Recently in Elementary and Secondary Education

News of the Day: The Dropout Crisis

By
Kruger, Mike
 on May 11, 2009 9:57 AM
In Saturday's New York Times, they have an editorial entitled: The Dropout Crisis. In it, the editorial board noted that:

The soaring dropout rate is causing the United States to lose ground educationally to rivals abroad and is trapping millions of young Americans at the very margins of the economy.
Nationally, only 70 percent of students graduate from high school with a regular high school diploma. Approximately 10 percent of high schools in this country produce close to half of these dropouts. As the NY Times continues:

Many of this country’s large urban high schools are rightly called “dropout factories” because more students leave school than graduate....The dropout crisis presents a clear danger to national prosperity.
There will be a full committee hearing tomorrow at 3pm Eastern to examine how policies for addressing the high school dropout crisis and improving graduation rates can strengthen America’s economic competitiveness.

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Committee to Examine How Improving High School Graduation Rates Can Strengthen U.S. Competitiveness

By
Kittredge, Betsy Miller
 on May 7, 2009 5:09 PM
On Tuesday, May 12, the Committee will hold a hearing to examine how policies for addressing the high school dropout crisis and improving graduation rates can strengthen America’s economic competitiveness.

Nationally, only 70 percent of students graduate from high school with a regular high school diploma. Approximately 10 percent of high schools in this country produce close to half of these dropouts. In his first address to a joint session of Congress, President Obama called on lawmakers to address the dropout crisis.
WHAT:         
Full Committee Hearing on “America’s Competitiveness through High School Reform”

WHO:           
U.S. Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE)
U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA)
U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
Robert Balfanz, Ph.D., Research Scientist, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Scott Gordon, CEO, Mastery Charter Schools, Philadelphia, PA
Marguerite Kondracke, president and CEO, America’s Promise, Washington, DC
Vicki L. Phillips Ed.D, director of education for the US program, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, WA
Bob Wise, president, Alliance for Excellent Education, Washington, DC            
Michael Wotorson, executive director, Campaign for High School Equity, Washington, DC

WHEN:        
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
3:00 p.m. EDT
Please check the Committee schedule for potential updates »

WHERE:       
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

Committee to Consider Legislation to Modernize America’s Schools

By
Kittredge, Betsy Miller
 on May 5, 2009 10:39 AM
On Wednesday, May 6, the Committee will consider legislation that will provide the nation’s public schools with billions of dollars in funding for much-needed repair, renovation and modernization projects, while breathing new life into local economies.  

The 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act could create as many as 136,000 new construction jobs nationwide, according to calculations by the Economic Policy Institute, while boosting student achievement by creating healthier, safer, and energy-efficient learning environments. Studies show there is a correlation between facility quality and student achievement. The legislation also would provide significant aid for Gulf Coast Schools still recovering from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

WHAT:         
Full Committee Mark-Up of H.R. 2187 “21st Century Green High-Performing Public School”

WHEN:         
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
10:00 a.m. ET
Please check the Committee schedule for potential updates »

WHERE:      
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

The 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act

By
Kittredge, Betsy Miller
 on May 4, 2009 4:32 PM
Improving Education, Creating Jobs, Fighting Global Warming

School buildings should be safe and healthy learning environments for children. But according to recent estimates, America’s schools are hundreds of billions of dollars short of the funding needed to bring them up to good condition. Research shows a correlation between school facility quality and student achievement. Modernizing school buildings would help revive our economy by creating jobs and preparing workers for the clean energy jobs of the future. And by upgrading school buildings to make them more energy efficient and more reliant on renewable sources of energy, modernized school buildings can also help reduce the emissions that contribute to global warming. Congress already has endorsed these principles by making green school modernization, renovation and repair part an allowable use of funds under the state fiscal stabilization fund in H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Click here to download estimates of the amount of funding that each state and school district would receive under H.R. 2187 if it were to be enacted »

The 21st Century Green High-Performing Public Schools Facilities Act (H.R. 2187), passed by the House on May 14, 2009 by a vote of 275-155, would:
Provide schools with access to funding for modernization, renovation and repair projects

  • Authorizes $6.4 billion for school facilities projects for fiscal year 2010, and ensures that school districts will quickly receive funds for school modernization, renovation, and repairs that create healthier, safer, and more energy-efficient teaching and learning climates.
  • Allocates the same percentage of funds to school districts that they receive under Part A of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, except that it guarantees each such district a minimum of $5,000.

Encourage energy efficiency and the use of renewable resources in schools

  • Requires the majority of funds (100 percent by 2015) to be used for projects that meet green building standards.
  • Allows states to reserve one percent of funds to administer the program and to develop a plan a statewide database of school facilities, including their modernization and repair needs, energy use, carbon footprints, and an energy efficiency quality plan. 
  • Requires school districts to publicly report the educational, energy and environmental benefits of projects, how they comply with the green building requirements, and the percentage of funds used for projects at low-income, rural and charter schools.
  • Requires the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to disseminate best practices in school construction and to provide technical assistance to states and school districts regarding best practices.

Provide additional aid to Gulf Coast schools still recovering from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

  • Authorizes separate funds – $600 million over six years – for public schools that were damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Many students still attend school in temporary classrooms.

Ensure fair wages and benefits for workers by applying Davis-Bacon protections to all grants for school modernization, renovation, and repair projects

Support for H.R. 2187


American Association of School Administrators »
(PDF, 46KB)

American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees »
(PDF, 65KB)

American Federation of Teachers »
(PDF, 73KB)

Council of Educational Facility Planners International »
(PDF, 26KB)

Council of the Great City Schools »
(PDF, 63KB)

International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, AFL-CIO »
(PDF, 253KB)

National Association of Secondary Schools Principals »
(PDF, 34KB)

National Construction Alliance II »
(PDF, 206KB)

Rebuild America's Schools »
(PDF, 87KB)

U.S. Green Building Council »
(PDF, 37KB)

Other organizations »
(PDF, 54KB)

Committee to Examine How Common State Standards Can Improve Competitiveness

By
Kittredge, Betsy Miller
 on April 24, 2009 11:41 AM
On Wednesday, April 29, the Committee will hold a hearing to examine how states can better prepare their students to compete in a global economy by using internationally benchmarked common standards.

WHAT:         
Full Committee Hearing on “Strengthening America’s Competitiveness through Common Academic Standards”

WHO:            
The Honorable James B. Hunt, Jr., Former Governor of North Carolina and Foundation Chair, James B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy, Durham, North Carolina
Ken James, Commissioner of Education, Arkansas Department of Education, Little Rock, Arkansas
Greg Jones, Chair, California Business for Excellence in Education (CBEE), Sacramento, California
Dave Levin, Co-Founder, KIPP: Knowledge Is Power Program, New York, New York
Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers, New York, New York
            
WHEN:          
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
10:00 a.m. EDT
Please check the Committee schedule for potential updates »

WHERE:       
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

Photos from Chairman Miller's visit to a DC public school

By
Kittredge, Betsy Miller
 on April 3, 2009 3:06 PM
Today, Chairman Miller and Senator Richard Durbin visited the Shaw-Garnett Patterson middle school in Washington, DC with DC Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee.  Principal Brian Betts and students gave them a tour of several classrooms, including math and literacy, and then the lawmakers had the opportunity to sit down with a group 8th grade students.  Following that meeting, Miller and Durbin also met with a group of teachers from the school.



New Regulations on No Child Left Behind Aren't Enough

By
Chairman George Miller
 on October 29, 2008 12:18 PM
The U.S. Department of Education recently released new regulations for the No Child Left Behind Act.

Some of these regulations are steps in the right direction; but others will do little to change the criticism facing NCLB .  It is troubling that the Bush administration has waited until the last possible minute to address some of the serious concerns with No Child Left Behind, in particular the lack of uniformity across the states when calculating their high school graduation rates.  No Child Left Behind law is in need of significant and fundamental improvements -- so that every child has the opportunity to get a world class public education. I look forward to working with the next administration to make the law more fair, more flexible and better funded.


Indian Schools Face Unique Challenges, Witnesses Tell Education Subcommittee

By
Kittredge, Betsy Miller
 on September 11, 2008 11:39 AM
Dr. Willard Sakiestewa Gilbert
Dr. Willard Sakiestewa Gilbert testifies
on September 9, 2008.
The administration should do more to improve academic standards for schoolchildren who attend Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools, witnesses told the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education at a hearing on Tuesday.  Specifically, they said the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Education must work more closely with tribal organizations to develop accountability systems under the No Child Left Behind Act.  The federal government provides elementary and secondary education and educational assistance to Indian children directly through federally-funded schools or through assistance to public schools. Ninety percent of Indian students attend public schools operated by local school districts.  However, 10 percent attend BIE schools, which are schools funded by the Department of the Interior. BIE schools are subject to NCLB with limited exceptions.
"Our success in the 21st century economy is directly tied to our ability to produce a high quality labor force. And that ability is, of course, directly tied to our ability to meet the challenge of providing every child – including every Indian child – with a world-class education. We must ensure that Indian tribes – which are sovereign entities who best understand their children’s needs – are full partners in that process." -- Subcommittee Chairman Dale Kildee.

"Recognizing and validating the cultural, social and linguistic needs of American Indians is critical to guaranteeing the continuity of their communities...  We believe with good faith collaboration that we can provide our children with an education that honors their Native identities while simultaneously preparing them for successful futures by providing them with opportunities to incorporate into the curriculum their rich cultural heritages, languages, and traditions." -- Dr. Willard Sakiestewa Gilbert, President of the National Indian Education Association (NIEA), who testified that the BIE should expand upon the culturally based instruction currently taking place in Indian schools by promoting stronger integration of Native culture and languages into the curriculum.

"The frustration with this situation is NCLB provides opportunities for tribes to have a significant voice on assessing the quality of education for their children and making changes to their educational programs based on those assessments...  The manner in which the BIE has chosen to implement NCLB has left tribes with no voice in educating their own children." -- Ted Hamilton, Executive Director of the Oceti Sakowin Education Consortium, who testified about the need to develop strong accountability systems tailored to BIE schools under NCLB.
 

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Improving Physical Education in U.S. Schools is Key to Fighting Child Obesity Epidemic

By
Kittredge, Betsy Miller
 on July 24, 2008 5:23 PM
Witnesses told the Committee at today's hearing on physical education in America's schools that expanding and improving physical education in the nation’s schools is key to fighting child obesity.  Studies show that more than a third of U.S. schoolchildren are now obese, that the physical activity of American children is dramatically decreasing as they move into their teenage years, and that overweight children are now more vulnerable to serious diseases that were once a rarity among young kids, including cardiovascular disease, Type II diabetes, asthma, sleep apnea, and certain types of cancer.
U.S. schools have drastically reduced their physical education programs in recent years; fewer than ten percent of all public schools now offer daily physical education classes. Although the National Association for Sport and Physical Activity recommends at least 150 minutes of exercise a week for elementary students and 225 minutes a week for middle and high school students, most schools offer far less.

Chairman George Miller


Richard Simmons


Tim Brown


Dr. Russell Pate

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Upcoming Hearing: Improving Physical Education in America's Schools

By
Kittredge, Betsy Miller
 on July 23, 2008 1:44 PM
With the U.S. facing staggering rates of child obesity, the Committee will hold a hearing on Thursday, July 24 at 10 a.m., to examine how to improve physical education in the nation’s schools and strengthen efforts to fight childhood obesity.

“The Benefits of Physical and Health Education for Our Nation’s Children”
Witnesses:
U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI)
U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN)
Richard Simmons, Fitness Expert and Advocate
Tim Brown, former Oakland Raider wide receiver and nine time Pro-Bowler
Dr. Russell Pate, Associate Vice President for Health Sciences and Professor, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina
Lori Rose Benson, Director of Fitness and Physical Education, New York City Department of Education
Robert M. Keiser, Student Advisor to Governor Charlie Crist, Council on Physical Fitness, Florida

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Stronger Math and Science Education Key to Boosting U.S. Competitiveness

By
Kittredge, Betsy Miller
 on July 23, 2008 11:04 AM
Improving the teaching and learning of mathematics and science in U.S. schools is vital to maintaining America’s global leadership, witnesses told the Committee in yesterday's hearing.  A report released in March by the National Mathematics Advisory Panel found that the nation’s system teaching math is “broken and must be fixed” if the U.S. wants to maintain its competitive edge. Among other things, the panel called for a comprehensive, systemic effort to strengthen math education, including improving teacher training and professional development.  The panel of experts, which included business leaders, a teacher, and the first American woman to travel in space, recommended expanding partnerships between the business and education communities that focus on bolstering STEM education, and increasing training and support programs for teachers.  The witnesses also urged lawmakers to fully fund the America COMPETES Act, a law enacted by the Democratic Congress last year to provide education and job training for students and workers in math, science, technology, and engineering fields. Last year, Congress approved $193 million in funding for math and science education in the COMPETES Act, but President Bush vetoed that legislation.
“America won’t be able to maintain our great legacy of innovation and discovery, let alone compete in today’s global economy, unless we make investing in math and science education a top priority,” said Chairman George Miller. “Last year, Congress took a critical first step by enacting legislation to provide workers with the training and skills needed to compete in 21st century jobs. Now we must build on that down payment by working with business leaders and key stakeholders to help arm students with an excellent foundation in math, science, and other cutting-edge fields.”  More »

Chairman Miller


Phil Mickelson


Sally Ride

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Upcoming Hearing: How Business-Education Partnerships Can Bolster Math and Science Education

By
Kittredge, Betsy Miller
 on July 21, 2008 10:21 AM
Tomorrow, July 22 at 2 p.m., the Committee will hold a hearing to examine how business-education partnerships can help drive innovation and strengthen math and science education in America’s schools. A report released by the National Math Panel in March found that the nation’s system for teaching math is “broken and must be fixed” if the U.S. wants to maintain its competitive edge. In May, the Committee first examined the report’s findings and recommendations; Tuesday’s hearing will follow up on that hearing.  Phil Mickelson, professional golfer and co-founder of the Mickelson Exxon Mobil Teachers Academy, will be among the witnesses to testify.

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Witnesses Tell Committee That High Standards and Outstanding Teachers Will Close the Achievement Gap

By
Kittredge, Betsy Miller
 on July 18, 2008 9:30 AM
Setting high standards, ensuring that all children have access to outstanding teachers, holding educators accountable for their schools’ progress, and restructuring chronically struggling schools, are vital to creating a world-class public education system, mayors and superintendents of major U.S. cities told the Committee at yesterday's hearing.
Each of the four cities represented at the hearing -– New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Atlanta -– have made impressive gains in recent years in boosting student proficiency in reading and math and narrowing the achievement gap between groups of students. As the witnesses explained, many of these gains are the result of the innovative reforms being pursued through mayor-superintendent partnerships, including performance pay initiatives for teachers and principals, increased accountability, and community-wide partnerships that can help strengthen schools and provide better support for teachers. More »


Chairman Miller


Mayor Adrian Fenty




Mayor Michael Bloomberg


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Upcoming Hearing: Challenges and Successes in Urban Education Reform

By
Kittredge, Betsy Miller
 on July 16, 2008 11:19 AM
On Thursday, July 17 at 10:00 a.m., the Committee will hear from mayors and school superintendents of major U.S. cities, including New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Atlanta, at a hearing on their challenges and successes in working to improve public schools.
“Mayor and Superintendent Partnerships in Education: Closing the Achievement Gap"
Witnesses:
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, New York City
Chancellor Joel I. Klein, New York City Public Schools
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, District of Columbia
Chancellor Michelle Rhee, DC Public Schools
Arne Duncan, Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Public Schools
Beverly L. Hall, Superintendent, Atlanta Public Schools

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