New England Board of Higher Education » Race to the Top

DC Shuttle: National Reports Call for Student Aid Reform, More Autonomy for Schools, Upgrading Data Systems

John O. Harney — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:52:27 +0000

Higher education reauthorization. On Tuesday, Jan. 29, as lawmakers began to form proposals for the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, the New America Foundation released a report with 30 recommendations for policy changes. The report "calls for specific changes to grants, loans, tax benefits, college outreach programs and federal regulations to provide more direct aid to the lowest-income students while strengthening accountability for institutions of higher education." Democratic and Republican staffers from the House Education and the Workforce Committee, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and the Senate Budget Committee met with authors of the report for suggestions on how to move forward with reauthorization. The report advises lawmakers to stabilize the Pell Grant program and increase its awards. It also calls for the simplification of federal loans, replacing tax credits with direct student aid, and extending standard accountability requirements to more schools. The Pell Grant recommendations are very similar to those made by the Institute for Higher Education Policy in its Jan. 7 report.

Federal role in education. On Tuesday, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) announced its intent to push for legislation that would require the federal government to give local school districts greater autonomy. The press release calls for federal laws that limit Department of Education actions, claiming the department, under Secretary Arne Duncan, has pushed "unnecessary and counter-productive federal intrusion." As part of the organizations annual meeting, the NSBA is also lobbying members of Congress to stop the education-related cuts scheduled under sequestration.

Race to the Top reports. On Friday, the Department of Education released performance reports for states that won Race to the Top grants and an annual report for the Race to the Top program. The Race to the Top program is now halfway through its four years. In remarks accompanying the reports, DOE says that states are seeing improvements in just the second year of the program. The report goes on to identify the implementation of teacher- and principal-evaluation systems, and the formation and upgrading of sophisticated data systems as the areas where states are struggling.

As a member of New England Council, we publish the DC Shuttle each week featuring higher ed news from Washington. This edition is drawn from the Council's Weekly Washington Report Higher Education Update, of Feb. 4, 2013.

Founded in 1925, the New England Council is a nonpartisan alliance of businesses, academic and health institutions, and public and private organizations throughout New England formed to promote economic growth and a high quality of life in the New England region. The Council's mission is to identify and support federal public policies and articulate the voice of its membership regionally and nationally on important issues facing New England. For more information, please visit: www.newenglandcouncil.com.

DC Shuttle: Maximum Pell Grant Increased; Education Dept. Updates Lists of College Costs

Erica Pritchard — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 17:26:57 +0000

On Thursday, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted along party lines to approve FY2013 authorization for Labor-HHS-Education programs, including $68.5 billion for the Department of Education. This includes an $85 increase in the maximum Pell Grant award level, from $5,550 to $5,635, beginning in the 2013-14 school year. Funding for most other student financial aid programs would remain at current levels. Lawmakers approved an amendment which would allow students who lack high school diplomas or GEDs to qualify for federal financial aid by passing an "ability to benefit" test. These students had been ruled ineligible for federal aid in FY2012's spending bill, as a cost-saving measure to help preserve funding for Pell Grants.

Under the Senate Appropriations bill, the Race to the Top competitive grant program for K-12 education reform would receive level funding with 2012 at $549 million, with a $51 million increase included at the subcommittee level being shifted to the Math and Science Partnerships program. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) submitted the amendment to redirect the funding to the math and science program and bring its total funding up to $150 million in order to ensure that the funding continue to be distributed as a formula grant, rather than as a competitive grant, as required by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act when funding falls below $100 million. The college-level Race to the Top grant program aimed at containing rising college costs, for which the administration had requested $1 billion, would receive no funding from the legislation.

The "First in the World" program, which encourages colleges to develop innovative approaches to education, would receive $40 million. The 2013 spending bill would also increase funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by $100 million: from $30.6 billion to $30.7 billion. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education, said that the increased NIH funding will "promote our nation's long-term economic prosperity" and "help the United States remain the world leader in biomedical research."

In accordance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, the Education Department released an updated snapshot of tuition and college costs around the country through its College Affordability and Transparency Center on Tuesday. The lists include institutions with the highest and lowest tuition, net cost to students, fees, and those whose costs are most rapidly increasing and decreasing. See the lists.

Manager of Mass. Race to the Top-Early Learning Application to Lead Rennie Center

John O. Harney — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:36:29 +0000

The Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy hired Chad d’Entremont as its new executive director. A former research and policy leader at Teachers College of Columbia University and Strategies for Children, d’Entremont managed Massachusetts’ successful application for a $50 million Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge award. At Rennie, he succeeds Jill Norton, who oversaw the center's research on issues such as school discipline practices, student mobility, dropout prevention, student learning plans to support transitions from college to career, Common Core standards and teacher evaluation.

DC Shuttle: Congress Still Trying to Fix No Child Left Behind

John O. Harney — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:56:04 +0000

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chair Tom Harkin (D-IA) released his draft of legislation to update the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) education law on Tuesday. The legislation frees states from NCLB's strict requirement that all children be proficient in reading and math by 2014, a standard which the Department of Education has estimated that 80% of schools would fail. Sen. Harkin's bill is a combination of Democrat and Republican education priorities, including both the Race to the Top competitive grant program espoused by the Obama administration and the emphasis on charter school expansion and state flexibility in using federal funds which were included in Republican bills to update NCLB. Under the terms of the draft, states would have complete flexibility over how they use federal education funds, with the requirement that they not divert funds from programs for disadvantaged students. The National Education Association has been cautious in its response to the draft, applauding a provision to break down student performance measures by categories including household income and English-language learners, but condemning the teacher-evaluation and turnaround measures for failing schools, which the teacher's union sees as too prescriptive. A HELP Committee hearing on the draft is scheduled for Oct. 18, and Sen. Harkin said that he hopes to have the bill on the Senate floor for a vote before the Thanksgiving recess. Members of the HELP Committee agreed that they will be hard-pressed to complete work on the bill in the five weeks before the break, given the legislative proposals expected from the deficit Super Committee. Action on the bill from the House is also uncertain.

On Wednesday, the House passed a bill (H.R. 2433) authored by Veterans' Affairs Committee Chair Jeff Miller (R-FL) to provide job training for unemployed veterans. Under the bill, 100,000 jobless veterans between the ages of 35 and 64 would be eligible to apply for Montgomery GI Bill benefits, including up to a year of training in a high-demand field like healthcare or technology. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), who chairs the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, is advancing her own bill (S. 951) targeting employment opportunities for older veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Sen. Harkin wrote a letter urging the Super Committee to refrain from cutting funding to several key programs, including Pell Grants for college students. "Cutting the maximum award level or reducing student eligibility for Pell Grants could put a college education out of reach for millions of American families while harming the competitiveness of our nation over the long term," he wrote. He also cited critical job-training programs under the departments of Education and Labor as worthy of preserving because they "provide individuals with opportunities to gain the skills that they need to fill current job openings," as well as ensuring "that our workers will be able to compete in industries of the future."

From the New England Council's Weekly Washington Report Higher Education Update, Oct. 18, 2011. NEBHE is a member of the Council and publishes this column each week.

Founded in 1925, the New England Council is a nonpartisan alliance of businesses, academic and health institutions, and public and private organizations throughout New England formed to promote economic growth and a high quality of life in the New England region. The Council's mission is to identify and support federal public policies and articulate the voice of its membership regionally and nationally on important issues facing New England. For more information, please visit www.newenglandcouncil.com.

DC Shuttle: Obama Proposes $5 Billion for Community College Infrastructure

John O. Harney — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:45:29 +0000

In his speech before a joint session of Congress Thursday evening, President Obama put forward several proposals aimed at bolstering the economy and creating jobs. Among these proposals was $30 billion to repair and revamp school facilities, including $5 billion specifically for community college infrastructure.

Education advocates in the administration and Congress have attempted to advance funding for school improvement and repair several times over the past few years. The American Graduation Initiative, an administration program which was ultimately dropped from the 2010 healthcare/student aid reform legislative package, included $12 billion for community college improvements. Billions for higher education infrastructure also failed to make it into the final version of the 2009 economic stimulus law.

Details on how the proposed $30 billion in new infrastructure funding would be distributed have yet to be released. The president's proposal also includes another $30 billion to prevent and reverse 280,000 teacher layoffs, which was among the goals of 2010's economic stimulus package. Reactions from Democrats and education advocates were generally favorable, although several Republicans expressed reservations. Congressman John Kline (R-MN), chair of the House Education and Workforce Committee, said that "common sense ... tells us that another teacher union bailout will not ensure a quality education for our children."

On Thursday, the House Veterans' Affairs Committee voted 17-5 to approve legislation (H.R. 2433) opening up education benefits to unemployed veterans. Bill sponsor and Committee Chair Jeff Miller (R-FL) said that the bill would provide 100,000 currently unemployed veterans aged 35-64 with up to one year of training, in addition to a grant program for retraining for homeless veterans. The House is expected to take up the bill later this month. On the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) is advancing legislation (S. 951) targeting unemployed veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars for employment initiatives.

The Department of Education released proposed requirements for the third round of Race to the Top grants on Wednesday. Finalists from the second round will compete for a portion of the $200 million education reform grant fund. States submitted reform plans focused on enhancing STEM education, recruiting and retaining effective teachers, and turning around failing schools.

From the New England Council's Weekly Washington Report Higher Education Update, Sept. 12, 2011. NEBHE is a member of the Council and publishes this column each week.

Founded in 1925, the New England Council is a nonpartisan alliance of businesses, academic and health institutions, and public and private organizations throughout New England formed to promote economic growth and a high quality of life in the New England region. The Council's mission is to identify and support federal public policies and articulate the voice of its membership regionally and nationally on important issues facing New England. For more information, please visit www.newenglandcouncil.com.

DC Shuttle: Duncan Hints at NCLB Alternative, Distance Learning Boosted and Other Higher Ed News from Washington

John O. Harney — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 14:20:51 +0000

On June 11, Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced that if Congress is unable to pass a comprehensive overhaul of the 2001 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) education law before the beginning of the 2011-12 school year, he would grant states waivers for the law's most burdensome requirements if they agreed to implement a set of reforms. While he has not fully developed the alternative plan, Secretary Duncan said that the reforms would most likely follow the lines of the department's Race to the Top initiative. The program awards grants to states adopting specific methods for turning around failing schools, implementing new curriculum standards and collecting student- and teacher-performance data. Secretary Duncan said that the waivers were only intended as a failsafe measure to prevent schools across the country from losing federal funding, as NCLB's most strict benchmarks will come due in 2012. Some education reform advocates think that offering an alternative will take the pressure off of legislators to push a compromise through before the fall. House Education and Workforce Committee Chair John Kline (R-MN) said that he was concerned that trading waivers for prescribed reforms continues Secretary Duncan's strategy of exchanging funding for policy changes. "I don't think that is the appropriate role for the secretary," Congressman Kline said. Ranking Member George Miller (D-CA) said he worried that states might agree to the changes necessary to receive a waiver but then fail to implement any real changes. The Obama administration and Senate HELP Chair Tom Harkin (D-IA) have both stressed their commitment to a full overhaul of NCLB, but consensus on which changes need to be made had proven difficult to achieve, despite bipartisan agreement that the current law needs to be reformed. Secretary Duncan said that although the waivers were a last-resort contingency plan, he felt compelled to offer an alternative to depending on an NCLB overhaul. "Providing regulatory-flexibility will give Congress time to work together around a set of reforms while giving states, districts and schools the freedom to advance reform by adopting high standards," he said.

On Wednesday, the House Education and Workforce Committee voted 27-11 to approve legislation (H.R. 2117) repealing two college regulations which are scheduled to take effect on July 1. A recent bundle of new regulations from the Department of Education includes rules requiring online and distance learning programs to be authorized by every state in which they operate, and establishing a federal definition for a college credit hour. The bill would repeal both of these regulations, which Committee Chair John Kline (R-MN) said constitutes "too much federal overreach into postsecondary education." Supporters of the repeal measure said that the state authorization requirement would prevent colleges from offering online and distance courses in certain areas, and that a federal credit hour standard could discriminate against non-traditional learning programs. Committee Ranking Member George Miller (D-CA) argued that the Education Department's new rules were necessary to ensure that federal student financial aid was being used wisely and protected against waste and abuse.

From the New England Council's Weekly Washington Report Higher Education Update, June 20, 2011. NEBHE is a member of the Council and will publish this column each week.

Founded in 1925, the New England Council is a nonpartisan alliance of businesses, academic and health institutions, and public and private organizations throughout New England formed to promote economic growth and a high quality of life in the New England region. The Council's mission is to identify and support federal public policies and articulate the voice of its membership regionally and nationally on important issues facing New England. For more information, please visit www.newenglandcouncil.com.

DC Shuttle: Congress Working to Reauthorize K-12 Law, Reward Early Learning, Protect Internet Privacy

John O. Harney — Tue, 31 May 2011 10:00:31 +0000

On Wednesday, the House Education and Workforce Committee advanced the first bill (H.R. 1891) in a planned series of education reform legislation. Under the bill, which was approved along party lines (23-16), $400 million in funding for over 40 education programs created under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) would be repealed. Republican supporters of the bill, sponsored by Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA), believe that the named programs are duplicative or ineffective. Democrats on the House panel were united against the bill, with Ranking Member George Miller (D-CA) concerned that eliminating programs now might hinder reform efforts further down the line. Once the $400 million is returned to the treasury, he argued, it would be difficult to recover to support needed education programs. One program originally slated for elimination would be preserved under an approved amendment: reauthorization for the Parent Information and Resource Centers (PIRCs) program passed in a close 20-19 vote with 3 Republicans in support. Other amendments to retain funding for one or more programs or for categories of programs including literacy and teacher training were rejected. On the Senate side, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) said Wednesday that he has had a series of “fruitful” negotiations with his Republican counterparts over the last several months, and believes that “we should be able to find middle ground” on reauthorization of ESEA. A spokesperson for the Education Department said that the Administration is “worried that time is running out to pass a bipartisan bill by the start of next school year,” but is still “committed to using all of our resources” to support the reform effort.

Of the $700 million dedicated to the Administration’s Race to the Top grant program this year, $500 million will be used for the Early Learning Challenge, which provides grants for early learning and preschool programs at the state level. A Department of Education press release said that the grants will “reward states that create comprehensive plans to transform early learning systems with better coordination, clearer learning standards, and meaningful workforce development.” The increased focus and the shift from district-based to state-based grants are reactions to reduced funding for Race to the Top in spending bills passed earlier this year. The remaining $200 million in funding will be available for the nine Race to the Top finalist states which did not receive funding in the program’s first round, none of which are in New England.

Congressmen Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Joe Barton (R-TX) have drafted letters requesting information on privacy policies from the College Board and ACT Inc. Specifically, the letters express concern about the collection and disclosure of personal information from students who take the SAT and ACT tests administered by the organizations. The lawmakers introduced a bill (H.R. 1895) together earlier this month to enhance teen privacy protections online, but it would not apply to nonprofit organizations. Under the bill, the collection of personal and geographic data from 13-year-old to 17-year-old internet users would be curtailed, and could not be used for marketing purposes.

From the New England Council's Weekly Washington Report Higher Education Update, May 31, 2011. NEBHE is a member of the Council and will publish this column each week.

Founded in 1925, the New England Council is a nonpartisan alliance of businesses, academic and health institutions, and public and private organizations throughout New England formed to promote economic growth and a high quality of life in the New England region. The Council's mission is to identify and support federal public policies and articulate the voice of its membership regionally and nationally on important issues facing New England. For more information, please visit www.newenglandcouncil.com.

RI, Mass. Among Finalists in Signature Ed Reform Initiative

Shoshana Akins — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:16:30 +0000

The U.S. Department of Education named Massachusetts and Rhode Island among 19 finalists in the national Race to the Top competition.

The competition rewards states that adopt standards and assessments to prepare students for college and career success, build data systems that measure success, recruit effective teachers and principals and "turn around" low-achieving schools.

In the first round of the competition, the Education Department in March announced awards of $500 million to Tennessee and $100 million to Delaware to pursue their education reform plans. Rhode Island ranked eighth and Massachusetts 13th.

The competition has eclipsed other education reform news and already spurred reforms in some states. But the scramble for funds has also drawn criticism.

Teachers say they are left out of the discussion for reform as their districts and states clamor to meet the unfair standards set by the department. Civil rights groups claim the competition has edged out low-income and minority students. Some groups have drafted an alternative framework for education reform as part of the new National Opportunity to Learn Campaign.