Wrapping Up the 111Wrapping Up the 111thth Session of Congress: Session of Congress: Federal Education Policy UpdateFederal Education Policy Update

Noelle EllersonAmerican Association of School Administrators

• Obama FY11 Budget Proposal

• FY11 Appropriations

• Emergency Education Jobs Bill

• Title I Fight/Formula Fairness

• Race to the Top

Presentation OverviewPresentation Overview

• State and local economies struggling to experience the stability and recovery starting to take hold at the federal level.

• Continued issue of supplement/supplant from ARRA and, now, education jobs fund.

• Confluence of the end of ARRA (2010-11/2011-12 school years) and the delayed economic recovery represent very real obstacle to schools as they try to balance increased emphasis on innovation with ever slimmer operating budgets.

Economic EnvironmentEconomic Environment

FY11 budget proposal released Feb 1 (2011-12 school year) Despite tight economic times, including non-defense

discretionary budget freeze, education receives historic increases7.5 percent increase in discretionary funding (largest since FY02)

Proposal includes massive restructuring in ESEA reauthorization

Despite overall increases:Title I was level fundedIDEA received a $250 million increase, remaining at 17% instead of the

promised 40%

Obama Budget ProposalObama Budget Proposal

Obama Budget ProposalObama Budget ProposalNew Authority

(change relative to consolidated programs cumulative total)Consolidated Programs

Effective Teachers and Leaders-$458.5 million (-15.5%)

Ready to Teach Teacher Quality State Grants

Teacher and Leader Innovation Fund+$539.4 million (+131.3%)

Advanced Credentialing Teacher Incentive Fund

Teacher and Leader Pathways+$268.9 million (+197.6%)

School LeadershipTeach for America

Teacher Quality Partnership Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow Transition to Teaching

Effective Teaching and Learning: STEM+$119.5 million (+66.2%)

Mathematics and Science Partnership

Effective Teaching and Learning: Well Rounded Education+$38.9 million (+17.2%)

Teaching American History Academies for American History and Civics Civic Education Close-Up Fellowships Excellence in Economic Education Foreign Language Assistance Arts in Education

College Pathways and Accelerated Learning-$3.3 million (-3.2%)

Advanced Placement High School Graduation Initiative Javits Gifted and Talented Education

Successful, Safe and Healthy Students+$45 million (+12.3%)

Alcohol Abuse Reduction Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Foundations for Learning Mental Health integration in Schools Physical Education Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities

National Activities

Expanding Educational Options+$80.9 million (19.8%)

Charter School Grants Credit Enhancement for Charter School Facilities Parental Information and Resource Centers Smaller Learning Communities Voluntary Public School Choice

• Despite overall increases:

Obama Budget ProposalObama Budget Proposal

Program FY11 Proposal

School Turnaround Grants +$354.4 million (+65%)

Assessing Achievement +$39.2 million (+9.6%)

Promise Nieghborhoods +$200 million (+2,000%)

Magnet Schools Assistance +$10 million (+10%)

English Language Acquisition State Grats +$50 million (+6.7%)

Title I grants to LEAs FROZEN

Migrant Student Education FROZEN

Neglected/Delinquent Children and Youth FROZEN

Homeless Children and Youth Education FROZEN

Impact Aid FROZEN

Rural Education FROZEN

Indian Student Education FROZEN

21st Century Community Learning Centers FROZEN

Obama Budget ProposalObama Budget Proposal• 65% increase in the proportion of discretionary education

dollars moving through competitive grants• AASA has a position in favor of formula grants.

USED 2010

FY 11 AppropriationsFY 11 Appropriations• The House and Senate Approps Cmtes announced caps for

FY11 discretionary spending. The Senate cap is roughly $14 billion below the administration, and the House cap is $7 below.

• House LHHS markup includes a discretionary increase above FY10 of $2.04 billion (3.2% increase)– Includes $5.67 billion for Pell– $400 m increase for Title I– $153 m increase for IDEA

• Next step? Most likely CR to get us through elections, maybe an omnibus.

• Concern with additional monies in CR going toward competitive grants, not formula programs.

Title I Funding EquityTitle I Funding Equity• There will be a formula fight within ESEA reauthorization.• Title I allocations are made up of four formulas:

– Basic Grant, Concentration Grant, Targeted Grant, Education Finance Incentive Grant

• Idea is to focus on concentrations of poverty– Current law uses numbers or percentages

• Since NCLB, all new money in Title I has been split between the Targeted Grant and the Education Finance Incentive Grant.

• Focus on percentages of poverty for equity

Emergency Education Jobs BillEmergency Education Jobs Bill• $10 billion in education jobs funding and $16.1 billion in

FMAP funding

• All but 2 states applied (SC and WY).• Current issues? – Supplement/supplant– Maintenance of effort– State pass-through of funds

State Grant Award

MA $250,000,000

NY $700,000,000

HI $75,000,000

FL $700,000,000

RI $75,000,000

DC $75,000,000

MD $250,000,000

GA $400,000,000

NC $400,000,000

OH $400,000,000

Reauthorization of REAPReauthorization of REAP• Some changes need to be made to

improve REAP in the coming reauthorization.

• Specifically, a number of districts are no longer receiving a financial benefit from the program despite qualifying.– Allow districts to choose which program to

apply under.– Raise the sliding scale from $20,000 -

$60,000 to $25,000 - $70,000.• For the Rural & Low-income program,

use free and reduced lunch instead of census.

• Update Locale codes.• Support the REAP Reauthorization Act

HR 2446 & S 1052

• Increased Congressional support for common core (not national) standards.– CCSSO and NGA have joined together with 48 states and territories to

develop them.– Draft standards were released in March and open for comment until

April 2nd.– States may choose to include additional standards beyond the common

core as long as the common core represents at least 85 percent of the state’s standards in English language arts and mathematics.

• What if Congress requires adoption of common core in order to receive Title I?– Still unclear what Congress sees as their role in this.– Certain competitive grants will give priority to Common Core states

Common Core StandardsCommon Core Standards

VouchersVouchers• Senate Armed Services Committee passed the FY2011

National Defense Authorization Act (S 3454), which included an amendment that would provide $7,500 in government funds to military families with special needs children to use to pay for tuition at a private or a different public school.

• Many of the protections touted by proponents of this amendment are already provided to students under IDEA.– Current provisions and requirements of IDEA provide better services

for the child. The ultimate goal is providing services, something guaranteed through IDEA but not the voucher.

• Would reduce Impact Aid for all federally connected schools.

Next Steps: Time for Next Steps: Time for YouYou to Get Involved to Get Involved

• Advocacy is a marathon, not a sprint. • Take advantage of the campaign season

and invite your Congress members to visit your district.

• Get to know the education LA!• Decisions will be made whether or not you

weigh in.• AASA’s advocacy efforts only go so far;

hearing direct from AASA members with the same message significantly strengthens the message.

JOIN THE GREAT EDUCATION CONVERSATIONJOIN THE GREAT EDUCATION CONVERSATIONAre you prepared to change the conversation on school reform to reflect our true successes? What does “reform” mean to you?

Attend AASA’s National Conference on Education to ensure you have all the information you need to discuss our progress so far and paint a clear picture of the future – join the Great Education Conversation!

February 17-19, 2011 • Denver, CO

REGISTER TODAY at www.aasa.org/nce and claim an active role in the conversation!

Questions?Questions?

Noelle EllersonAssistant Director, Policy Analysis & AdvocacyAmerican Association of School Administrators

(703) 875-0764nellerson@aasa.org