One of the most pressing items on the legislative agenda for the 112th Congress is the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Last authorized in 2002 as the No Child Left Behind Act, the federal education law is long overdue for revision. Check back here to get the latest news on efforts to reauthorize ESEA. Learn more about CDF’s key priorities for ESEA reauthorization and check out our other education reform resources here. 

House Committee Approves Bill that would Weaken Accountability in Education

February 29, 2012

Yesterday, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, led by Chairman John Kline (R-Minnesota), passed the Student Success Act (H.R. 3989), which severely weakens accountability in federal education law. The committee’s bill marks a major step backward for the reform of federal education policy. The Children’s Defense Fund was one of 38 organizations to sign on to a letter of opposition to the bill due to its abandonment of measures to hold states and districts accountable for closing achievement gaps. Unfortunately, the committee rejected an alternative proposal offered as an amendment by Ranking Member George Miller (D-California). The amendment, which was supported by education reform, civil rights, and business communities, would have ensured high expectations for the academic success of all students, required improvement in both overall performance and closing achievement gaps between groups of students, set meaningful graduation rate targets, and insisted that struggling schools get the supports and interventions they need to improve. The amendment was rejected on a party-line vote of 23-16.

The committee also voted down an important amendment to the Student Success Act that would have revised the Title I funding formula. Offered by Glenn Thompson (R-Pennsylvania), the amendment tackled one of CDF’s major priorities for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act: improving funding equity for children in concentrated poverty. More specifically, the amendment reduced the “number weighting” provision of the current Title I funding formula, which disadvantages small high-poverty schools by favoring large school districts regardless of their poverty levels.

Now that the bill has been passed out of committee, the next step is consideration by the entire House of Representatives. However, given election-year politics, it is unclear when or even if that will happen in 2012. Be sure to check back here for updates. 

Path forward on ESEA reauthorization unclear in 2012

January 3, 2012

As we enter 2012, uncertainty once again clouds the path forward for reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Following the mark-up and passage of an ESEA reauthorization bill by the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) suggested that he would not move the legislation to the Senate floor until the House was able to put together its own bipartisan proposal. Faced with strong accountabilty demands from Democratic leaders and the Congressional Black, Hispanic, and Asian Pacific American Caucuses, House Education and Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R. Minn.) has chosen to move forward with Republican-only proposalsfor teacher quality and accountability. A combination of the partisan proposal in the House, temporary relief to states in the form of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waivers from the U.S. Department of Education, and election year politics make the prospect of ESEA reauthorization this year unlikely. Even so, 2012 will certainly set the stage for future reforms at both the federal and state levels, as states apply for NCLB waivers from the U.S. Department of Education and implement promised reforms.

For interesting commentary on Chairman Kline's decision to move forward with Republican-only proposals in the House, check out the National Journal's Education Experts blog here. And don't miss the Center for American Progress' latest report on NCLB waiver applications, which provides great analysis of strengths and weaknesses of the first fround of applications.

Senate HELP Committee passes disappointing ESEA reauthorization bill

October 27th, 2011

On October 20th, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee passed a bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), better known as the No Child Left Behind Act. The bill includes a number of positive reforms such as measures to make school funding within districts more equitable, support for college and career-ready standards and full-day kindergarten, and educational improvements for children and youth who are homeless, in foster care, and in juvenile justice facilities.

Despite these bright spots, the Children’s Defense Fund has serious concerns about the accountability framework created by the legislation. The bill limits federal accountability measures to a small percentage of low-performing schools and does not require states to set specific performance goals for student improvement. Marian Wright Edelman, President of the Children’s Defense Fund, was among a number of advocates who sent a letter to members of Congress on October 11th expressing these concerns. The letter can be viewed here.

And you can learn more about the Children’s Defense Fund’s priorities for education reform here.

Check out to our ESEA Watch page for updates!

Senate HELP Committee begins mark-up of ESEA reauthorization bill

October 20th, 2011

On October 19th, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee began its mark-up of a bill to reauthorize ESEA, better known as the No Child Left Behind Act. Sens. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) introduced the Elementary and Secondary Education Reauthorization Act of 2011on October 11th after months of negotiations. The bill includes a number of positive reforms such as measures to make school funding within districts more equitable, support for college and career-ready standards and full-day kindergarten, and educational improvements for children in juvenile justice facilities.

Despite these bright spots, the Children’s Defense Fund has serious concerns about the accountability framework created by the legislation. The bill limits federal accountability measures to a small percentage of low-performing schools and does not require states to set specific performance goals for student improvement. Marian Wright Edelman, President of the Children’s Defense Fund, was among a number of advocates who sent a letter to members of Congress on October 11th expressing these concerns. The letter can be viewed here.

And you can learn more about the Children’s Defense Fund’s priorities for education reform here.

Check back to our ESEA Watch page for updates on the Senate HELP Committee’s action on the ESEA Reauthorization Act!

State and Local Funding Flexibility Act passes House committee, threatening educational opportunity for disadvantaged students 

July 15th, 2011

On Wednesday, July 13th, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce passed the State and Local Funding Flexibility Act (H.R. 2445) on a party line vote. The bill, which was introduced by Chairman John Kline (R-Minn.) and other Republican members, would allow states and districts the discretion to move funds from several programs for low-income and minority students into other programs. Specifically, H.R. 2445 would allow states and/or districts to take funding from programs dedicated to low-income students, migrant children, English language learners, neglected and delinquent youth, and Native American children.

H.R. 2445 is the third bill approved by the Ed and Workforce committee in an effort to reauthorize Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Republicans argued that the legislation will give states and districts the discretion to “rededicate” federal funds to programs that will most benefit their students. Ranking Member George Miller (D-Calif.) provided another perspective, emphasizing that H.R. 2445 “violates principles of keeping Title I targeted toward minority and low-income students. …Without these funds, these students would not get the opportunity [at an equal education].”

In response to the bill’s passage by the Ed and Workforce committee, CDF President Marian Wright Edelman and NAACP Legal Defense Fund President John Payton sent a letter to House leadership urging them to oppose the bill. The letter highlights the 1969 report Title I of ESEA: Is it Helping Poor Children?, published jointly by CDF and LDF, which showed that without appropriate federal oversight states and districts misspent Title I funds that Congress had intended for low-income children. The letter states that H.R. 2445 would threaten years of progress in the struggle for civil rights and equal educational opportunity for all children.

For other responses to the bill, check out this summary from the Center for American Progress, as well as this press release from Ranking Member Miller's office.

Rep. Thompson introduces ACE Act to revise inequitable Title I formula

July 15, 2011

On July 12, Congressman Thompson (R-Penn.) introduced the bipartisan All Children are Equal (ACE) Act (H.R. 2485). H.R. 2485 addresses inequities in the funding formula for the distribution of Title I funds to districts under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The co-sponsors included four additional Republicans and five Democrats. Currently, the Title I funding formula accounts for both a district’s size and its percentage of students in poverty by using a “number weighting” and “percentage weighting” system. This current version of the formula shortchanges small rural and mid-sized districts, many of which have very high concentrations of poor students.

The ACE Act proposes a gradual, yearly phase out of the number weighting provision. This would place an increasing emphasis on a district’s percentage of low-income students in the determination of Title I allocations, and remove district size as a factor in the formula. “The ACE Act levels the playing field for impoverished students and ensures that funding is equitable in accordance with the original intent of the law,” stated Rep. Thompson. “We must recognize that a Title I eligible child should not be put at a disadvantage because of where he or she lives and how big or small their school district is—all children should be equal.”

The bill has received bipartisan support in Congress, as well as support from rural education and other advocacy groups.  In particular, the Rural Schools and Community Trust has been a major proponent of changes that would reduce number weighting. Rep. John Kline (R-MN), the chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, also communicated his support in addressing the inequities in the current Title I formula.

Revision of the Title I funding formula, including the scaling-back of the inequitable number-weighting provision, is a top priority for the Children’s Defense Fund’s ESEA reauthorization agenda.

Lingering uncertainty about Ed Department waivers as House education committee moves forward

June 24, 2011

Questions remained this week about the Department of Education’s plan for waivers should ESEA reauthorization not move forward this summer. Representative John Kline (R-Minn.), chairman of the House Education & Workforce Committee, sent a letter to Secretary Duncan expressing concern that the department’s announcement of a plan to provide relief from NCLB requirements in exchange for reforms favored by the Obama administration would undermine bipartisan congressional efforts to reauthorize ESEA. In the letter, (which can be viewed here) Kline raised questions about the Secretary’s legal authority to offer waivers in exchange for reform and requested that information detailing the department’s proposal and legal authority be provided by July 1st.

The letter came just days after the Ed and Workforce Committee passed the Empowering Parents Through Quality Charter Schools Act (H.R. 2218). The bipartisan bill, which was approved by a vote of 31-5, would provide incentives for states to help develop charter schools and make it easier for successful charter operators to expand and replicate their schools.  This was the second piece of legislation advanced by the committee as part of its effort to reauthorize ESEA. Kline has indicated that he plans to introduce a bill on funding flexibility in July, and tackle the issues of teacher quality and accountability in the fall.

Secretary Duncan opens door for NCLB waivers; House introduces charter school bill

June 17, 2011

Lots of news and links to share this week on the ESEA front. On June 12, Secretary Duncan announced that if congress is not able to move forward with a comprehensive reauthorization of ESEA, he would use his executive authority to provide relief to states and districts from the current law's requirement that all children are proficient in reading and math by 2014. In exchange for this flexibility, states and districts would have to adopt reform strategies championed by the Obama administration. While details are still emerging, the Secretary outlined the plan in an op-ed in Politico. The announcement was met with skepticism from both legislators and other stakeholders. At an event at the Center for American Progress, Congressman George Miller expressed concern that the waiver announcement would dampen the sense of urgency for full ESEA reauthorization, saying "I just hope people don't see [waivers] as an escape route." At the same event, (which can be viewed here), former Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings (now with the Chamber of Commerce) and Randi Weingarten of the American Federation of Teachers also conveyed doubts about a potential waiver process. 

On a separate front, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) of the House Education and Workforce committee yesterday introduced a charter school bill that would revise the existing federal charter school program. The legislation would provide incentive for states to help develop charter schools and make it easier for successful charter operators to expand and replicate their schools. The bill is the second small piece of legislation introduced in the House that is intended to be a part of a comprehensive ESEA reauthorization. The Ed and Workforce committee has yet to tackle some of the more complicated issues, however, including accountability, funding flexibility, and teacher quality.    

Department of Education continues to push for ESEA rewrite

June 10, 2011

While little movement has occurred this week on congressional efforts to reauthorize ESEA, Secretary Duncan continued to urge lawmakers to move forward with the task. According to the Department of Education's ED.gov blog, Secretary Duncan spoke this week at the Young Elected Officials Network annual conference, describing No Child Left Behind as "getting in the way of where we need to go."  He also appeared this morning on MSNBC's Morning Joe to discuss education reform along with Randi Weingarten of the American Federation of Teachers and Senator Tom Harkin. Secretary Duncan will discuss ESEA reauthorization again next week at the Center for American Progress, appearing with a powerhouse lineup that includes Congressman George Miller, former Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, Randi Weingarten, and Amy Wilkins of the Education Trust. The event, titled "Where Are We and Wear Are We Going? The Stakes for Reauthorizing ESEA," will take place on Tuesday, June 14th, at 9 am.

Secretary Duncan urges Congress to speed up ESEA reauthorization

June 2, 2011

On a visit to Dayton's Bluff Elementary School in St. Paul, Minnesota, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan again called on Congress to reauthorize ESEA before the start of the next school year, despite Representative John Kline's statement last week that there was no chance Congress would meet the deadline. Visiting Minnesota at the request of Senator Al Franken, Duncan said, "We simply can't continue to have the law on the books as an impediment to progress, this impediment to rewarding excellence... We're pushing Congress to act with greater urgency than you normally see." In response, Kline, who is the chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee and also from Minnesota, released a statement pushing back on the notion of rushing to meet an "arbitrary deadline." Read more here.

House Committee debates bill to eliminate 43 education programs

May 25, 2011

Earlier today, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce marked-up a bill to eliminate 43 programs in the U.S. Department of Education that Republicans have argued are wasteful, duplicative, or not appropriate for the federal government. It is the first in a number of small bills that will be acted upon in the coming months by the House. Representative John Kline (R-MN), Chairman of the Ed and Workforce Committee, has said there is no chance that ESEA will be reauthorized by the President's August deadline, despite the President's call to enact an education reform bill in last weekend's weekly video address. In a radio interview earlier this week, Kline did outline a plan to work on three smaller bills over the summer, and then tackle larger issues like accountability and teacher quality in the fall.

"Chiefs for Change" offer principles for ESEA reauthorization

May 20, 2011

Yesterday, an influential group of state school chiefs and leaders in education released their principles for the reauthorization of ESEA. Most noteworthy is the call for a strong federal accountability framework that ensures all schools-- not just the lowest performing-- are held accountable for student achievement. Check out the principles here, as well as this article from Ed Week's Politics K-12 Blog about their release. 

CDF Board Chair Geoffrey Canada weighs in on education reform with legislators

May 13, 2011

Earlier this week, CDF Board Chair and CEO of the Harlem Children's Zone appeared on a panel discussion that included Congressman George Miller and Senator Michael Bennet, two key legislators in the reauthorization of ESEA. Congressman Miller, ranking member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, was one of the main authors of the No Child Left Behind Act. Senator Bennet, while relatively new to the Senate, is the former superintendent of Denver Public Schools and has quickly become an influential voice in education reform. Also appearing on the panel were ed reform heavyweights Chris Christie, governor of New Jersey, and Anthony Miller, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. Check out the video of the event below.