Minnesota Education: A Proud Past, an Even Brighter Future.
I am proud to represent a state that leads the nation in student achievement. The reason that Minnesota is a national leader – with high test scores and graduation rates – is because our educators have had the goal of leaving no child behind and have worked long and hard to achieve that goal. I am glad that Congress is also committed to achieving high standards and accountability from our schools and has provided record levels of funding for education. Since 1996, congressional funding for education has increased by 137 percent, nearly three times as fast as defense spending. Federal educational funding for Minnesota has increased by 32 percent, or $105 million.
At the same time, I recognize that our schools struggle to implement federal standards with funding shortages. Also, as a former mayor, I know the headaches of federal “unfunded mandates” that shift the financial burden to states and communities. That’s why I am working in the Senate to ensure that Minnesota’s teachers, principals, parents, and students have the funds necessary to ensure that every child in Minnesota is provided a superior education.
I take great pride helping to make sure we remain ahead of the curve when it comes to education, technology and global competitiveness. Our greatest advantage in the world has always been our people. And investing in our people is necessary to remain competitive today and tomorrow. To rest on our laurels now would be foolish and unwise, and I intend on facing this challenge head on.
As co-chair of the Senate’s caucus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, I am troubled that the rest of the world is catching up to America in the areas of math, science, and technology. For example, China produces ten times more engineers than the U.S. each year. Globally, the U.S. ranks 17th in the proportion of college-age population earning science and engineering degrees, down from third place several decades ago. We simply cannot allow these trends to continue and at the same time remain competitive.
Minnesota leaves no child behind
I have some wonderful news to report regarding the performance of Minnesota’s schools. Our schools showed excellent achievement and improvement on both the annual No Child Left Behind (NCLB) adequate yearly progress (AYP) testing measures and the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment reading and math tests. Minnesota students and teachers are rising to the challenge as these standards raise the bar of quality public education.
Minnesota’s test scores are up across the state from last spring. And, far fewer schools are failing their performance goals under the federal NCLB law. I’m thrilled that more Minnesota schools made AYP in 2005: 1,617, up from 1,393 in 2004. This is nearly a fifty percent improvement. And, more Minnesota schools achieved five-star rankings in both reading and math. Test score trends continue to show persistent, gradual, and positive change that suggests Minnesota’s public education system continues to improve. Here are a few key statistics that denote Minnesota’s success:
• Fewer Minnesota schools did not make AYP in 2005: 247, down from 464 in 2004.
• More Minnesota schools achieved five-star rankings in both reading and math in 2005: 123, up from 71 in 2004.
• Poor and minority students are improving more rapidly than other students, narrowing the achievement gap.
Helping Those with Special Needs
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was originally enacted in 1975 to ensure that children with disabilities receive the same quality education as others. When IDEA was passed, the federal government promised to pay 40 percent of the costs, but currently only provides 19 percent, leaving school districts to make up the difference. These districts, especially in rural areas, must use money from their general budgets to fund special education. As you know, the current economic constraints on state and local governments make it difficult for school districts to pay for the shortfall. In 2006, Minnesota received about $189 million in special education grants. If IDEA was fully funded, Minnesota would receive some $328 million, an average of $2,960 per special education student. This is why recently, I was proud to co-sponsor bipartisan legislation to fully fund IDEA until federal funding reaches $24.6 billion in 2011.
Title I: Education for Low Income Students
Title I is federal education funding aimed specifically at schools with a high percentage of low income students. I am encouraged by the forty-five percent increase in Title I funding since 2001, which showed an increase from $8.8 billion in 2001 to $12.7 billion in 2006. Additionally, I support the $12.9 billion for Title I programs in the President’s budget proposal for FY07, which is a $200 million increase over the 2006 level to provide assistance to schools that have not met their NCLB student achievement goals for at least two years. This funding goes to help those who need it the most, and I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure Minnesota schools are adequately funded.
Making College Affordable
Like many Minnesotans, I am concerned that college tuitions are at an all time high – some students will face a 6.9 percent increase in tuition and fees this coming school year. I believe that a college education must be accessible for all students, which is why I am working to increase funding for higher education. Since I have taken office, I have held three listening sessions to get the perspectives from college students in Minnesota. At each school, student leaders, college presidents, and financial aid officers discussed with me the problem of rising tuition costs and the importance of the Pell Grant program.
The Pell Grant program is the foundation for federal student aid and the nation’s largest source of grant aid for postsecondary education. Combined with other programs, Pell Grants help low and middle income students deal with rising higher education costs. After listening to student groups, I supported an amendment to the fiscal year 2007 Senate Budget Resolution that would have provided $6.2 billion in funding to higher education programs like TRIO, GEAR UP, Perkins and Pell Grants. Unfortunately, this amendment was defeated. Therefore, I will continue to work on this issue as the Senate considers higher education reauthorization and appropriation bills later this year. Please know that I am committed to making an increase in Pell Grant awards a reality.
Compete Act
In March of 2005, I introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR) to help ensure American leadership in human talent and creativity. The COMPETE Act (Collaborative Opportunities to Mobilize and Promote Education, Technology and Enterprise Act), offers a blueprint to improving our standing in the global economy. This bill extends and expands the research and development (R&D;) tax credit, leverages the resources and expertise of the private sector to math and science education and provides incentive for businesses to get more involved in helping high-need schools to improve in the areas of math and science. I am working to turn key provisions of the COMPETE Act into the law of the land.
Pace Act
Increasing the number of students entering the study areas of math and science is essential to retaining our position as a global leader. Shifting our efforts into high gear, in January 2006 I joined Senators Domenici, Bingaman, Alexander and Mikulski in introducing three bills relating to U.S. competitiveness in the areas of math, science and technology. These bills, known as Protecting America’s Competitive Edge Act (PACE) are based on a report issued by the National Academies of Science, “Rising Above the Gathering Storm,” and focus on improving math, science and engineering education and government funding in R&D.; The bills, among other things:
• Authorize grants for mathematics, science, or engineering departments of higher education institutions that join teacher preparation programs
• Authorize the National Science Foundation (NSF) to award scholarships to student who major in math and science and pursue concurrent teacher certification and authorizes the NSF to award $10,000 fellowships to math and science teachers who have a degree in science, engineering, or math.
• Convene a national panel to create clearinghouse for school districts of effective K-12 math and science teaching materials.
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