Monday, December 24, 2007

House and Senate Pass Spending Bill, Includes Increase for ESSCP

Legislative Affairs http://www.schoolcounselor.org/images/1px_spacer.gif

House and Senate Pass Spending Bill, Includes Increase for ESSCP

Before heading home for the holidays, the House and Senate passed HR 2764, an omnibus spending bill that finally completes the fiscal year 2008 budget cycle. The omnibus bill includes funding for 11 of the 12 annual spending bills for the government and provides $555 billion in domestic funding for the year, which includes approximately $62.3 billion for the U.S. Department of Education.  It also includes $70 billion for military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq and $11.2 billion in so-called “emergency spending” for veterans health care and a long list of unforeseen disasters. To craft a measure that the President would not veto, Congress had to make some very difficult spending decisions.  This resulted in a spending package that is less generous than the conference agreements which had been previously adopted by the House and Senate and ultimately vetoed,   However, the plandoes include some increases for priority programs for the Democrats – including the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP). 
 
While some education programs saw modest increases, most program funding was decreased or level funded.  However the news for school counselors is extremely positive!  One of the programs that received the largest increase in the bill was the ESSCP.  The ESSCP received $48.62 million in funding for FY 2008, which is a 40.31% increase over FY 2007 levels.  Once this bill is signed by the President (which he expected to do in the next two weeks), this would be the highest funding level the program has received to date and make it possible for the first time in the history of the program for secondary school counselors to apply for ESSCP grants since the $40 million trigger has been reached!
 
Thanks to your ongoing support in the form of calls to members of Congress, this increase in funding should be viewed as a huge victory for school counselors and our ability to provide more comprehensive school counseling programs to students across the nation.

 

 

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Grants for Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Programs

The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools announced on December 13, 2007, that it is accepting applications for the FY 2008 (i.e., 2008-2009) school year for the 
Grants for Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Programs. 

http://www.ed.gov/programs/elseccounseling/index.html

 

The Grants for Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Programs will provide funds to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), including charter schools considered to be LEAs under State law, to establish or expand elementary school and secondary school counseling programs.

 

Award Information:

Applications available: December 13, 2007

Deadline for Transmittal: January 28, 2008

Eligible Applicants: Local Educational Agencies, including charter schools that are considered LEAs under State law.

Estimated Range of Awards: $250,000 - $400,000

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $350,000

Maximum Award: $400,000

Estimated Number of Awards: 50

 

Note: The Administration’s budget request for FY 2008 does not include funds for this program. However, ED is inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program. Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, ED may make additional awards later in FY 2008 and in FY 2009 from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition

 

Application Information

 

Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address: www.ed.gov/programs/elseccounseling/applicant.html 

 

To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following: Education Publications Center, P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794–1398. Telephone, toll free: 1– 877–433–7827. Fax: (301) 470–1244. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call, toll free: 1–877–576–7734.

 

You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html or at its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov. If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this program or competition as follows: CFDA number 84.215E.

 

Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact person, Loretta McDaniel at: U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 3E214, Washington, DC 20202-6450. Telephone: (202) 260-2661 or by email: Loretta.McDaniel.ed.gov. If you use a TDD, call the Federal Relay Service, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

 

2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you must submit, are in the application package for this program. Applications for grants under this program may be submitted electronically using the www.grants.gov.  Apply site (Grants.gov), or in paper format by mail or hand delivery.

 

NOTE: Deadline for Transmittal of Applications is January 28, 2008

 

For additional information, contact: Loretta McDaniel at: U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 3E214, Washington, DC 20202-6450. Telephone: (202) 260-2661 or by email: Loretta.McDaniel.ed.gov

 

*******************************************************************
  Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Programs
*******************************************************************
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Elementary and Secondary
School Counseling Program is to support efforts by local
educational agencies (LEAs) to establish or expand elementary
school and secondary school counseling programs.
    Applications Available: December 13, 2007.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 28, 2008.
    Eligible Applicants: (a) LEAs, including charter schools that
are considered LEAs under State law.  (b) LEAs that currently have
an active grant under the Elementary and Secondary School
Counseling Program are not eligible to apply for an award in this
competition.  For the purpose of this eligibility requirement, a
grant is considered active until the end of the grant's project or
funding period, including any extensions of those periods that
extend the grantee's authority to obligate funds.


    Estimated Range of Awards: $250,000-$400,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $350,000.
    Maximum Award: $400,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 50.

    Additional Information: Applicable regulations, priorities, and
other information are available in the Federal Register notice.

Additional information is available online at:
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/2007-4/121307a.html

 

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Bush Vetoes Second SCHIP Bill

December 13, 2007
As he had promised to do, President Bush yesterday vetoed a bill reauthorizing the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The vetoed legislation was the second try by Congress at a reauthorization; Bush had previously vetoed the first SCHIP bill Congress passed, and the new proposal was intended to meet some of the President’s objections to that original proposal. On its second try, however, Congress maintained a $35 billion additional federal contribution to SCHIP over the next five years, to enable states to enroll more children, which is more funding than the administration wants and apparently led to the veto. Negotiations in the House and Senate over a possible third SCHIP bill appear to have broken down, making it likely SCHIP will survive only at current funding levels and only for an indefinite time in the coming calendar year.

 

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

NGA and NASBO Release Fiscal Survey of States:

NGA and NASBO Release Fiscal Survey of States: This week, the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers released "The Fiscal Survey of States," which found that although most states experienced healthy revenue growth during fiscal 2007, some states already have seen deterioration of their fiscal conditions and expect revenue and expenditure growth to slow significantly in fiscal 2008. States' single-largest expenditure for FY 2007 was health care, which accounts for almost one-third of total state spending. The report also showed that states face challenges in funding and providing health care in fiscal 2008, including expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program to reduce the number of uninsured children in their states, reductions at the federal level for public and other health programs and the impact of the aging population on long-term care financing. State general fund spending grew by 9.3 percent in FY 2007, significantly higher than the 30-year average of 6.4 percent. According to the report, this high growth rate is the result of states using surpluses realized in recent years to provide tax cuts and bolster spending on programs that experienced significant budget cuts in the last fiscal downturn. For FY 2008, state spending is budgeted to grow by 4.7 percent. The report states that expenditures typically include one-time spending from surplus funds, transfers into reserve funds and payments to local governments to reduce property taxes. To view the full report visit: http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/FSS0712.PDF

NCTET Sponsors "Rethinking Education: Technology and 21st Century Skills" Event

NCTET Sponsors "Rethinking Education: Technology and 21st Century Skills" Event: Last week, the National Coalition for Technology in Education and Training (NCTET) hosted a briefing on Capitol Hill to examine strategies for effectively integrating technology into K-12 education to impart crucial 21st century skills. The event featured a number of anecdotes about how certain federal programs, such as Enhancing Education Through Technology, Ready to Teach and other efforts, have allowed schools to leverage and enhance other efforts related to using technology in K-12 schools. Ryan Imbriale, an assistant principal from Maryland, insisted that discussions in Washington, D.C., about policy and funding do affect classrooms and encouraged staff present to continue their work, since federal efforts serve as a catalyst for improvement and innovation at the local levels. Mary Ann Wolf, executive director for the State Education Technology Directors Association, shared a number of examples of states producing good results and improving student achievement from education technology efforts and echoed suggestions of fellow participants that embedded professional development for teachers is crucial to such efforts and positively affects not only student achievement but also teacher retention. For more information, visit www.nctet.org.

AEE Hosts Briefing on Accountability and Equity in NCLB

Panelists during the Dec. 6 Campaign for High School Equity briefing, "High School Accountability and Equity in NCLB," sent a clear message that the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) needs to be viewed as a civil rights law and that it is critical it be reauthorized in 2008. They stressed that NCLB presents a valuable opportunity to "improve student outcomes, such as high school graduation, college preparedness and success in postsecondary education, particularly for students of color."

Coordinated by the Alliance for Excellent Education, the Campaign for High School Equity is a coalition of national organizations such as the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the National Council of La Raza, the National Indian Education Association and the National Urban League.

Wade Henderson, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, noted that the recognition of education as the pathway to success and subsequently denying educational opportunities to individuals of color has a long history. While many felt Brown vs. Board of Education indicated the journey for equality was over, Henderson stated that too much was placed on "the back" of that decision and there was no way it could solve all problems. Henderson feels that going forward, the country needs to "make the idea of Brown vs. the Board of Education a reality for every student." In terms of who should work to that end, he said history has shown that ensuring all students have access to a quality education "cannot be left in the hands of state and local government."

Speaking from a legal perspective, Peter Zamora from the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, acknowledged that NCLB has had a "bumpy road" and has flaws that require correction but focused on the positive aspects of the law, specifically in terms of transparency and teacher quality. Zamora pointed to the numerous front-page stories in national publications and segments on network nightly news dedicated to the state of education as well as the specific education achievements of specific student populations not seen prior to NCLB. He stressed that reauthorizing NCLB in 2008 is critical because there is momentum and a previously absent public will to close the achievement gap. Given the fickle nature of the public, this momentum might not be sustained if the law is not reauthorized in 2008, according to Zamora.

Discussing the involvement of the Alliance for Excellent Education in the campaign, Bethany Little, vice president of federal advocacy and policy development for AEE, said AEE realized early on it "could not speak honestly about the crisis facing America's high schools without speaking honestly about the crisis facing America's students of color." Little discussed the following six policy proposals included in the campaign's first publication, "A Plan for Success: Communities of Color Define Policy Priorities for High School Reform."

  • Make all students proficient and prepared for college and work
  • Hold high schools accountable for student success
  • Redesign the American high school
  • Provide students with the excellent leaders and teachers they need to succeed
  • Invest communities in student success
  • Provide equitable learning conditions for all students

Emphasizing that NCLB does not currently prepare students for college and the workplace, Little said to prepare students, they must have better access to a rigorous curriculum, and the assessments must be revised to ensure they yield the best information.

During the question-and-answer period, the panel was asked to look at the potential economic and democratic impact of not serving these students. Henderson said the country cannot afford not to and that: 1) the workforce for the next 25 years will be drawn from the populations getting the least education, and 2) every indication that the United States has fallen behind is underscored every year through test results like the recently released PISA results.

 

More at http://www.highschoolequity.org/

 

Monday, December 03, 2007

Workshop on the Use of Multiple Measures for Education Accountability

On Nov. 16, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) hosted a workshop on the use of "multiple measures." This Workshop on the Use of Multiple Measures for Education Accountability was hosted by the Committee on Incentives and Test-Based Accountability for Public Education, which is housed within the NAS. This workshop is part of ongoing activities that will ultimately yield a report that summarizes relevant research and its implications to be shared with policymakers. Ideally, the report will inform current debates about changing the many federal and state policies related to the use of test-based incentives to improve K-12 public education. The report is expected in the spring 2008.

NAS, Capitol Hill staff, Department of Education staff, university officials and other noted experts gathered to discuss Department of Education and congressional perspectives on including multiple measures in NCLB, appropriate uses of multiple measures, current state systems using multiple measures and policy arguments for and against multiple measures.

The first panel featured congressional staff, including Roberto Rodriguez with Se. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.); Lindsay Hunsicker with Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.); Jill Morningstar with Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.); and Keri Briggs from the Department of Education. Briggs began the discussion by providing an overview of multiple measures and its place in the debate surrounding the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), as well as a number of options for using them under current law. Briggs noted, however, that most states do not have the capacity to implement them successfully.

All of the congressional staff expressed interest in incorporating multiple measures in the upcoming NCLB reauthorization, but it was clear from their comments that "the devil is in the details." Since the House Education and Labor Committee released a NCLB draft reauthorization bill earlier this year, Morningstar was able to provide the most definitive comments of the congressional staff on the panel. She discussed how the House draft allows a small percentage of the adequate yearly progress (AYP) calculation to incorporate the use of multiple measures. She noted that the committee is still working through the details and would welcome any help and/or suggestions in their efforts to get it right.

The last set of panelists agreed that one type of assessment simply is not enough to determine AYP. Panelists suggested that data from multiple assessments need to be available to teachers and schools in a timely way so improvements are based on the data and the teaching methods.

Kati Haycock from Education Trust noted there seems to be a lot of confusion about "what we want to know about a school and what we need to know about a school" when determining if the school is "good enough." She believes multiple assessments are needed for an accurate portrait of the academic achievement of all students. Gitomer agreed with Haycock, saying, "No single test can provide an accurate portrait of students and schools."

Dan Fuller from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development suggested adjusting the AYP model to incorporate multiple measures of assessment, including growth models, formative assessments, grade-point averages, student exhibitions, AP and IB courses and portfolio assessments. He opined that the current AYP model is flawed, and ASCD is opposed to a single assessment of reading and math skills as an indicator of performance.

Concluding the discussion for the day, William Taylor with the Citizens' Commission on Civil Rights strongly suggested that schools need assessments around creativity, teamwork and analytical skills. He believes the current testing system is inadequate and needs reform. He also argued that the law should not permit untested and untried indicators to play any role in determining whether schools and districts have made AYP.

More information:
http://www8.nationalacademies.org/cp/projectview.aspx?key=48743  

 

Budget and Appropriations

While the House has been in recess, the Senate has technically been in session in a much-publicized procedural move to prevent recess appointments from the White House. Both chambers get back to work on Tuesday, Dec. 4, with a long list of urgent business to complete before the next holiday break and no obvious plan for how everything will get done.

Of primary importance is the FY 2008 budget. Only one of 12 funding bills has been signed into law to date. The continuing resolution that keeps federal funds flowing right now will expire on Dec. 14. Following the president's veto of the appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education and Congress' failure to override it, Senate and House Democratic leaders came up with a compromise plan. They proposed to the administration that the two sides split the difference regarding their disagreement about how much spending is enough for the coming year. That proposal means reducing the $22-billion gap between the president's February budget plan and the Budget Resolution adopted by the Congress to $11 billion.

For the LHHS bill, that reduced spending means a $3.5 billion cut from the vetoed conference report. House Republican leaders have been negative about the compromise. Senate Republicans, however, appear tired of the fighting, and there have been reports of meetings with the White House urging them to soften their stand against any increases in spending for domestic priorities. In spite of the frosty reception the proposal received from the administration, Appropriations Committee staff are moving forward, revising the spending levels in the budget bills for all affected federal agencies. The internal deadline they face is Dec. 5, in time to prepare for a mark-up on Dec. 11 where an omnibus bill will be presented.

If the latest strategy fails, Congress is left with two options. Pass another continuing resolution, likely to last until March, and keep on trying to resolve differences between political parties and the administration in the hopes of salvaging some modest spending increases for critical programs. Alternatively, Congress could adopt a continuing resolution that would cover federal spending for the entire year. That solution means the loss of any earmarked funding for the second year in a row, a sacrifice that many members of Congress will undoubtedly oppose. It would also mean a more significant reduction, as high as 5 percent, for the Department of Education, something education advocates would similarly find disappointing after a year that began with such promise.

 

Friday, November 30, 2007

Governor Crist Announces Florida's High School Graduation Rate on the Rise

Governor Crist Announces Florida’s High School Graduation Rate on the Rise
Governor Charlie Crist and Education Commissioner Jeanine Blomberg today announced that Florida’s graduation rate rose to 72.4 percent in 2006-07, an increase of 1.4 percent compared to last year’s rate (71.0 percent) and an overall increase of 12.2 percent since 1998-99 (60.2 percent). Meanwhile, Florida’s annual high school dropout rate declined from last year, dropping 0.2 percentage points to 3.3 percent, a decrease of 2.1 points since 1998-99. For the full story, visit www.fldoe.org.

 

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

NCES Releases Results of 2007 TUDA

On Thursday, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released the results from the 2007 Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA). First initiated in 2002, the TUDA highlights the achievement of fourth- and eighth-graders in 11 of the nation's largest cities on the National Assessment of Educational Progress reading and mathematics assessments. Districts participating in the TUDA include Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Boston; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Cleveland; Houston; Los Angeles; New York City; San Diego; and Washington, D.C.

In mathematics, the majority of the TUDA districts had higher percentages of fourth- and eighth-graders performing at or above the basic and proficient levels of achievement on the test since 2003. Nearly half of all districts had higher percentages of fourth-graders reaching advanced - the highest level of performance. In reading, gains have been less consistent and more modest, following the same pattern as the nation. Michael Casserly, executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools, explained that TUDA was implemented as a way to show that urban school districts are committed to providing high academic standards for their children, and its designers sought a way to evaluate their progress. According to Casserly, when focusing on this report, one should not look at the data of any individual school district. Instead, focus on the trends in improvement that have occurred since the initial implementation of this assessment. Overall, urban schools are growing in a positive way, but there is still a long road of increased achievement ahead.

Darvin Winick, chairman of the National Assessment Governing Board, stated that the results of the report can inform the development of better, more universal, school improvement programs. For example, knowing that, overall, fourth-grade performance is stronger than eighth-grade performance; mathematics performance is stronger than reading; and large achievement gaps are present between race and ethnic groups can assist in developing effective programs that address these shortcomings.

More infor at http://nationsreportcard.gov/

 

New Organization Focuses on School Violence Prevention

New Organization Focuses on School Violence Prevention: A new national organization, the Consortium to Prevent School Violence (CPSV), has launched a Web site and multiple research, training and information dissemination projects geared to help reduce school violence. The consortium, a primarily volunteer effort, includes national experts in school violence prevention spanning the disciplines of education, psychology, mental health, social services and juvenile justice. According to its Web site, the Consortium to Prevent School Violence is committed to assisting educators and schools in the reduction of school violence. The consortium seeks to foster high-quality research on school violence prevention; communication among researchers, practitioners and policy makers; dissemination of research-based information regarding effective school violence reduction programs; technical assistance and professional development that aid in implementing effective school violence reduction practices; and advocacy of effective research-based solutions to policy makers. To learn more about CPSV visit: www.preventschoolviolence.org

ED Delivers Final Report on Title I

ED Delivers Final Report on Title I: This week, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings sent Congress the final assessment of Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act. The report contains information about the program's implementation and impact and expands on an interim report released in April 2006. The report found that Title I funds go to 93 percent of the nation's school districts, with 74 percent of funds going to elementary schools. Most Title I funds were used for instruction, salaries, instructional materials and computers. In the area of student achievement, the report found that recent trends show gains for fourth-grade students in reading, mathematics and science, including minority students and students in high-poverty schools. Trends for middle and high school students were mixed. State assessments and NAEP both provided indications that achievement gaps between disadvantaged students and other students were narrowing. Title I served three times as many students in 2004-05 as it did a decade ago - 20 million, compared with 6.7 million in 1995. States identified 12 percent of all schools for improvement for 2005-06, and schools with high concentrations of poor and minority students were more likely to be identified than other schools, as were schools located in urban areas. The report also found that 75 percent of schools met AYP benchmarks and of those missing AYP, only a minority of cases missed only one AYP target. To view the full report visit: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20084012/index.asp

House Education and Labor Committee Approves HEA Bill

The Higher Education Act (HEA) has been subject to the reauthorization process for more than four years. In that time, bills have been introduced and seen sporadic progress, but no comprehensive reauthorization package has been signed into law, despite the enactment of a number of bills that affect federal student aid programs. The College Cost Reduction and Access Act (PL 110-84) was approved and signed into law in September. That measure invests approximately $20 billion in federal student aid by reducing subsidies paid to federal student loan lenders, authorizes the new TEACH Grant program, reduces student loan interest rates, proposes certain college cost containment strategies, enacts loan forgiveness for certain public sector employees, authorizes a new program intended to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic Serving Institutions and increases the Pell Grant award to $5,400 incrementally over a five-year period.

Although that bill was widely supported, some worried that its enactment would adversely affect prospects for a comprehensive reauthorization proposal. Before last week, the House had not acted on such legislation, but the Senate's larger HEA bill, S. 1642, was passed by the Senate on July 24 by a vote of 95-0.

Last Friday, George Miller (D-Calif.), House Education and Labor Committee chairman, and Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (D-Texas), chairman of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness, introduced HR 4137, legislation that they assert addresses "the soaring price of college and remove[s] other obstacles that make it harder for qualified students to go to college." Further, "The College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007 would reform and strengthen the nation's higher education programs to ensure that they operate in the best interests of students and families."

The bill attempts to address college costs by proposing a number of new reporting requirements for colleges and universities. It also would impose new disclosure and reporting requirements on student loan lenders to address what some consider an industry with insufficient oversight.

The bill's Title II provisions modify current law drastically. The bill revises the Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants for States and Partnerships; it eliminates the State Grant and Teacher Recruitment Grant programs and turns the Partnership Grant program into a revised Teacher Quality Partnership Grant program. This new program emphasizes Teacher Residency and Induction programs and inserts a reliance on "scientifically valid research." There are a number of new initiatives in Title II, including support for Teach For America, a recruiting effort for science and math teachers and a program that would strengthen relationships between community colleges and teacher preparation programs at four-year institutions.

The larger bill also proposes a number of new programs. A new early childhood education professional development and career task force is authorized. In addition, new college access programs are proposed, as are new student safety and campus emergency management initiatives; databases to share information with students on available financial resources; new science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education programs; and an effort meant to promote environmentally friendly practices on campuses.

On Wednesday, the House Education and Labor Committee met to mark up this legislation. Opening statements from Committee Miller and Ranking Member Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) indicated broad support for the measure and a shared desire to address the increasing cost of college. The session had only a few partisan exchanges, although the proceedings stretched from their 1:30 p.m. start time to almost midnight, with the panel reconvening on the morning of Nov. 15 to record roll call votes on certain amendments and the committee-approved bill. The committee considered more than 40 amendments, although many were withdrawn with the hope of addressing the underlying concerns either before the bill is considered on the House floor or during that debate. On Thursday morning, after the amendment votes, the committee approved the manager's package and a motion to report the bill favorably to the House by a vote of 45-0. Closing comments from the chairman and the ranking member were complimentary of the effort and spirit the bill represents.

Although many commended the bill, no definitive indication was given on when it might be considered on the floor of the House - the next step toward a conference committee between the House and Senate to negotiate their two proposals. Observers are hopeful the bill might be considered in December, with ultimate enactment of a reauthorization bill coming before March 31, 2008.

Budget and Appropriations

Capitol Hill was buzzing last week, as lawmakers pushed to address a number of legislative issues before adjourning for a two-week "Harvest Recess." That push included action on a number of pieces of legislation of interest to education advocates. After languishing for months, the House and Senate overwhelmingly approved Head Start reauthorization legislation last Wednesday. The Senate vote was 95 to 0, while the House approved the bill by a margin of 381 to 36. The conference report on the bill authorizes $7.35 billion for the program in FY 2008, $7.5 billion in FY 2009 and $7.9 billion in FY 2010. The president is expected to sign the bill, although during debate and negotiations on the final compromise bill, the White House had protested that it did not include language allowing faith-based organizations enrolled in the program to hire staff on the basis of religion. <BR
Also on Wednesday, the House Education and Labor Committee began what would be a marathon mark up of legislation to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HR 4137). After 12 hours of offering amendments, debating their merits and voting, the committee approved that bill unanimously Thursday morning. On Thursday evening, the House considered an attempt to override President Bush's veto, which he issued Tuesday, of the $150.7 billion FY 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bill. That attempt did not secure support from two-thirds of the House and failed on a vote of 277-141.

All of this action is nothing compared with the behind-the-scenes scheming that went on all week. Congressional leadership and appropriators worked all week to devise a strategy for enacting federal spending plans for FY 2008 that met Democratic priorities while also winning approval from the White House. A number of rumors were reported, and it seems the schemers changed tactics a number of times. As of Friday, it is being reported that the White House has reacted "coolly" to a strategy that would "split the difference" between White House and Democratic budget plans. Despite this news, House and Senate appropriators are reportedly coming up with an omnibus spending bill totaling $484.2 billion. This measure will encompass the 11 spending bills that haven't been enacted. (President Bush signed the defense spending bill earlier this week.) This number is $10.6 billion less than Democrats had hoped for before veto threats finally forced them to reconsider. It has been reported that they are hoping enough moderate Republicans will tire of the fight when they return from their break to either persuade the president to negotiate or vote to override a veto.

Although it's not clear what this plan might ultimately mean for spending on important education programs, David Obey (D-Wis.), House Appropriations Committee chairman, continues to be frustrated by the situation. When asked about the White House's chilly reaction to a "split the difference" resolution this week, he said that if Republicans do not support the proposed compromise and "continue to follow the president's budget priorities like lemmings, the result is likely to be even worse."

 

MARTINEZ INTRODUCES STUDENT PROTECTION ACT

http://martinez.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.View&ContentRecord_id=6798&CFID=27966329&CFTOKEN=79160711

MARTINEZ INTRODUCES STUDENT PROTECTION ACT

 

November 15, 2007 -

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) today introduced a bill to create a uniform system of reporting acts of sexual misconduct by educators. The measure is very similar to one introduced by Congressman Adam Putnam (R-Bartow) in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year.

“Currently, there’s no uniform, national system for reporting acts of sexual misconduct by educators. This bill seeks to change that,” said Martinez. “Without a national database, educators found guilty of these terrible acts often retain their teaching certificates and other school districts hire them without knowledge of their past.”

The bill requires uniform reporting requirements for educators and employees accused of sexual misconduct against a student, consistent with established guidelines for reporting child abuse; it requires a central body in each state to be responsible for receiving and investigating allegations of sexual misconduct by educators; and it creates a nationwide database of school employees sanctioned by the state for sexual misconduct – thus enabling state, local, and private school officials to ensure offenders remain out of the classroom.

“States and school districts ought to have a meaningful way to check the record of individuals before placing them in the classroom,” said Martinez. “By encouraging a coordinated system of standards for oversight, reporting, and investigation of sexual misconduct by educators we can better ensure the safety of our children.”

###

 

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Budget and Appropriations

First there were two bills, then they came together as one, then they were split in two again. As of last week, the FY 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (LHHS-Ed) Appropriations bill has been approved by the House and Senate and is headed for President Bush's desk and, presumably, his veto pen. Democratic leadership tried to combine the largest domestic spending bill (LHHS-Ed) with military construction and veterans spending, with the goal of forcing the president to decide whether to veto the whole bill, including the funds for veterans and military construction he wants, or sign it and approve spending that exceeds his budget request for domestic programs by $9.8 billion. For many weeks, the president has said he will veto any spending bill that exceeds the funding levels he proposed in his FY 2008 budget request, submitted to Congress in February.

The House approved the combined appropriations bills by a vote of 269 to 142, with 47 Republicans voting in favor of the bill. When the legislation was sent over to the Senate for consideration, however, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) raised a point of order against the bill that required separating the two measures - a move Democrats were unable to stop. The separated LHHS-Ed appropriations bill was then passed by the Senate on Wednesday night by a vote of 56 to 37, with seven senators not voting. Ten Republicans supported the bill, which then had to go back to the House in its new form. Late Thursday, the House approved the bill by a vote of 274 to 141, with 51 Republicans voting with the Democrats in favor of the bill. Democrats are now deciding when and how they will enroll the final bill and send it to the president.

For those who desperately want this bill to be signed into law, the quest for securing enough votes to override the expected veto is a daunting endeavor, with admittedly small prospects for success. House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) said publicly this week that if the veto is not reversed by Congress, and the White House refuses to negotiate, there's not "a chance of a snowball in Hades that members' earmarks on either side of the aisle will survive if we wind up at the president's level of funding." Democratic strategists are already looking toward putting together an omnibus bill to fund much of the federal government for FY 2008, vs. a long-term continuing resolution. This is a better outcome for authorized education and domestic programs that would likely see level funding, again, in a long-term FY 2008 CR. An omnibus bill implies opportunities for programs to retain some of the proposed increases.

While the LHHS-Ed bill is by far the most important spending proposal to education stakeholders, the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill also invests in important science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education efforts, as well as research initiatives. That bill is also subject to a veto threat and is currently waiting for conference negotiations and could be brought to a vote in each chamber this week.

 

As NCLB Action Slows, HEA and Head Start Move Forward

It was reported in the press last weekend that Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, stated that action on reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind Act in the Senate would not occur this year. The story grew, was picked up by other papers and caused a great deal of buzz in education policy circles. Advocates also wondered if Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), House Education and Labor Committee chairman, would continue to move forward with his reauthorization proposal. After all, the House seemed closer to completing a comprehensive proposal, and stakeholders had weighed in heavily with House staff and committee members on their priorities and recommended changes to the draft.

The proverbial nail found its way into the coffin mid-week. Miller released a press statement voicing frustration with the administration and what he considers to be its resistance to any changes to current law. These sentiments were compounded by veto threats to proposed increases in education spending in the FY 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill, leading Miller to opine that action on reauthorizing No Child Left Behind "this Congress" is unlikely. This statement went further than previous rumors, since the 110th Congress extends through the end of 2008.

Education advocates know that, in recent weeks, performance pay, multiple measures, changes to adequate yearly progress and other proposed changes caused tension not only across party lines but also within each party's caucuses. Strong criticism of certain proposals from teacher union groups and others further complicated negotiations. While this pause in the reauthorization process is not at all unexpected, it is disappointing to many who had hoped for reasonable changes before presidential politics consume Washington and little to no work is expected to be accomplished.

HEA
The Senate passed its comprehensive HEA reauthorization bill this summer by a vote of 95-0, and many have pushed for the House to match that progress. A press release announcing the bill's introduction asserts that the bill would:

  • Streamline the federal student financial aid application to make it easier for all eligible students, especially from low-income households, to apply for financial aid
  • Make textbook costs more manageable for students by helping them plan for textbook expenses in advance of each semester;
  • Expand college access for low-income and minority students by allowing students to receive year-round Pell Grant scholarships and strengthening college readiness programs
  • Increase college aid and support programs for veterans and military families to help veterans, active duty military personnel, and their family members attend college and succeed
  • Create safer college campuses for students and faculty by developing campus safety and disaster readiness plans for all colleges and helping schools recover and rebuild in the event of a disaster
  • Ensure equal college opportunities and fair learning environments for students with disabilities to provide them with the resources and support they need to stay in school and graduate
  • Help strengthen our nation's workforce and economic competitiveness by boosting science, technology and foreign language educational opportunities, by providing public service loan forgiveness to encourage and reward students who enter critically needed service fields and by enhancing teacher training and development programs

More info at

http://edlabor.house.gov/

 

CAP Holds Briefing on Teacher Compensation

On Monday, the Center for American Progress (CAP) held a briefing titled, "Reforming Teacher Compensation: What Can We Learn from Recent Programs?" The briefing featured two new papers from CAP about effective strategies for reforming teacher compensation as well as a representative from Denver's ProComp teacher compensation system.

Over the last couple of years, policy makers have started to implement a number of alternative compensation strategies (including pay for performance). The panelists agreed that the idea of teacher compensation is not new. However, as stated by Joan Baratz-Snowden from the Education Study Center and Brad Jupp from Denver Public Schools, the current single salary schedule for teachers has had remarkable staying power. Baratz-Snowden attributed this staying power to the fact that the current salary schedule (based on teaching experience and college credits and degrees) is easy to understand and administer, it is predictable and teachers believe it is fair and objective. She also stated its limitations: it has not produced competitive salaries in the current job market; it does not respond to market forces; and the evidence linking teacher education and experience to improved student performance is weak.

To alleviate the confusion over the various proposals surrounding teacher compensation, Robin Chait from the Center for American Progress identified five types of differential compensation policies: 1) pay for performance, 2) pay for knowledge and skills, 3) career ladder programs, 4) pay for teaching in high-needs subjects and 5) pay for teaching in high-needs schools. She noted that all five policies aim to improve teacher performance and attract and retain teachers by compensating them in part for improvements in student achievement. Baratz-Snowden said that the notion of pay for performance is the most contentious, and how reformers frame these proposals is key to their success. One major problem for most states and districts, she noted, is linking specific student achievement to a specific teacher.

Jupp spoke about Denver's "ProComp" program, which he asserted is one of the most successful alternative compensation programs in recent years. The program uses a methodology based on students' learning gains on tests to determine only a part of teacher pay increases. He emphasized the collaboration in the Denver school system and noted that schools, teachers and administrators "need a shared will to solve the problems and move forward to ensure student success."

When asked about essential elements to implement differential compensation policies, Baratz-Snowden noted that six key elements were necessary: sufficient and stable funding, communication and teacher buy-in, skilled leadership, targeting high-need schools and subjects, program evaluation and monitoring systems, and integrating and aligning other systems to compensation systems.

More info at http://www.americanprogress.org/events/2007/11/teachercompensation.html

 

Urban Institute Holds Briefing on Science and Engineering

The Urban Institute recently hosted the briefing, Houston, Do We Really Have a Problem Here? A New Look at Science and Engineering in America. Hal Salzman, senior research associate at the Urban Institute, presented data from his new report, "Into the Eye of the Storm: Assessing the Evidence, Quality and Workforce Demand." Other reports analyzing global science and engineering education and the impact on the workforce claim that U.S. students perform much worse than their international peers, that interest in science and engineering among both high school and college students has fallen off and that a shrinking number of students receive degrees in these fields. Salzman's report directly rebuts these three claims.

Salzman's study also reassesses the well-known standings produced by two major evaluations, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science (TIMSS) and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and finds that "statistically insignificant variations in test scores misrepresent performance differences among nations." Using this approach, the U.S. scores fair much better.

In addition, Salzman's report notes the increasing numbers of American students participating in and graduating in STEM-related fields in high school and college. Between 1990 and 2004, the overall percentage of U.S. students taking engineering and science courses increased from 45 to 60 percent, and although the United States is not the top-ranked country in math and science performance, it has shown consistent improvements in participation and achievement over time. However, Salzman did caution that despite American students' solid standing overall, large segments of the school population fare quite poorly and that the low performance of the least-skilled students should be of great concern to policy makers.

William Bates of the Council on Competitiveness also presented and suggested that problems faced by U.S. competitiveness are a result of the globalization of industries and a lack of innovation in America. Bates explained that countries with large populations, like China, facilitate innovation in science and engineering very well. Organizations seeking innovative approaches and products will be drawn to wherever that innovation exists. To maintain a foothold in international competitiveness, Bates points to the need for a catalyst to motivate science and engineering innovation within the U.S., much like that provided by the launch of Sputnik in the 1950s and 1960s.

More info at http://www.urban.org/publications/411562.html

ED Launches 'Doing What Works' Web Site

ED Launches 'Doing What Works' Web Site: The Department of Education has launched a new Web site to provide teachers, administrators and other educators with recommendations on effective teaching practices and examples of possible ways to implement those practices to help promote excellence in American education and improve student achievement. According to the department, the new site, Doing What Works, allows users to quickly locate teaching practices that have been found effective by the department's research arm, the Institute of Education Sciences, and similar organizations. In addition, it cites examples of possible ways this research may be used to help students reach their academic potential. Doing What Works is meant to turn research to practice and help achieve the No Child Left Behind Act goal of ensuring every student is on grade-level by 2014. To access the site visit: http://dww.ed.gov

ED, First Book and Townsend Press Launch 2007 Adolescent Readers Initiative

ED, First Book and Townsend Press Launch 2007 Adolescent Readers Initiative: Margaret Spellings, secretary of Education; Lynda Lancaster, First Book senior vice president, Ben Alirez, Townsend Press author; and Robert Scott, Texas Commissioner of Education, announced the national distribution of free books as part of the 2007 Adolescent Readers Initiative. The initiative will provide 520,000 free, new books to improve the literacy skills of struggling adolescent readers in low-income schools and communities. Spellings said, "The Nation's Report Card confirms what common sense already tells us: the more time students spend reading, the better they perform. I'm proud of my department's partnership with First Book and hope that today's donation will inspire more students to read more often." The Department of Education and First Book will distribute the Townsend Press books to schools, libraries and community groups serving low-income, middle school and early adolescent-aged youth across the country. For more information on the donation campaign, visit: www.ed.gov/parents/academic/summer/reading/index.html

Thursday, October 25, 2007

State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)

The U.S. House of Representatives will vote on revised State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) legislation this afternoon. This bill would provide health insurance coverage for nearly 10 million low-income children.

House leaders announced the vote late Wednesday night. This legislation (H.R. 3963) addresses concerns that had been raised about the SCHIP bill (H.R. 976) the House voted on last week. These changes clarify that children living in families making $83,000, adults, and children who are not U.S. citizens are not eligible for SCHIP coverage.

Easter Seals supports this SCHIP legislation and urges you to contact your representative immediately and ask them to vote “Yes” on H.R. 3963 today.

Thank you for your continued advocacy on behalf of our nation’s low-income children, including those with disabilities.

Stay informed: visit our SCHIP Information Center.

 

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools - President Bush Vetoes SCHIP Bill

October 3, 2007
President Bush Vetoes SCHIP Bill

As he had promised to do, President George Bush today vetoed a bill that had been passed by the House and Senate to extend for five more years the state/federal State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The bill would have added $35 billion more in federal matching funds to enable states to enroll additional children in the program, an amount Bush criticized as too large. The President also said the SCHIP enlargement would encroach on private insurance plans and would be an "opening wedge" to what he called "government-run" health care. The vote for the bill in the Senate was large enough to override a veto, but the House vote was not, and supporters said they will try in the coming two weeks to persuade more House Republicans to vote for override, noting that the child insurance program has wide public support. Controversy about the bill centers on whether states should be allowed to insure children whose family incomes are as much as 300 times the federal poverty level, as 15 states currently do, or should limit enrollment to poorer children.

Friday, October 05, 2007

Crist creates children's cabinet

Source: http://www.winknews.com/features/education/10162961.html

Crist creates children's cabinet

By Melissa Cabral, WINK News

Tallahassee - Children will have a whole new power in Tallahassee.

Florida's new Children's Cabinet met for the first time Monday.

The cabinet was formed to force state agencies to work together more effectively on children's issues.

One of the biggest issues is education, along with health care and family issues.

Governor Charlie Crist told members of the cabinet that their work will be a blessing for kids. "What you do when you reach out and reach down to help those that are young and little, it's a blessing to do right for them."

The Children and Youth Cabinet is made up of 15 members - most of them agency heads in the Crist administration and it is chaired by Lieutenant Governor Jeff Kottkamp.

 

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools - Conference SCHIP Bill Allows Funds to SBHCs

http://www.healthinschools.org/News-Room/News-Alerts/September-2007/Conference-SCHIP-Bill-Allows-Funds-to-SBHCs.aspx

A 300-page compromise between the U.S. House and Senate on reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) that was approved by the House September 25 and was expected to pass the Senate yesterday includes language allowing states to use SCHIP funds for "items and services furnished through school-based health centers."

Friday, September 21, 2007

Put More School Counselors Where They're Needed Act

From: Amanda Harting [mailto:aharting@schoolcounselor.org]
Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 4:57 PM
To: Board-list
Cc: State Leaders
Subject: Dear Colleague; Education; Drop Out Prevention
Importance: High

Hi all,

I've just heard from the Sanchez (D-CA) office and it seems that not many members of congress have signed on to the "Put More School Counselors Where They're Needed Act". We are really asking for all grassroots efforts right now. Please, please contact your congress-person and forward this message along to any & all that would like to see this bill move forward. In addition, I've heard that very few members of the Education and Labor committee have signed on as co-sponsors and no Republicans have co-sponsored at this point. Here is a list of members on the Ed & Labor committee (have your members hit them hard w/ phone calls & e-mails... now is the time!) but please remember all members are fair game! -- any support looks great and increases chances of the bill moving! Please see the string of messages below if you need a refresher on my early August message. Thanks & Best Wishes!

 

Kildee (D-MI)

Payne (D-NJ)

Andrews (D-NJ)

Scott (D-VA)

Woolsey (D-CA)

Hinojosa (D-TX)

McCarthy (D-NY)

Tierney (D-MA)

Kucinich (D-OH)

Wu (D-OR)

Holt (D-NJ)

S. Davis (D-CA)

D. Davis (D-IL)

Grijalva (D-AZ)

Bishop (D-NY)

Sarbanes (D-MD)

Sestak (D-PA)

Loebsack (D-IA)

Hirono (D-HI)

Altmire (D-PA)

Yarmuth (D-KY)

Hare (D-IL)

Clarke (D-NY)

Courtney (D-CT)

Shea-Porter (D-NH)

 

Petri (R-WI)

Hoekstra (R-MI)

Castle (R-DE)

Souder (R-IN)

Ehlers (R-MI)

Biggert (R-IL)

Platts (R-PA)

R. Keller (R-FL)

J. Wilson (R-SC)

Kline (R-MN)

Inglis (R-SC)

C. M. Rodgers (R-WA)

Merchant (R-TX)

Price (R-GA)

Boustany (R-LA)

Foxx (R-LA)

Kuhl (R-NY)

R. Bishop (R-UT)

D. Davis (R-TN)

Walberg (R-MI)

 

Thursday, August 23, 2007

NCLB hearing in Tampa: Opportunity to Give Input to Congress on NCLB!!

Opportunity to Give Input to Congress on NCLB!!
Meet with Congresswoman Kathy Castor and the Chair of the House Committee on Education and Labor, Congressman George Miller.

Monday, August 27, 2007 from 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association
4505 North Rome Avenue
Tampa, FL 33603
(813) 238-7902

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

New Bill Strives for Success in the Middle

Source: http://p8.hostingprod.com/@www.principalspolicyblog.org/blog/2007/08/new_bill_strives_for_success_in_the_middle.html

 

New Bill Strives for Success in the Middle

Middle level reform is finally receiving national attention now that Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) has introduced the Success in the Middle Act (H.R. 3406). The bill, which would create a Middle Schools Improvement Fund, will likely be incorporated into the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

“Middle schools are a forgotten area in this whole NCLB reauthorization process,” Grijalva said in a press release announcing the bill’s introduction. “We need to invest in the most crucial years of the education pipeline to ensure our students succeed.”


The Success in the Middle Act was drafted by NASSP in collaboration with National Middle School Association, the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform, and a number of other education organizations. The groups joined forces earlier this year to promote joint recommendations for NCLB reauthorization, and the Grijalva bill is a key piece of the agenda to improve middle level education. Specifically, the bill would:

  • Authorize $1 billion for the Middle Schools Improvement Fund to help local school districts improve low-performing schools that contain middle grades
  • Require states receiving a grant to implement a statewide plan for improving student achievement in the middle grades
  • Ensure that statewide plans describe what students are required to know to successfully complete the middle grades and succeed in an academically rigorous high school that prepares students for postsecondary education and the workplace
  • Require states and districts to develop an early-warning data system to identify those students most at risk of dropping out and implement interventions that will help those students succeed
  • Ensure that states and districts invest in proven intervention strategies such as providing professional development and coaching for school leaders, teachers, and other school personnel to address the needs of diverse learners and use challenging and relevant research-based best practices and curricula; and developing and implementing comprehensive, schoolwide improvement efforts in the nation's lowest-performing schools; and implementing student supports such as personal academic plans, mentoring, intensive reading and math instruction, and extended learning time, which help all students to stay on the path to graduation
  • Authorize an additional $100 million dollars to facilitate the generation, dissemination, and application of research to identify and implement effective practices that lead to continual student learning and high academic achievement at the middle level.

The future success of NCLB rests largely on the shoulders of middle level leaders, teachers, and students. Students in grades 5 through 8 represent 57% (14 million) of the nation’s annual test takers, but students are leaving middle level schools underprepared for the rigorous academic and social demands of successful high school participation and completion. NASSP firmly believes that the Success in the Middle Act will ensure greater academic achievement in high school, lower dropout rates, higher graduation rates, and more students attending college in the future.

Take action! The House Education and Labor Committee is moving quickly on NCLB reauthorization and plans to mark up a bill when Congress returns from its summer recess in September. As a school leader, you are in a prime position to educate your members of Congress about the needs of middle level schools and their students. Visit the Principal's Legislative Action Center (www.principals.org/PLAC) and urge your members of Congress to cosponsor the Success in the Middle Act. 

 

Friday, August 03, 2007

Legislative Alert .. Contact Your Representatives Today!

Contact Your Representatives Today!

Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) has sent out a Dear Colleague letter to members of Congress asking for original co-sponsors for the Put School Counselors Where They're Needed Act. ASCA has worked closely with her office to help write the legislative language that would increase secondary school counselors in high-need Title I Schools.

Now we need YOUR help. Contact your representatives today and ask them to sign on as original co-sponsors of this important legislation. Co-sponsors are needed TODAY.

Following is the text of the Dear Colleague letter:

Want to Increase High School Graduation Rates In Your District?
Put More School Counselors Where They're Needed!

Dear Colleague,
As we move closer to the reauthorization of the landmark No Child Left Behind law, we must examine and address our national drop-out problem. That's why I invite you to join me as an original co-sponsor of the "Put School Counselors Where They're Needed Act."

Professional secondary school counselors are an integral part of the effort to increase graduation rates. School counselors can identify potential problems early in a student's school career and make sure that they are addressed before students become overwhelmed and drop out.

The average counselor-to-student ratio in America's public schools is one to 479, a ratio that hardly allows for individual attention and intensive support. The American School Counselor Association and the American Counseling Association recommend a ratio of one school counselor to 250 students and a lower ratio for counselors working primarily with students at risk.

If we are serious about leaving no child behind, we must admit that schools are not factories and children are not widgets. We must place more counselors where there are more students at risk.

The Put School Counselors Where They're Needed Act would do just that. This bill would authorize a limited demonstration program, placing additional professional secondary school counselors in schools with drop-out rates of 40% or more. These additional counselors will work intensively with students at risk of dropping out and will collaborate with parents, teachers, and others to create a comprehensive plan to get these students back on the right track. Moreover, similarly situated schools around the nation could benefit from the lessons learned by participating schools. This legislation is supported by the National PTA, the American School Counselor Association and the American Counseling Association.

Please become an original co-sponsor of the Put School Counselors Where They're Needed Act. To learn more about this important legislation, or to become an original co-sponsor, please contact Celeste Drake (x5-6676) in my office today.
Sincerely,
LINDA T. SÁNCHEZ
Member of Congress

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Loan Forgiveness for School Counselors

Source: http://www.schoolcounselor.org/content.asp?contentid=528

Loan Forgiveness for School Counselors http://www.schoolcounselor.org/images/1px_spacer.gifOn July 11, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2669, The College Cost Reduction Act of 2007, on a 273-149 vote. The measure would eliminate nearly $19 billion in lender subsidies and use the money to increase the maximum Pell Grant amount by $500 over five years and to finance a series of measures to make college loans more affordable.  The bill would also authorize more than $1.5 billion for nine new entitlement programs, including $500 million for colleges serving minorities, $300 million on philanthropic groups that help low-income students get loans and an estimated $400 million in teachers training grants to universities.  The establishment of these new programs is what made the bill so controversial. The money saved goes right into these new programs, making fiscal conservatives very uncomfortable. The news for school counselors, however, is good.  As part of this bill, loan forgiveness programs for service in “areas of national need” were incorporated.  As a result of ongoing advocacy by ASCA and our allied organizations, school counselors are included as part of the list of occupations and professions eligible for loan forgiveness. Specifically, the bill states that the Secretary of Education is authorized to forgive not more than $5,000 of a borrower’s student loan obligation for being employed full-time in an “area of national need.” Forgiveness is provided in $1,000 increments at the end of each year for a period not to exceed five years. Also, individuals must be employed at Title I schools serving certain students that meet locally established criteria.  Other professions designated as “areas of national need” include: Early childhood educators, nurses, foreign language specialists, librarians, highly qualified teachers employed as full-time teachers of bilingual education, highly qualified teachers who are working in low-income areas, child welfare workers, speech-language pathologists, national service volunteers, and certain public sector employees (public safety, emergency management, public health, and public interest legal services). While this was certainly a victory for loan forgiveness for school counselors, this bill has a long way to go before it becomes law. The Senate must pass its own version of the bill, and then the two chambers must meet in conference to iron out differences. It then must be sent to the president who has already been threatened to veto the bill. ASCA will continue to work behind the scenes on this issue as well monitor the situation in the coming months.

Friday, July 13, 2007

Governor Signs Bill Relating to High-Risk Offenders

Governor Signs Bill Relating to High-Risk Offenders
On June 20, 2007, Governor Crist signed into law Senate Bill 988, Relating to High-Risk Offenders. The bill requires specific notations on the driver's license of sexual predators, and establishes standards and procedures related to the background screening of individuals who provide contracted non-instructional services to Florida public schools or districts. The bill also provides exceptions for certain instructional personnel. This bill went into effect on July 1, 2007, and may be viewed at www.flsenate.gov/data/session/2007/Senate/bills/billtext/pdf/s0988er.pdf

Monday, July 09, 2007

Suicide Prevention

CS/HB 139
Suicide Prevention
Suicide Prevention: Creates Statewide Office for Suicide Prevention as unit of Drug Control Office in EOG; authorizes said office to seek & accept grants or funds from any source to support its operation; creates Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council within said office; authorizes coordinating council to assemble ad hoc committee to advise said council; provides appropriation.

Monday, June 11, 2007

ESSCP

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Approve Largest Increase Ever To

Thanks to the ongoing efforts of ASCA members' calls, letters, face-to-face meetings with congressional staff and testimony on Capitol Hill provided by ASCA's president-elect, Eric Sparks, and ASCA member Lesli Myers, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS-Ed) rejected President Bush's recommendation to eliminate the program and instead approved a spending bill for Fiscal Year 2008 that included the largest increase ever to the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP) to $61.5 million. This is an increase of 77.5 percent over Fiscal Year 2007. In fact, this is the largest percentage increase to any education program found in the House LHHS-Ed FY 2008 Appropriations bill!.


What Happens Next?
The LHHS-Ed appropriations bill next goes to the full House Appropriations Committee on June 14 and then to the floor of the House of Representatives for debate and votes the following week. The Senate will go through the same process later this month, and then the different House and Senate bills must be rectified into one final bill that is passed by Congress and signed by the president.

If the increase in funding to ESSCP reaches above $40 million, the funding "trigger" will go into effect making the monies above $40 million available to secondary school counseling programs as well as elementary school programs. This will be the first time in the program's history that the funding level will be large enough to put the trigger into effect and make funds available for secondary school programs.

Next Step for ASCA Members
We want to make sure that Rep. Dave Obey (D-WI), chair of the LHHS-Ed Appropriations Subcommittee and chair of the full Appropriations Committee, knows how much we appreciate his efforts on behalf of school counselors and thank him for acknowledging the important role we play in schools by increasing ESSCP funding. To help in this effort, we have drafted a letter template thanking Obey for his efforts and for and for his continued support.

Please take a moment to personalize this letter, and fax it to Obey's office at (715) 842-4488 or e-mail it directly to connolly.keigher@mail.house.gov.

 

Friday, June 08, 2007

Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program Update!

From American School Counselor Association
Subject: Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program Update!

 

HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE ON LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROVES LARGEST INCREASE EVER TO ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAMS

Thanks to the ongoing efforts of ASCA members’ calls, letters, face-to-face meetings with congressional staff and testimony on Capitol Hill provided by ASCA's President-Elect, Eric Sparks, and ASCA member, Lesli Myers, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS-Ed) rejected President Bush’s recommendation to eliminate the program and instead approved a spending bill for Fiscal Year 2008 that included the largest increase ever to the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP) to $61.5 million.  This is an increase of 77.5 percent over Fiscal Year 2007!  In fact, this is the largest percentage increase to any education program found in the House LHHS-Ed FY 2008 Appropriations bill! 

What Happens Next?
The LHHS-Ed appropriations bill next goes to the full House Appropriations Committee on June 14 and then to the floor of the House of Representatives for debate and votes the following week.  The Senate will go through the same process later this month, and then the different House and Senate bills must be rectified into one final bill that is passed by Congress and signed by the President.

If the increase in funding to the ESSCP reaches above $40 million, the funding “trigger” will go into effect making the monies above $40 million available to secondary school counseling programs as well as elementary school programs.  This will be the first time in the history of the program that the funding level will be large enough put trigger into effect making funds available for secondary school programs.

Next Step for ASCA Members
We want to make sure that Rep. Dave Obey (D-WI), Chair of the LHHS-Ed Appropriations Subcommittee and Chair of the full Appropriations Committee, knows how much we appreciate his efforts on behalf of school counselors and thank him for acknowledging the important role we play in schools by increasing ESSCP funding. To help in this effort, we have drafted the attached letter template thanking Rep. Obey for his efforts and for and for his continued support.  PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO PERSONALIZE THIS LETTER AND FAX IT TO REP. OBEY’S OFFICE AT (715)842-4488 OR EMAIL IT DIRECTLY TO CONNOLLY.KEIGHER@MAIL.HOUSE.GOV

Also, spread the word and share this good news with other school counselors in your school and state. 

 

 

 <<Insert Date>>

 

Chairman David R. Obey

Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee

2314 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

 

Dear Chairman Obey:

 

On behalf of the <<INSERT YOUR SCHOOL NAME OR STATE SCHOOL COUNSELING ASSOCIATION>>, I want to thank you for your support to increase funding for the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP) to $61.5 million in the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill for FY 2008.  We commend you for your continued leadership and acknowledgement of the school counseling profession and your willingness to increase funding for the ESSCP by over 77% despite the President’s recommendation to cut the program altogether.  

 

The need for school counseling services at both the elementary and secondary school levels is clear. As you well know, school counselors take the lead in efforts to help students cope with the effects of bullying, school violence, and natural disasters. School counselors also help students with academic, personal and social and career development to enable them to become contributing members of society.   <<INSERT DETAILS ABOUT YOUR COUNSELING PROGRAM IN YOUR SCHOOL>>.

 

Currently, the average student-to-counselor ratio in America’s public schools is 479 to 1. The American School Counseling Association (ASCA) and other organizations recommend a maximum ratio of 250 to 1 to adequately meet students’ needs.  Funding from the ESSCP has provided grants to hundreds of counseling programs, helping many communities improve these critical student services.  With funding now reaching above the $40 million trigger, ESSCP grants will now be available to fund secondary school activities which is very exciting.  <<INSERT ANY PLANS YOU MAY HAVE FOR HOW THIS FUNDING COULD BE USED>>

 

We are so thankful you saw the importance of the Elementary and Secondary School program even in light of the current tough fiscal climate.  We greatly appreciate your ongoing support and look forward to continuing to work with you on this important initiative.

 

Sincerely,