Higher Education Push Picks Up Steam

This week was another big week for higher education and the student lending industry. Members of Congress introduced new bills, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) proposed new rules for lenders, and New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo found himself, once again, testifying before Congress. As the accountability debates continue, the Higher Education Act (HEA) is moving toward final reauthorization after four years of extensions. As this legislative session has shown, the lending industry, and the overall cost of a college education will be the dominant issue in reauthorizing the HEA.

On Wednesday, Mr. Cuomo testified before the Senate Banking Committee on the status of his investigation into private student loans, which do not carry federal guarantees. Mr. Cuomo said he would examine whether lenders were discriminating against students based on the institutions they are attending or other factors not directly related to their credit history. This is the latest in a series of investigations Cuomo has spearheaded into lending practices. Congressional Democratic leaders are using Mr. Cuomo’s investigations to highlight mismanagement and a lack of oversight by ED. Since the beginning of the 110th Congress, many different lawmakers have introduced bills that hope to reform the lending industry, in an attempt to make a college education more affordable.
Mr. Cuomo, called the $17.3 billion market for private student loans the “Wild West” of consumer loans because it is largely unregulated and does not provide levels of disclosure comparable to the mortgage industry. This prompted committee chairman and presidential candidate Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) to consider drafting tighter regulations for the private student loan market and including the provisions in a reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Sen. Dodd wants to require lenders to clearly disclose the rates and terms of private student loans. He also wants to clarify that “kickbacks” or revenue-sharing arrangements between lenders and schools or other parties are illegal. Dodd said he is prepared to write those changes into law, but he also will push federal agencies to demand that lenders abide by those standards.
Meanwhile, ED is taking its own strides to help regulate the lending industry. Last Friday, ED proposed regulations that would prohibit lenders from giving gifts to universities in exchange for the universities directing more students to those specific lenders. The proposal also requires schools that create lists of preferred lenders to put at least three companies on the lists and provide detailed explanations of how the lists are created. The proposed rules also disclosed that recent agency investigations have found cases in which schools recommended a lender in exchange for prohibited inducements. Also last week, Lawrence Warder, ED’s chief financial officer, became the acting head of its student loan office, after Theresa S. Shaw resigned last month amid controversy. On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings opened the first of five regional higher education summits by calling on Congress to enact a comprehensive HEA reauthorization bill to improve college access, affordability and accountability for all Americans.
The House passed an extension of the HEA, to last through October 31, 2007, giving Congress more time to pass a long term reauthorization, which was originally scheduled to pass in 2003. The Senate still needs to pass a similar bill. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee is slated to begin marking up their HEA reauthorization bill on Wednesday, June 13.
Resources:
ED Press Release: http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2007/06/06052007c.html
Doug Lederman, “U.S. Offer Loan Reform of its Own,” Inside Higher Ed, June 4, 2007.
Amit R. Paley, “U.S. Student Loan Office Gets New Rules and a New Chief,” Washington Post, June 2, 2007.
Diana Jean Schemo, “Cuomo Broadens Student Loan Inquiry,” New York Times, June 6, 2007.
Libby George, “Dodd Wants to Boost Student Lending Industry Disclosure, Ban Kickbacks,” CQ Today, June 6, 2007.
Author: SAS

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House Committee Works on Coordination on STEM Education

House Democrats continue to advance their “Innovation Agenda." On Wednesday, the House Science and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Science Education held a hearing on how to better coordinate federal science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs among agencies.

Witnesses at the hearing included:
• Dr. Cora Marrett, Assistant Director, Directorate for Education and Human Resources, National Science Foundation;
• Dr. Joyce Winterton, Assistant Administrator, Office of Education, National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
• Dr. Bruce Fuchs, Director, Office of Science Education, National Institutes of Health; and
• Mr. William Valdez, Director, Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists, Office of Science (SC-27), U.S. Department of Energy.
The subcommittee examined whether educators are utilizing information provided by federal agencies, if the federal government is creating effective and manageable programs for educators, whether there is a lack of a coordinated effort between agencies and whether federal programs are improving STEM education in America. The purpose was to assure that the recently passed STEM legislation could provide usable, effective tools for schools, educators and students.
Last month, the House passed the omnibus STEM bill, H.R. 2272, the 21st Century Competitiveness Act. The package includes H.R. 362, H.R. 363, H.R. 1068, H.R. 1867 and H.R. 1868. Each of these bills previously passed the House by wide bipartisan margins. The reason an omnibus was rushed through the House is to present one bundled bill to conference with the Senate’s more comprehensive bill, S. 761, the America COMPETES Act.
The House package authorizes a total of $23.6 billion over fiscal years 2008 – 2010, including $21 billion for research and education programs at the National Science Foundation (NSF), $2.5 billion for the research labs, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership and other activities at the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST), and $96 million for early career awards and teacher professional development programs at the Department of Energy (DOE). An additional $70 million is authorized for these programs at DOE for fiscal years 2011-2012.
Resources:
House Committee on Science and Technology Press Releases:
“House Advances Major U.S. Competitiveness, Science/Math Education Package,” House Science and Technology Committee, Press Release, May 21 2007.
“Subcommittee Investigates How to Better Coordinate Federal Math and Science Programs,” House Science and Technology Committee, Press Release, June 6, 2007.
Author: SAS

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Two FERPA Amendments Proposed

Two bills were recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to amend the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974. With some exceptions, FERPA prohibits educational agencies or institutions that receive federal funds from having a policy or practice of releasing the education records of a student without the written consent of the student or parents. FERPA also requires that educational agencies and institutions that receive federal funds provide parents with access to the educational records of their children.

H.R. 128, the David Shick Honesty in Campus Justice Act, would amend FERPA in order to improve the access of victims of crimes to information concerning the outcome of disciplinary proceedings by institutions of higher education. The proposed change would make access to this information for victims of crimes mandatory. Presently, it is at the discretion of institutions of higher education whether to disclose the outcome of disciplinary proceedings to victims, but not required.
H.R. 2220, the Mental Health Security for America's Families in Education Act of 2007, would amend FERPA in order to allow educational institutions to disclose certain information to parents of students who may pose a significant risk to their own safety or well-being, or to the safety or well-being of others. The bill contemplates allowing parents access to their children’s mental health records in these types of cases.
Source: Jody Feder, The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (CRS Report for Congress: May 15, 2007).
Author: CWP

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Congress Focuses on Flexibility Under NCLB

Last Thursday, the Committee on Education and Labor’s subcommittee on early childhood and elementary and secondary education held a hearing on the flexibility required by No Child Left Behind (NCLB). “Many state and local educators have told us that while they strongly support the law’s goals and the discussion about accountability that it has fostered, better flexibility would help them to reach those goals,” said subcommittee chairman Dale Kildee (D-MI).

The Witnesses included:
• Jack Jennings, President of the Center on Education Policy;
• Rick Melme, Secretary, South Dakota Department of Education;
• The Honorable Kathleen Straus, President, Michigan State Board of Education;
• Carol Johnson, Superintendent, Memphis City Schools; and
• Chester E. Finn, Jr., President, Thomas B. Fordham Foundation.
The common theme among the panelists was to move the reauthorization toward a new federal and state relationship where the U.S. Department of Education (ED) continues its focus on academic accountability while implementing the law with more deference to state innovation. Secretary Rick Melme posited that “Congress must continue to hold states accountable for improving student achievement and closing the achievement gap, while also providing [states] with the flexibility needed to implement innovative models for accomplishing these vital national goals.” Checker Finn echoed this sentiment with a mantra that has been a cornerstone of the Fordham Foundation for years: to be tight about the ends and loose about the means, strict about academic outcomes, but flexible about the means of delivery.
Ranking Member Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-CA) used the hearing to introduce H.R. 2577, the State and Local Flexibility Improvement Act, a bill that would provide considerable funding flexibility. The bill would allow states and districts to transfer all of their funding from other federal grants, such as Safe and Drug Free Schools, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, education technology and teacher quality, into Title I. Any money that is transferred would still be subject to Title I requirements. The purpose behind the bill, according to sponsors, is to help ensure that money is not diverted from poor students, a criticism of other Republican proposals. H.R. 2577 would also:
• Allow states to waive some statutory or regulatory requirements, consolidate federal education programs, and use an alternative method for making allocations to local school districts (instead of the current formula), but only if the new proposal targets more money to the highest-poverty schools and districts;
• Lower the poverty threshold for schools to create schoolwide Title I programs; and
• Allow states to develop and use growth models to calculate adequate yearly progress (AYP).
The bill exemplifies the shift in Republican policy back to more traditional conservative ideals. Republicans have been shifting their priorities to allow greater flexibility, less federal control, and an emphasis on supplemental education services and school choice. Although the bill will gain a majority of Republican support, it is unlikely to gain much support from Democrats. Democratic leaders, such as Rep. George Miller (D-CA) and Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA), who were architects of the original legislation, will not support any bill that they believe will take the teeth out of NCLB. As such, this bill will likely only serve as a marker for the Republican’s reauthorization identity. Greater flexibility will be the battle cry for Republicans as reauthorization language is drafted.
Resources:
Sarah Sparks, “McKeon Proposes Transferability Plan,” Education Daily, June 7, 2007.
Author: DAD, SAS

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Subcommittee Passes FY08 Education Spending Bill

Last Thursday, the House Appropriations Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee marked up their fiscal year 2008 (FY08) spending bill, which passed by a voice vote. The bill provides $152 billion for Labor-HHS-Education, exceeding the President’s proposal by $20 billion. Specifically, the subcommittee appropriated $61.7 billion for education, $5.9 billion more than the White House requested. Within that number, the subcommittee bill would provide $975 million more to NCLB programs than Bush requested.

Last Thursday, the House Appropriations Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee marked up their fiscal year 2008 (FY08) spending bill, which passed by a voice vote. The bill provides $152 billion for Labor-HHS-Education, exceeding the President’s proposal by $20 billion. Specifically, the subcommittee appropriated $61.7 billion for education, $5.9 billion more than the White House requested. Within that number, the subcommittee bill would provide $975 million more to NCLB programs than Bush requested.
The bill provides increases for a majority of programs under the education title. The largest single increase in the bill is a $2 billion, or 14.6% boost over fiscal 2007 for Pell grants, which are awarded to low-income college students. The maximum grant would rise by $390, to $4,700. Another large increase would go to Title I formula grants which would increase by nearly $2 billion above its current level of $12.8 billion. Lawmakers said the additional funds would help the 55,000 Title I schools serve an additional 161,000 students.
Money for the newly-funded Title I School Improvement grants would increase from its current $125 million allocation to $500 million — a figure that would satisfy President Bush’s funding request. Special education grants would not benefit as much. The subcommittee mark would provide $465 million more to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part B grants than Bush requested, but that is only $174 million above the FY 2007 level. Some members said they would try to increase the IDEA grants as the bill makes its way through the legislative process.
One major cut in the bill is to the troubled Reading First program. Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-WI) proposed funding the program at $400 million, which cuts more than $600 million from the previous fiscal year. Chairman Obey has promised not to replace the spending cuts until the U.S. Department of Education (ED) answers for mismanagement of the program. The subcommittee also proposed a $46.5 million cut to Safe and Drug Free Schools State Grants.
In an example of legislating with the purse, Obey and the subcommittee tucked a provision that would prohibit ED from using any of its funds to “promulgate, implement or enforce” new federal regulations related to accreditation into the spending bill. The provision, which is called a “limitation” under House rules, is a time-honored tactic used by members of Congressional appropriations committees to stop federal agencies from taking regulatory or other actions that the lawmakers oppose. Officials at accreditation agencies have complained that ED is trying to accomplish their objections through regulations, instead of letting Congress act through legislation.
A chart of the proposed spending levels is attached to this Update.
Resources:
Drew Armstrong, “Pell Grants Boosted, Reading Program Cut as Panel Approves Largest Domestic Bill,” CQ Today, June 7, 2007.
Stephen Langel, “Labor-HHS Approps Bill Passes Subcommittee by Voice Vote,” Congress Now, June 7, 2007.
Doug Lederman, “Congressional Timeout for Spellings,” Inside Higher Ed, June 8, 2007.
Frank Wolfe, “House Panel Clears $61.7 Billion for Education,” Education Daily, June 8, 2007.
Author: SAS

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Annual Report Shows Gains in AP Coursework

Yesterday, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released their annual report, The Condition of Education. The Congressionally-mandated report showcases statistics from multiple aspects of the U.S. education system.


The 48 indicators included in the report cover topics from student achievement to school environment and from early childhood through postsecondary education. General statistics show that U.S. public school enrollment is becoming increasingly diverse. In addition, more individuals are enrolling in postsecondary education, and people are earning more bachelor’s degrees than in the past. The special focus of this year’s report is on the coursework of American high school students.
The report shows that the number of students taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses in high schools is rising. Specifically, more black and Hispanic students in public and private high schools are taking AP exams. The report shows a 213% jump over the nine years of the study (1997-2005) in the number of Hispanic students taking the college-level AP tests, and a 177% increase over the same period for African-American students. However, the numbers do not highlight the fact that there were a low number of African-American and Hispanic students taking the AP exams to begin with and that they still lag behind other racial groups.
Nationally, among all racial groups, the number of students taking the AP tests more than doubled over the same period, growing from 567,000 in 1997 to 1.2 million two years ago. The large increase in test-takers caused only small decreases in overall AP test scores. The report shows that the proportion of students who earned a 3 or better on the college-level exams fell from 65% to 59% over the nine-year study period.
More students are also taking advanced mathematics; presently 50% of high school graduates have taken courses more advanced than Algebra II, up from 26% in 1982. Females are more likely to have completed advanced coursework, although the gender difference disappears at the calculus level. There was a similar gain, and a similar gap, in advanced science coursework. Despite these gains in the number of credits taken overall in various subjects, and especially in more advanced courses, National Assessment of Educational Progress scores were virtually flat for 17-year-olds in both reading and math since the early 1970s. Still, there were gains in NAEP scores for 9- and 13-year-olds in both subject areas.
The special analysis in the report also presents data from the other side of the high school achievement spectrum, by looking into the trajectory of those students who dropped out of high school. According to that report, the 9th graders who eventually became dropouts had earned an average of 5.1 credits during the 2000-01 school year. In comparison, the 9th graders who went on to graduate on time earned 6.6 credits that year. The gaps widened in 10th grade, with dropouts earning an average of 4.6 credits, compared with the average 6.7 credits earned by their on-track peers.
Other statistics from the annual report include:
• At least at the high school level, the “narrowing” of the curricula that some critics predicted would result from the federal No Child Left Behind Act had yet to materialize by 2004. In both public and private high schools, 2004 high school graduates took more social studies, foreign language, and arts classes—as well as the core English, mathematics, and science classes on which the law focuses—during their high school years than did the graduates of 1982.
• Public school enrollment in prekindergarten-12th grade is projected to set new records each year from 2007 to 2016, when an estimated 53.3 million children are expected to be in public schools.
• The number of children ages 5 to 17 who spoke a language other than English at home more than doubled between 1979 and 2005.
• Minority students accounted for more than half of the growth in the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded between the 1976-77 school year and 2004-05.
Resources:
Andy Guess, “The Yearly Report Card,” Inside Higher Ed, June 1, 2007.
Debra Viadero, “Condition of Education Finds Surge in Minorities’ AP Test-Taking,” Education Week, May 31. 2007.
Author: SAS

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ACTE Releases Brief on Dropout Prevention and Recovery

The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) released an issue brief this week called, Career and Technical Education’s Role in Dropout Prevention and Recovery.

Similar to previous reports on the subject matter, ACTE depicts the personal and economic consequences of high dropout rates. Unlike previous reports, which only mention CTE as a solution for the dropout rate, this report focuses specifically on CTE’s roll in dropout prevention. Although the brief draws its conclusion based on other previous reports and statistics, ACTE does not specifically mention what should be done to help CTE create a larger, more-qualified and better-trained labor force.
The brief lists the top reasons dropouts give for leaving school:
• Classes were not interesting (47%)
• Missed too many days and could not catch up (43 %)
• Spent time with people who were not interested in school (42 %)
• Had too much freedom and not enough rules in my life (38%)
• Was failing in school (35%)
The brief points to a 2006 poll of at-risk California 9th- and 10th-graders, which found that six in ten respondents were not motivated to succeed in school. Of those students, more than 90% said they would be more engaged in their education if classes helped them acquire skills and knowledge relevant to future careers. The brief believes that CTE offers students relevant learning experiences that answer the age-old question, “Why do I have to learn this?” while at the same time enhancing students’ academic achievement and meeting industry needs. CTE advocates use this as a basis for calling for greater funding for CTE programs, including educating students about their choices in high school curriculum, and the CTE option, as a method of dropout prevention.
Aside from prevention, the brief focuses on CTE’s role in recovery of those students whom have already dropped out of high school. Returning to gain a high school diploma is not easy for disconnected youth. Not only were many of these individuals unsuccessful academically in their original high school environment, but they also face a large number of other social and economic barriers, such as lack of transportation, single parenthood, or health problems. ACTE argues that the education system must provide a continuum of flexible interest-based learning opportunities that utilize effective teaching methodologies and respond to these students’ varied needs and life circumstances. The American Youth Policy Forum identified eight characteristics of successful dropout recovery programs in its publication, Whatever it Takes. These characteristics include:
• open-entry/open-exit;
• flexible scheduling and year-round learning;
• teachers as coaches, facilitators, and crew leaders;
• real-world, career-oriented curricula;
• opportunities for employment;
• clear codes of conduct with consistent enforcement;
• extensive support services; and
• a portfolio of options for a varied group.
The report claims that CTE has become a leader in ensuring these flexible, relevant learning opportunities to re-engage students and provide a real-world, career-oriented curricula. While there are often challenges and disincentives to dropout re-entry programs, all young people should be provided the opportunity for a quality high school education.
Although the report seems to focus more on the problems the dropout rate causes, and the role CTE can play in prevention and recovery, ACTE does not mention specific ways to aide CTE programs in reaching those students who are on track to drop out, or to recover those students who have already dropped out. The report simply seems to point out that CTE is a viable solution, while leaving specific courses of action up to the reader. In the past, most CTE advocates have argued for more funding, both nationally and on the state and local level, as well as advocating for educational programs designed to inform students of the options CTE offers.
You can view the report at http://www.acteonline.org/resource_center/upload/Dropouts.pdf
Author: SAS

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Immigration on Deck for the Senate

When Congress returns to work next week, the Senate will likely tie itself into a knot trying to deal with the new immigration bill that a select group of Senators introduced on May 9, S. 1348, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007.
The small coalition of Senators who patched this together will have a hard time defending it from its critics in both parties.

The Republican Party is imploding over provisions that would legalize the status of the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already in the US. They are labeling it an “amnesty” bill. Many Democrats are incensed about the guest worker program that provides no direct path to permanent residence and that focuses on employment needs over family needs. There are also interest groups that all seem to have a moral gripe with one provision or another. The only thing holding the bill together is a political need to advance the issues, but the devil is in the details, and there are many details in this bill.
For example, of particular interest to the adult education community is the language training that an immigrant could receive on the pathway to citizenship. As he did in last year’s immigration debate, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) will likely offer an amendment that would allocate $500 for each "lawful immigrant" seeking citizenship to participate in English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) services. The $500 would come from the fees that each person would pay to gain citizenship and the funds could be used for ESOL programs provided by “accredited institutions of higher education or other qualified educational institutions (as determined by the chief).” This amendment, however, would likely create duplicative programs to ones already in the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) and it would provide insufficient funding for those duplicative programs.
The bill has drawn so many criticisms that over 100 amendments to the measure have already been filed, and aides expect many more to be filed at the beginning of next week. It is unclear how Senate majority leader Harry Reid (NV) will manage them, but it is clear that immigration is quickly becoming an issue that will define the parties as they head into the 2008 election season.
Resources:
Beth Crowley, “Long List of Amendments Clouds Procedural Picture for Immigration Bill,” CongressNow, May 31, 2007.
Author: DAD

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