and career-ready policies. Closing the Expectations Gap, 2011, the sixth annual report in this series, found that states are increasingly aligning the expectations for high school graduates with the demands of college and the workplace, but there is more work to be done. Mike Cohen, Achieve’s president said in statement, “While support for the college- and career-ready agenda is widespread, state progress adopting the policies of this agenda has remained mixed.”

This year’s report found the following:

You can find state by state results here.

By admin in Public Policy
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Counselor of the Year Creates Opportunity at CTE School

Monday, February 7th, 2011

Last week, the efforts of an ambitious counselor at a career technical education (CTE) high school were recognized nationally. Dr. Randy McPherson, a counselor at Trezevant Career and Technology Center in Memphis, Tennessee, was awarded School Counselor of the Year by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA).

McPherson plays an extensive role in expanding opportunities for his CTE students, many of whom qualify as at-risk. Upon entering the field over 15 years ago, he researched the Memphis job market and helped eliminate programs that did not lead to high-demand, high-paying, and highly-skilled jobs.

McPherson started a health science program featuring internships, guest speakers, mobile labs, and field trips to hospitals for students hoping to enter health-related fields. He also spearheaded efforts to create a Cisco Network Academy at the school, offering students the opportunity to increase computer networking skills and to earn college credits online. His numerous contributions helped Trezevant to be recognized as one of the nation’s 10 Model Alternative programs.

McPherson himself provides an exemplary model as a school counselor. By greatly increasing the quality of programs available at Trezevant, he creates vast opportunities for his CTE students to succeed.

By admin in News
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Secretary Duncan Hails CTE During National Roundtable Event

Monday, January 31st, 2011

On Thursday the Obama Administration hosted a series of roundtables on topics that were highlighted in the President’s State of the Union Address. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sat down to answer questions from the public about education issues. Among the issues that were raised were how to balance the reform agenda with state budget shortfalls, Obama’s plan for a new ESEA, how to foster critical thinking in a time of multiple choice tests, and college access and affordability.

At the 29 minute mark, a participant from Jersey City, NJ asked “Why have high schools abandoned vo-tech programs? Plumbers, electricians, carpenters, auto mechanics all make decent livings, yet our schools do not offer young people proper education in these fields. These are the kids who choose to dropout.”

Duncan admitted that the United States “probably did a better job in the career technical training 30, 40 years ago, and somehow we lost our way a bit there.” He went on to say that we need to invest in both the careers mentioned in the question, as well as new careers that are needed in this technologically advanced age.

He went on to say that the debate about college or careers is a false one; students need both to be successful. By giving students the choice of both college and careers as early as high school and middle school, we can help keep them engaged before they drop out, and help them to figure out the right path to reach their goals.

Secretary Duncan’s response was noteworthy because he used the term “career technical training” rather than “vocational education,” as he has in many of his previous speeches and statements. This shows the progress that Secretary has made over the last two years in educating himself about CTE and that he sees it as something beyond the vocational education programs of the past.

By admin in Public Policy
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Legislative Update: Budget, Jobs Hearing, ESEA, Fast Track to College Act

Friday, January 28th, 2011

House Republicans Set Budget Levels for FY11

This week the House passed House Resolution 38, which directs Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (WI) to issue budget allocations for FY 11 non-security discretionary spending at FY 08 levels or lower. The House approved the resolution by a vote of 256-165, with all Republicans and 17 Democrats voting for it. Allocations at FY08 levels would mean a 13.6 percent cut in federal programs across the board, and would result in a $9.42 billion reduction in spending for education programs from the current funding level.

Chairman Ryan is slated to provide the House Appropriations Committee with figures the week of February 7  that they can use to prepare a continuing resolution (CR). House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (VA) wants a vote on the CR the week of February 14 before the current CR expires in March. President Obama is also scheduled to release his FY12 budget the week of February 14.

House Holds Hearing on American Workforce

The House Education and Workforce Committee held its first hearing of the 112th Congress this week, State of the American Workforce, which focused on the current state of the U.S. workforce and strategies to encourage the private sector to hire new workers. In his testimony, Gov. Bob McDonnell (VA) spoke about his state’s goal to graduate an additional 100,000 postsecondary students, especially in high demand STEM fields. During questioning, Rep. Bobby Scott (VA) asked if “vocational education opportunities” would be part of this plan, and McDonnell stated that two-year certificates and Associate degrees will help individuals obtain well paying jobs.

Administration and Senate Vow to Work Together on ESEA This Year

On a call with media this week Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, along with the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee’s chairman Sen. Tom Harkin (IA), ranking member Sen. Mike Enzi (WY), and Sen. Lamar Alexander (TN), the ranking member of the subcommittee overseeing K-12 policy, said that they intend to move quickly and in a bipartisan manner on a bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Some areas of agreement included: changing the AYP system, focusing on the lowest performing schools, advancing teacher evaluation systems, and disaggregating data by subgroups.

Harkin stated that he would like to have a bill ready for mark up by the Easter recess, and on the floor by the summer. He said the committee is going begin writing the legislation, without further hearings (the committee held 10 hearings last year).

Fast Track to College Act

This week Herb Kohl (WI) introduced S. 154, Fast Track to College Act, which would authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants to support early college high schools and other dual enrollment programs in an effort to reduce high school dropout rates and improve access to college for students.

By admin in Legislation
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State of the Union Focuses on Education, CTE Student Sits with First Lady

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011

In his second State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama set a broad agenda for improving the economy and maintaining the United States’ status as a global super power. Calling this our “Sputnik moment,” the President urged Congress, private businesses and the American people to work together to out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world.

Recognizing that the world has changed and that a high degree is no longer sufficient to earn a family sustaining wage, Obama focused on the ways that education can help turn around the economy. First, he cautioned against “pour[ing] money into a system that’s not working” and highlighted the ways that his Race to the Top grants have reformed education through the adoption of new standards. He also stated that Race to the Top should be the foundation for the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind this year. Among the other education priorities that he addressed were: raising the status of the teaching profession, increasing the number of STEM teachers, making postsecondary more accessible and affordable, and training individuals for new careers and new jobs.

He also stressed the importance of community colleges in meeting the demands of out fast-changing economy and singled out Kathy Proctor, a student at Forsyth Tech in North Carolina who is earning her degree in biotechnology at the age of 55 because the furniture factories in her town have disappeared.

However, despite the President’s call for greater investment in things like innovation, education and infrastructure, last night he proposed a five-year freeze on non-defense discretionary spending beginning this year. This comes after House Republicans have pledged to return appropriations levels to FY08 or FY06 levels. So while we don’t know what spending levels will look like after the CR expires in March, it seems certain that there not be any funding increases this year.

On a brighter note, Brandon Ford, a junior at the Academy of Automotive and Mechanical Engineering at West Philadelphia High School was invited to be a guest in First Lady Michelle Obama’s box last night. Brandon was recognized for his participation in the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE competition, in which teams from across the globe compete to create production-ready, highly fuel efficient vehicles. Brandon and his team went up against corporations, universities and other well-funded organizations from around the world, advancing all the way to the elimination round.  Congratulations, Brandon!

By admin in News, Public Policy
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ACE Mentor Program Provides STEM-Related Experiences to Students

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011

The ACE Mentor Program (Architecture, Construction, and Engineering) is a mentorship program for students interested in careers in architecture, construction, and engineering, and provides students with early career exposure as well as scholarship opportunities. The program is a nationwide, bi-weekly after-school activity for high school students led mostly by volunteer teachers and industry professionals. Classes are regularly supplemented with guest speakers and site visits, providing students with real exposure to the field.

At a time when secondary to postsecondary transitions are in the spotlight, the ACE Mentor Program offers an impressive model of experiential learning in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) related fields. A recent article, Mentor Program Introduces Students to STEM-Related Fields, examines the ACE Mentor Program of Greater Washington Inc., and describes the program and its impact on high school students across the D.C. metropolitan area. Program highlights included the students’ visits to construction sites, hearing about the experiences of a recent STEM graduate, and a discussion of building design.

According to teachers and ACE alumni, the program has been successful in recruiting students to pursue careers in architecture, construction, and engineering. A 2009 ACE Mentor Program survey of recent alumni (from 2002-2009) suggests that most alumni were influenced to pursue an ACE career path as a result of participating in the mentorship program. Additionally, there is evidence the program encouraged students to perform better academically. While the national high school graduation rate is about 73 percent, ninety-seven percent of ACE students graduated from high school. Additionally, while 68 percent of all U.S. high school students enroll in college, ninety-four percent of ACE students reportedly enrolled in college.

In the previously mentioned article, White House policy analyst Kumar Garg states, “Exposing students to different types of careers and how to get there has a powerful impact on their motivation in school and getting good grades, whether their interest is in science and technology, and what they do to get there.” The ACE Mentor Program is a powerful tool for students. Alumni bode well with a high graduation rate, high college enrollment, and student interest in the ACE field. ACE programs such as this may provide students with exposure and knowledge in areas they may not have previously considered, increasing interest in STEM fields and easing the secondary to postsecondary transition for students.

By admin in News
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Legislative Update: 112th Congress, House Education Committee, ESEA

Friday, January 7th, 2011

New Congress Sworn in this Week, Republicans Pledge Spending Cuts

On Wednesday the 112th Congress was sworn in, with Republicans taking control of the House and Democrats retaining control of the Senate, but by a smaller margin than in the last Congress. One of the top priorities of the House this session is to cut spending.

During the 2010 campaign Republicans vowed to cut spending by at least $100 billion in the next year, but that number may be shrinking. With reality setting in, and three months of FY11 already gone, House Republicans are now indicating that that figure may be closer to $50 to 60 billion. One change to the rules for curbing spending is a new “cut as you go” rule. During the last Congress Democrats employed “pay as you go” rules that required most bills that increased spending or cut taxes to be offset with spending cuts or tax increases in other programs. But under this new rule, only spending cuts can be used to offset spending increases. This will allow members to propose tax cuts even if the cost is not covered by spending reductions. However, the new rule will have limited impact because it does not apply to the Senate, who must also pass any proposed legislation.

Changes on the House Education Committee

With Rep. John Kline (MN) taking over at the helm, there are a number of changes in store for the House committee that oversees Perkins and other education and workforce issues. For starters, the name of the Education and Labor Committee has been changed to the Education and the Workforce Committee. In a statement last month, Kline announced that the Committee will also be smaller this session, with approximately 23 Republicans and likely 17 Democrats. Kline also announced the subcommittee chairmen for the upcoming year. The Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness (which oversees Perkins and WIA) will be chaired by Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC), a former community college president. Rep. Duncan Hunter (CA) will chair the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education (which oversees ESEA). Kline also eliminated the subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities.

Secretary Duncan Urges Congress to Renew ESEA This Year

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan took the pages of the Washington Post this week to make the case for reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act this year, saying that “few areas are more suited for bipartisan action than education reform.” Duncan pointed out that there are many areas on which Republicans and Democrats can agree, from less emphasis on labeling schools as failures, to using a growth model, to enhancing flexibility for school districts.

By admin in Legislation
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New Report Finds 48 States on Track to Use Common Graduation Rate in 2011

Tuesday, January 4th, 2011

In 2005, governors from all 50 states signed the National Governors Association’s (NGA) Graduation Counts Compact to voluntarily implement a common and reliable formula for calculating their state’s high school graduation rate.  The Compact focuses on: using a common, four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate formula; building state data collection and reporting capacity; developing additional student outcome indicators; and reporting annually on progress toward these commitments.

A new report from the NGA Center for Best Practices shows that 26 states are now reporting high school graduation rates according to a common formula. Implementing Graduation Counts: State Progress to Date, 2010 also reports that 48 states plan to report their graduation rates using a common formula by the end of 2011.

“Governors agreed to use a more consistent and accurate graduation rate formula because they understand that better information on student outcomes is critical for ensuring that all students graduate from high school prepared for college, work and life,” said John Thomasian, director of the NGA Center. “The 2010 update shows that states are making significant progress toward this end and are expected to continue to do so in 2011.”

By admin in Public Policy
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