Transcript Federal Education Legislative Update

Wrapping Up the 111th Session of Congress:
Federal Education Policy Update
Noelle Ellerson
American Association of School Administrators
Presentation Overview
• Obama FY11 Budget Proposal
• FY11 Appropriations
• Emergency Education Jobs Bill
• Title I Fight/Formula Fairness
• Race to the Top
Economic Environment
• State and local economies struggling to experience
the stability and recovery starting to take hold at the
federal level.
• Continued issue of supplement/supplant from ARRA
and, now, education jobs fund.
• Confluence of the end of ARRA (2010-11/2011-12
school years) and the delayed economic recovery
represent very real obstacle to schools as they try to
balance increased emphasis on innovation with ever
slimmer operating budgets.
Obama Budget Proposal
 FY11 budget proposal released Feb 1 (2011-12 school year)
 Despite tight economic times, including non-defense
discretionary budget freeze, education receives historic
increases
 7.5 percent increase in discretionary funding (largest since FY02)
 Proposal includes massive restructuring in ESEA
reauthorization
 Despite overall increases:
 Title I was level funded
 IDEA received a $250 million increase, remaining at 17% instead of the
promised 40%
Obama Budget Proposal
New Authority
Consolidated Programs
(change relative to consolidated programs cumulative total)
Effective Teachers and Leaders
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-$458.5 million (-15.5%)
Teacher and Leader Innovation Fund
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+$539.4 million (+131.3%)
Teacher and Leader Pathways
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+$268.9 million (+197.6%)
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Ready to Teach
Teacher Quality State Grants
Advanced Credentialing
Teacher Incentive Fund
School Leadership
Teach for America
Teacher Quality Partnership
Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow
Transition to Teaching
Effective Teaching and Learning: STEM
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+$119.5 million (+66.2%)
Effective Teaching and Learning: Well Rounded Education
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+$38.9 million (+17.2%)
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Mathematics and Science Partnership
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Teaching American History
Academies for American History and Civics
Civic Education
Close-Up Fellowships
Excellence in Economic Education
Foreign Language Assistance
Arts in Education
College Pathways and Accelerated Learning
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-$3.3 million (-3.2%)
Successful, Safe and Healthy Students
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+$45 million (+12.3%)
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Advanced Placement
High School Graduation Initiative
Javits Gifted and Talented Education
Alcohol Abuse Reduction
Elementary and Secondary School Counseling
Foundations for Learning
Mental Health integration in Schools
Physical Education
Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities
National Activities
Expanding Educational Options
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+$80.9 million (19.8%)
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Charter School Grants
Credit Enhancement for Charter School
Facilities
Parental Information and Resource Centers
Smaller Learning Communities
Voluntary Public School Choice
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Obama Budget Proposal
• Despite overall increases:
Program
FY11 Proposal
School Turnaround Grants
+$354.4 million (+65%)
Assessing Achievement
+$39.2 million (+9.6%)
Promise Nieghborhoods
+$200 million (+2,000%)
Magnet Schools Assistance
+$10 million (+10%)
English Language Acquisition State Grats
+$50 million (+6.7%)
Title I grants to LEAs
FROZEN
Migrant Student Education
FROZEN
Neglected/Delinquent Children and Youth
FROZEN
Homeless Children and Youth Education
FROZEN
Impact Aid
FROZEN
Rural Education
FROZEN
Indian Student Education
FROZEN
21st Century Community Learning Centers
FROZEN
Obama Budget Proposal
• 65% increase in the proportion of discretionary education
dollars moving through competitive grants
• AASA has a position in favor of formula grants.
USED 2010
FY 11 Appropriations
• The House and Senate Approps Cmtes announced caps for
FY11 discretionary spending. The Senate cap is roughly $14
billion below the administration, and the House cap is $7
below.
• House LHHS markup includes a discretionary increase above
FY10 of $2.04 billion (3.2% increase)
– Includes $5.67 billion for Pell
– $400 m increase for Title I
– $153 m increase for IDEA
• Next step? Most likely CR to get us through elections, maybe
an omnibus.
• Concern with additional monies in CR going toward
competitive grants, not formula programs.
Title I Funding Equity
• There will be a formula fight within ESEA
reauthorization.
• Title I allocations are made up of four formulas:
– Basic Grant, Concentration Grant, Targeted Grant,
Education Finance Incentive Grant
• Idea is to focus on concentrations of poverty
– Current law uses numbers or percentages
• Since NCLB, all new money in Title I has been split
between the Targeted Grant and the Education
Finance Incentive Grant.
• Focus on percentages of poverty for equity
Emergency Education Jobs Bill
• $10 billion in education jobs funding and $16.1 billion in
FMAP funding
• All but 2 states applied (SC and WY).
• Current issues?
– Supplement/supplant
– Maintenance of effort
– State pass-through of funds
State
Grant Award
MA
$250,000,000
NY
$700,000,000
HI
$75,000,000
FL
$700,000,000
RI
$75,000,000
DC
$75,000,000
MD
$250,000,000
GA
$400,000,000
NC
$400,000,000
OH
$400,000,000
Reauthorization of REAP
• Some changes need to be made to
improve REAP in the coming
reauthorization.
• Specifically, a number of districts are no
longer receiving a financial benefit from
the program despite qualifying.
– Allow districts to choose which program to
apply under.
– Raise the sliding scale from $20,000 $60,000 to $25,000 - $70,000.
• For the Rural & Low-income program,
use free and reduced lunch instead of
census.
• Update Locale codes.
• Support the REAP Reauthorization Act
HR 2446 & S 1052
Common Core Standards
• Increased Congressional support for common core (not national)
standards.
– CCSSO and NGA have joined together with 48 states and territories to
develop them.
– Draft standards were released in March and open for comment until April
2nd.
– States may choose to include additional standards beyond the common
core as long as the common core represents at least 85 percent of the
state’s standards in English language arts and mathematics.
• What if Congress requires adoption of common core in order to
receive Title I?
– Still unclear what Congress sees as their role in this.
– Certain competitive grants will give priority to Common Core states
Vouchers
• Senate Armed Services Committee passed the FY2011
National Defense Authorization Act (S 3454), which included
an amendment that would provide $7,500 in government
funds to military families with special needs children to use to
pay for tuition at a private or a different public school.
• Many of the protections touted by proponents of this
amendment are already provided to students under IDEA.
– Current provisions and requirements of IDEA provide better services
for the child. The ultimate goal is providing services, something
guaranteed through IDEA but not the voucher.
• Would reduce Impact Aid for all federally connected schools.
Next Steps: Time for You to Get Involved
• Advocacy is a marathon, not a sprint.
• Take advantage of the campaign season
and invite your Congress members to visit
your district.
• Get to know the education LA!
• Decisions will be made whether or not you
weigh in.
• AASA’s advocacy efforts only go so far;
hearing direct from AASA members with
the same message significantly
strengthens the message.
February 17-19, 2011 • Denver, CO
JOIN THE GREAT EDUCATION CONVERSATION
Are you prepared to change the conversation
on school reform to reflect our true successes?
What does “reform” mean to you?
Attend AASA’s National Conference on
Education to ensure you have all the
information you need to discuss our progress
so far and paint a clear picture of the future –
join the Great Education Conversation!
REGISTER TODAY at www.aasa.org/nce and claim an
active role in the conversation!
Questions?
Noelle Ellerson
Assistant Director, Policy Analysis & Advocacy
American Association of School Administrators
(703) 875-0764
[email protected]