Elementary and Secondary Education Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, and U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ), issued the following statement after the National Assessment Governing Board released its report on the 2009 12th Grade National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), which measures the progress of high school seniors across the country in math and reading. For the first time this year, the report showed the performance of high school seniors in 11 states. The report shows that 12th graders nationwide improved in math and reading since 2005, but the average reading score was lower as compared with scores from 1992. 

Chairman Miller discussed public education and college affordability at Contra Costa Community College in San Pablo, Calif. on Tuesday.

The committee has held seven hearings on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (currently known as No Child Left Behind) during the 111th Congress. Chairman Miller has consistently stated his belief that the key to long-term economic recovery is a strong public education system. Richmond Confidential reported:

“‘In the middle of this economic chaos,’ [Miller] said, ‘this president knows we can’t compete in a world economy unless we modernize some of our basic systems.’”

…

“Creating a new standard educational model should incorporate the way that young people share information, he said.

“‘All of you create a huge amount of content every day, you teach your peers how to use that new phone, that new program,’ he said. ‘How do we call on people to participate in the educational process who are your peers?’”

Miller also spoke about the rising cost of college and how many students struggle to attain a college degree -- he wrote the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act to make college more affordable by increasing federal financial aid and making federal student loans easier to repay. Richmond Confidential recorded his comments:

“‘About half the people that show up for community college, they don’t show up for the second year,’ Miller said. ‘They don’t get the certificate they’re after, they don’t get the career opportunity, they don’t get the academic degree they were after and they may end up in debt.’

“Miller spoke in detail about recent reforms to the student loan industry. Subsidies worth $60 billion will be diverted over ten years from banks, which manage loans, to students in the form of grants and federal loans.

“The new law, he explained, also rewards those pursuing public service jobs. ‘If you get in the public health and education sectors, after ten years your loans go away,’ he said, ‘because you’re giving something back.’”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, applauded today’s announcement by U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan that he will convene a national conference on how labor-management collaboration at the state and local level has advanced education reform. The conference will include the presidents of the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers.

“I applaud today’s announcement by Secretary Duncan and the presidents of the NEA and AFT, that they will come together to continue the national conversation on moving our nation’s education system forward and the critical role that teachers play in this effort.  We all agree that education reform is key to our economic future and it will take everyone working together to fix this broken system on behalf of schoolchildren. Many local districts and unions are already leading the way by showing that real and sustained education reform is most successful when all stakeholders – including teachers – have a seat at the table. This is because after parents, teachers are the single most important factor in affecting student achievement. It is important that reform be done in collaboration with teachers, not just imposed on teachers.”

Chairman Miller was in New York City on September 28 taking part in NBC’s Education Nation Summit. Before discussing his views on education reform with other policymakers, teachers, students and parents he appeared on The Today Show, Squawk Box, and Morning Joe to discuss education policy and jobs.
 

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Watch Chairman Miller on Morning Joe, the Today Show and Squawk Box:


 
 

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, today issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Education announced the winners of the second round of the Race to the Top competition.

As schools return from their summer break, many students will again have their only chance at a healthy meal all day. And those meals are key according to a new report by Georgetown University Assistant Professor of Public Policy Peter Hinrichs. 

According to the Associated Press, Mr. Hinrichs said:

"The research found that the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) has not had a dramatic effect on health into adulthood, but it has had a significant effect on educational attainment," Hinrichs said. "The NSLP today is still broad in its reach, but it targets poorer children. There are higher standards for eligibility and also special funding for poorer schools. Had these elements been in place at the inception of the program, there may have been a more detectable effect on health in its early years."

That is why under H.R. 5504, the Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act of 2010, the program increases the number of eligible children enrolled in the school lunch programs by using Medicaid/SCHIP data to directly certify children who meet income requirements without requiring individual applications and requiring states to establish and execute a plan to increase rates of direct certification. It also provides enhanced universal meal access for eligible children in high poverty communities by eliminating paper applications and using census data to determine school wide income eligibility. The more eligible students who are having a regular, nutritious lunch the more students will be performing in the classroom.

The bill passed out of committee and is awaiting a vote on the House floor. 

Learn more about H.R. 5504, the Improving Nutrition for America's Children Act of 2010.

CQ reported today that Chairman Miller plans to, “hold a hearing this fall to probe companies that contract with school districts to improve failing schools.” Miller issued a statement on the issue yesterday:

“…with increased focus on school reform under this administration, it seems some companies with little or no expertise in education are purporting to be experts in school turnaround to try and take advantage of available federal money. Companies who are hired to help turn around schools as partners should have the best expertise and the best qualifications. I plan to hold a hearing and use the committee’s oversight authority to investigate the process of hiring providers to help turn around schools.”

Turning around under-performing and failing schools is one of the objectives of the committee’s bipartisan rewrite of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (currently known as NCLB). Miller chaired a hearing on successful school turnaround in May and made the importance of the issue clear, saying to his fellow committee members:

“There are 5,000 chronically low-performing schools in this country doing a disservice to
hundreds of thousands of students.

“Two thousand high schools produce 70 percent of our nation’s dropouts.”

Turning around chronically under-performing schools can have significant impact on local communities, and many private companies have begun offering turnaround services to school districts. But, a recent New York Times investigation revealed that some of these companies lack the necessary experience to effectively overhaul a failing school:

“With the Obama administration pouring billions into its nationwide campaign to overhaul failing schools, dozens of companies with little or no experience are portraying themselves as school-turnaround experts as they compete for the money.”

…

“Many of the new companies seem unprepared for the challenge of making over a public school, yet neither the federal government nor many state governments are organized to offer effective oversight, said Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy, a nonprofit group in Washington.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee today announced plans for a hearing to review companies who contract with school districts to help improve schools.

During remarks to the National Press Club, Education Secretary Arne Duncan today observed a “quiet revolution” in our nation’s public education system:

“From journalists and educators to politicians and parents -- there is a growing sense that a quiet revolution is underway in our homes and schools, classrooms and communities.”

During his presentation, Secretary Duncan announced the 19 finalists for the Race to the Top grant program, the impetus behind this education revolution. He continued:

“With a budget of just $5 billion dollars -- less than one percent of total education spending in America -- this minor provision in the Recovery Act has unleashed an avalanche of pent-up education reform activity at the state and local level.

“Forty-eight states voluntarily collaborated to raise the bar and create common college and career-ready standards -- solving the single biggest drawback of NCLB -- without a federal mandate or a federal dollar. So far, 27 states have adopted those standards. Even Massachusetts -- universally viewed with the highest standards in the country -- voted unanimously to adopt last week.”

Race to the Top was enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and provides competitive grants to selected states that commit to key areas of education reform.

The success of Race to the Top has helped encourage education reform across the country and sets the stage for the kind of bipartisan overhaul The Education and Labor Committee is currently undertaking to rewrite the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This “quiet revolution,” as Secretary Duncan put it, is welcome news for students, parents, and teachers across the country.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee and U.S. Rep. Dale E. Kildee (D-MI), Chairman of  the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education and Democratic Chairman of the House Native American Caucus, issued the following statements after the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) released its National Indian Education Study.  The study showed no significant gains in mathematics performance among fourth and eighth graders since 2005. Reading scores showed a slight increase since 2007 for eighth graders but again showed no significant improvement for fourth graders since 2005. 

Yesterday, Dr. Phil McGraw joined 5 other witnesses to talk about ensuring student cyber safety. He told Politico, ""The Wild Wild West is now the Wild Wild Web, with the new gunslingers being the keyboard bullies."

In an interview with CBS Early Show, Dr. Phil said, "So much of what's going on today is beyond parents because our kids are much more computer literate than we are. They can Photoshop pictures and put a child in a humiliating or embarrassing situation. They write e-mails, write letters, and so often we see these kids become isolated, withdrawn, they stop going to school. And they can even, as we have seen so tragically with situations like Phoebe Prince, can wind up actually taking their lives. I mean, this is a terrible burden on these kids. We've got to give the educators the tools they need to prevent this, to intervene in this. It requires training. They need to know how to intervene when it is happening. We've got to raise awareness about this."

CNN reported his testimony, "McGraw told the subcommittee that kids who are cyberbullied are 1.9 times more likely to attempt suicide than the general population.

'I get tens of thousands of letters at 'The Dr. Phil Show' of kids asking for help about this. It is a serious crisis -- 42 percent of kids say they have been bullied on the internet, 35 percent of kids say they have been threatened.'"

Watch Dr. Phil's testimony below the fold and learn more about the ensuring student cyber safety hearing.

Answer: Seven
Question: How many hearings has the committee held this year on ESEA reauthorization?

Greetings to all EdLabor Insider e-newsletter readers looking for the answer to this week's committee trivia question!  (Non-subscribers can click here to subscribe to the Committee's e-mail updates.)

And, drum-roll, please...The full list of hearings held by the Committee in 2010 on ESEA reauthorization is as follows:

Research and Best Practices on Successful School Turnaround
Full Committee Hearing
10:00 AM, May 19, 2010
2175 Rayburn H.O.B
Washington, DC

Supporting America’s Educators: The Importance of Quality Teachers and Leaders
Full Committee Hearing
2:00 PM, May 4, 2010
2175 Rayburn H.O.B.
Washington, DC

How Data Can Be Used to Inform Educational Outcomes
Full Committee Hearing
10:00 AM, April 14, 2010
2175 Rayburn H.O.B
Washington, DC

Elementary and Secondary Education Act Reauthorization: Addressing the Needs of Diverse Students
Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee Hearing
10:00 AM, March 18, 2010
2175 Rayburn H.O.B
Washington, DC

The Obama Administration’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act Reauthorization Blueprint
Full Committee Hearing
2:40 PM, March 17, 2010
2175 Rayburn H.O.B.
Washington, DC

Building a Stronger Economy: Spurring Reform and Innovation In American Education
Full Committee Hearing
9:30 AM, March 3, 2010
2175 Rayburn H.O.B.
Washington, DC

H.R. 4330, the All Students Achieving through Reform Act of 2009
Full Committee Hearing
10:00 AM, February 24, 2010
2175 Rayburn H.O.B
Washington, DC

Chairman George Miller is featured today in Politico’s video series called the “The Politics of America’s Youth” with Mike Allen. He discusses ESEA reauthorization, higher education, and the bipartisan spirit and support for education reform.

Watch the three part video here.

On ESEA Reauthorization:

"We now have the opportunity to really take that rigid system and make a trade-in, if you will, of some additional flexibility at the local level for outcomes, for results. The Secretary [of Education] has made that clear, the President has made that clear, and I think we've made that clear in the series of hearings that we have held. We'd really like now to put more emphasis on better teachers, more emphasis on better leadership, more emphasis on the use of those resources and the flexible use of those resources, and really put teaching and learning and leadership back into the classroom, back into the local systems, and then stand back and hold them accountable for those--for those results, and we're getting a lot of encouragement as we've held our hearings."

On Higher Education:

"And what we tried to address ... was to see whether or not we could bring down the cost of college for families with an increase in the Pell Grant, by lowering the interest rates on student loans over the next couple of years, and then make it easier for the students and the families to manage that debt that they're required to take out to get the degree that they desire. And one of the ways we do that is we have--we let them have an income determinant payment system. How much you pay every month depends upon how much you're making. So, if you start a career with a low entry wage, you can still have that career and you can manage your payments.

"If you go into public service or you work for a non-profit, if you want to become a nurse, a doctor, a teacher, a prosecutor, a public defender and you're working for a public agency, in ten years, your loans go away, and you never have to pay more than 10--10 percent of your discretionary income to pay that loan back. All of a sudden, people can envision careers that otherwise they couldn't have, where they may really wanted to be a teacher, to be a health nurse, to be a physician's assistant, but they couldn't see how they could balance the pay and the education. We need those people, and so this is really in the public interest.

"We also--when we moved to the direct loan programs, it required the companies bring jobs back to America because they're now managing federal assets when they manage the repayment of these loans, and that requires people--that it be done here in America."

On Bipartisanship:

"There is--clearly, whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, you have a big interest in children. It's about our children, our neighbor's children, our constituents' children, it's about the country, and that passion is on both sides of the aisle, certainly in our Committee."

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congress should encourage, incentivize and support the universal elements that research and best practices show are working to turn around the country’s lowest performing schools, witnesses told the House Education and Labor Committee today.  

On Wednesday, May 19, the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing to explore best practices and research on proven models that work to turn around chronically underperforming schools in communities across the country. According to the U.S. Department of Education, approximately 5,000 U.S. schools have been labeled as chronically low-achieving or underperforming.

This is a continuation of hearings the committee is holding as part of a bipartisan, transparent effort to overhaul the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, currently known as No Child Left Behind.

On Wednesday, May 19, the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing to explore best practices and research on proven models that work to turn around chronically underperforming schools in communities across the country. According to the U.S. Department of Education, approximately 5,000 U.S. schools have been labeled as chronically low-achieving or underperforming.

This is a continuation of hearings the committee is holding as part of a bipartisan, transparent effort to overhaul the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, currently known as No Child Left Behind.  

WHAT:        
Hearing on “Research and Best Practices on Successful School Turnaround”

WHO:          
Susan Bridges, Principal, A.G. Richardson Elementary School, Culpeper, VA
Dr. Thomas Butler, Ph.D., Superintendent, Ridgway Area School District, Ridgway, PA
Jessica Johnson, Chief Program Officer- District and School Improvement Services, Learning Point Associates, Naperville, IL
Dr. Daniel P. King, Ph.D., Superintendent of Schools, Pharr San-Juan Alamo Independent School District, Pharr, TX
David Silver, Principal, Think College Now Elementary, Oakland, CA
Dr. John Simmons, Ph.D., President, Strategic Learning Initiatives, Chicago, IL

                        
WHEN:        
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
10:00 a.m. EDT
Please check the Committee schedule for potential updates »

WHERE:     
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

Note: This hearing will be webcast live from the Education and Labor Committee website.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As Congress works to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary  Education Act, lawmakers should focus on reforms that will support teachers and leaders, focus on training and development and use all available resources to help ensure every student has access to a highly effective teacher, witnesses told the House Education and Labor Committee today. 

On Tuesday, May 4, the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing to examine how to best support teachers and leaders in schools. Studies show that teachers are the single most important factor in affecting student achievement.

This is part of a continued series of hearings the committee is holding as part of a bipartisan, transparent effort to overhaul the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, currently known as No Child Left Behind.

On Wednesday, April 14, the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing to examine how the use of data systems in schools across the country can help improve education outcomes.

This is part of a series of hearing the committee is holding as part of a bipartisan, transparent effort to overhaul the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, currently known as No Child Left Behind. 

On Wednesday, April 14, the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing to examine how the use of data systems in schools across the country can help improve education outcomes.

This is part of a series of hearing the committee is holding as part of a bipartisan, transparent effort to overhaul the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, currently known as No Child Left Behind.  

WHAT:        
Hearing on “How Data Can Be Used to Inform Educational Outcomes”

WHO:           
Witnesses TBA
                        
WHEN:         
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
10:00 a.m. EDT
Please check the Committee schedule for potential updates »

WHERE:      
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

Note: This hearing will be webcast live from the Education and Labor Committee website.

On Thursday, March 18, the House Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee will examine how schools can properly address the needs of diverse students under Elementary and Secondary Education Act, particularly low-income students, minority students, English Language Learners, students with disabilities, Native Americans, and homeless students. This is part of a series of hearings the committee is holding as it works to reauthorize ESEA, currently known as No Child Left Behind.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Below are the prepared remarks of U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, for a committee hearing on “The Obama Administration’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act Reauthorization Blueprint”.

On Wednesday, March 17, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will appear before the House Education and Labor Committee to discuss the Obama administration’s blueprint for overhauling the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, currently known as No Child Left Behind.  The committee is currently working in a bipartisan and transparent way to rewrite the law.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, issued the following statement today after the Department of Education released their blueprint for rewriting the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, currently known as No Child Left Behind. 

(This is a guest blog post by Rep. Tim Bishop, Education and Labor Committee Member.)

Today, Secretary Duncan spoke about the Obama administration’s commitment to ensuring that high school graduates are truly prepared for college study and careers through the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.  I applaud the administration for recognizing the importance of focusing on students all the way from the pre-school years through their postsecondary education.  In addition, it is noteworthy that both the Democratic and Republican leaders of the House Education and Labor Committee (Chairman Miller and Ranking Member Kline, respectively) have committed to work together in a bipartisan fashion on this legislation. They understand that the quality of education our young people receive will have a direct impact on the quality of life of future generations of Americans.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – At a hearing on Capitol Hill today, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan called on Congress to take several steps to build a lasting economic recovery by helping all students get a world-class education. In his second appearance before the House Education and Labor Committee to discuss the Obama administration’s education agenda, Duncan specifically urged lawmakers to take quick action on a bipartisan rewrite of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act – currently known as No Child Left Behind – that focuses on preparing students for the rigors of college and careers. 

On Wednesday, March 3, at 9:30 am eastern, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan appeared before the House Education and Labor Committee to discuss how strong and innovative education reforms can help rebuild the U.S. economy and restore our competitiveness.

Secretary Duncan discussed President Obama’s education agenda, including his budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2011, which called for Congress to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and pass the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act. The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act originated in the Education and Labor Committee and was approved by the House in September.

On Tuesday, December 8, the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing to learn more about states’ efforts to help improve the nation’s competitiveness by adopting a common core of college and career readiness standards. To date, 48 states have joined the initiative.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Students at schools with the highest concentration of poor and minority students do not have equal access to effective teachers as their peers in more affluent school districts, education experts, including teachers, told the House Education and Labor Committee today. Teachers are the most important factor in determining the success of students, yet low-income and minority students are more likely to be taught by less experienced, less qualified teachers than their peers in wealthier communities.

“There’s no question that a great teacher is the key ingredient in a child’s education. It is no longer acceptable to allow our poorest children, who need effective teachers the most, to suffer in a system that is not helping them to achieve,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chair of the House Education and Labor Committee. “A young person entering the teaching workplace today wants it to look like their friends’ workplace, but don’t receive the same level of structure, support, or professional development opportunities offered in other industries. This is about being on the right side of history, about changing the teaching workplace to help every student and every teacher excel.”

On Wednesday, September 30, the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing to examine the progress states and schools districts have made toward ensuring that every child is taught by an effective teacher. Current law requires states to make sure teacher talent is distributed fairly in school districts, so that all children – including poor and minority children – have access to outstanding teachers. Several of the witnesses are former teachers.

The Obama administration has already taken steps toward improving teacher equity. In order to be eligible for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, states are required to take steps to place effective teachers in the classrooms that need them most.

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Innovative uses of technology in U.S. classrooms are increasing student achievement and engagement, improving teacher effectiveness and teaching critical thinking and problem-solving skills, witnesses told the House Education and Labor Committee today. This is the first in a series of hearings the committee will hold to explore how technology-based education tools are transforming American education.

The House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on Tuesday, June 16 to examine how technology and innovative education tools are transforming and improving education in America.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congress should find a way to replicate and support the successes of outstanding charter schools as it works to improve our public schools, witnesses told the House Education and Labor Committee today.

Some of the most promising and influential public school reform strategies in recent years have been pioneered by the charter movement, including extending learning time, principal autonomy over staff and budget decisions, high expectations for all students, using data-driven research and focusing relentlessly on results.
 

The House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing on Thursday, June 4 to examine how supporting outstanding charter schools can help build an innovative, world-class American school system that educates all students to high levels.

President Obama has repeatedly called on states to lift restrictions that limit the growth of successful charter schools and encourage rigorous accountability of them.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan made his first official appearance before the House Education and Labor Committee to discuss the Obama administration’s agenda for improving educational opportunities for all Americans, from “cradle to career.”

“President Obama is committed to building the world-class education system our economy needs and our students deserve. He put us on the right track by putting Arne Duncan at the helm of our nation’s schools,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chair of the committee. “Secretary Duncan and President Obama are both committed to making the real education reforms that families deserve and our economy needs. I look forward to working closely with both of them to build a stronger economy that gives all Americans the opportunity to receive a world-class education.”
 

On Wednesday, May 20, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan testified before the House Education and Labor Committee about President Obama’s agenda for transforming American education. This marked Secretary’s first appearance on Capitol Hill to outline the President’s education goals.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. high school dropout crisis poses one of the greatest threats to the nation’s economic growth and competitiveness and must be addressed, witnesses told the House Education and Labor Committee today. Witnesses urged Congress to explore legislative solutions as quickly as possible.

On Tuesday, May 12, the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing to examine how policies for addressing the high school dropout crisis and improving graduation rates can strengthen America’s economic competitiveness.

Nationally, only 70 percent of students graduate from high school with a regular high school diploma. Approximately 10 percent of high schools in this country produce close to half of these dropouts. In his first address to a joint session of Congress, President Obama called on lawmakers to address the dropout crisis.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The federal government should support state efforts to develop a common core of rigorous, internationally benchmarked academic standards, witnesses told the House Education and Labor Committee today. The hearing showed that momentum for stronger, state-developed standards is growing, with teachers, schools, business leaders and stakeholders from across the political spectrum voicing support. 

On Wednesday, April 29, the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing to examine how states can better prepare their students to compete in a global economy by using internationally benchmarked common standards.