Oregon Senate approves opt-out language despite ED warnings
On June 11, the Oregon Senate passed an assessment bill (HB 2655) containing a section, the Student Assessment Bill of Rights, requiring advance disclosure to parents of the nature and purpose of state standardized tests and allowing parents to excuse their students from taking the standardized tests. The bill now goes to the governor. The legislation was passed even though the U.S. Department of Education (ED) earlier wrote an email and letter to the state outlining various punitive steps it might take in response, including placement on high-risk status or withholding of administrative, programmatic or Title I funds. The email and letter were posted by the Oregonian/OregonLive.
In a statement issued shortly after passage, the Oregon Education Association (OEA), an NEA state affiliate, applauded the Senate's willingness to listen to the concerns of educators, parents, and students. OEA President Hanna Vaandering said:
As educators, we know the consequence of over-testing-put simply, it takes the love of learning out of our schools. We are proud that the Oregon legislature took one of the strongest steps in the nation toward protecting students and students' rights as they relate to statewide standardized assessments. But this is just one step on our path toward a better way.
Assessments should inspire learning. Our ultimate goal is to work with state leaders to create a system of assessment that works for all students, parents and educators-one that accurately measures student learning and growth without creating undo anxiety and stress. When all is said and done, we want parents and students to be all-in, not opt-out. That's what we're striving for, and I know we will get there soon.
To learn more about state and local opt-out laws, read NEA's analysis here.
Sequestration damage would continue under House funding bill
The House Appropriations Subcommittee that funds ED's budget approved a bill that would reduce funding in fiscal year 2016 by $2.8 billion below the current level. This funding cut is larger than the one suffered under the first year of sequestration in 2013.
The spending caps that are in place for 2016 as a result of sequestration reduced the allocation the subcommittee had to work with for several agencies for the coming fiscal year (which begins October 1 of this year) by $3.7 billion compared to the current year. Starting with less money means that to fund any program even at the same level as the current year would mean taking money from another program. NEA'sletter to members of the subcommittee urged a "no" vote on the bill and holds the bill up as an "undeniable example of why Congress must work together to reach a bipartisan budget agreement that ends sequester-level funding."
Although not all details of the subcommittee's bill will be released until next week, the subcommittee shared the following regarding Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) programs.
- Programs eliminated (at least 19): School Improvement State Grants, Striving Readers, Preschool Development Grants, Mathematics and Science Partnerships, Elementary and Secondary School Counseling, Carol M. White Physical Education Program, Magnet Schools Assistance, and Arts in Education, among others.
- Programs cut: ESEA Title II, Part A Improving Teacher Quality State Grants by $668 million, or about 28 percent.
- Program freezes: ESEA Title I, Part A Grants, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Title III English Language Acquisition State Grants, and Promise Neighborhoods, among others.
- Program increases: Impact Aid Basic Support Payments (+$10 million), Indian Education (+$20 million), and Public Charter School Grants (+$22 million).
The bill also includes policy riders, such as one that blocks a proposed regulation related to teacher preparation programs. A final rule is expected this summer. Another proviso in the bill blocks ED from allowing funds under the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program from being used for expanded learning time.
The passage of the spending bill by the House Subcommittee is only the start of the appropriations process for 2016. The bill must go through the full appropriations committee and House floor and be reconciled with whatever bill comes out of the Senate before going to the president for either his signature or veto.
Poll highlights poverty's impact on the classroom
Communities in Schools, a nonprofit dedicated to keeping kids in school, and Public Opinion Strategies conducted a national poll of 700 teachers on classroom concerns. The poll is one of the largest from the teacher perspective. Key findings include: (1) teachers are most concerned about too much testing, student apathy, and lack of parental engagement; (2) when asked to identify and rank problems facing their local schools, 88 percent of teachers say that poverty is a barrier to learning; and (3) teachers are overwhelmed with helping students address issues such as school supplies, food, and family crises.
The poll highlights poverty's impact on the classroom and student learning. Additional barriers to learning identified by teachers included disruptive behavior, chronic absenteeism, and poor student health-all symptoms of poverty. Teachers spent an average of 20 percent of their time helping students with problems outside of the classroom. Further, 91 percent of teachers spent their own money on supplies, 54 percent of teachers used their own money to help feed students, and 52 percent of teachers helped a student and/or their family through a crisis.
Although impactful, teachers believe poverty's effects can be addressed through dedicated staff: 94 percent of teachers favor providing dedicated staff from the local community to work closely with students and families with the greatest needs, and 92 percent favor organizations/individuals working inside the school to help kids with nonacademic needs. NEA supports the use of wraparound services and specialized instructional support personnel to lessen poverty's impact on the student and the classroom. NEA believes optimal ratios of school counselors, nurses, psychologists, and social workers can provide the resources students and families need to succeed. Additionally, wraparound programs like school-based health clinics and social services, allow parents to meet their children's most basic needs and free up time to focus on homework and classroom activities. For more on what schools need to alleviate poverty's effects and narrow the achievement gap, visit NEA's Great Public Schools site and achievement gaps resource page.
Study offers solutions to five out-of-school factors undermining school performance
Underscoring the limits of reforms focused solely on improving school and teacher quality to address poor educational outcomes in low income students, an Economic Policy Institute (EPI) report by Leila Morsy and Richard Rothstein highlights a set of disadvantages faced by low-income children outside of school that can have a significant adverse impact on their achievement in school. The report, Five Social Disadvantages That Depress Student Performance: Why Schools Alone Can't Close Achievement Gaps, reviews recent studies on several characteristics with a high incidence in families of low socioeconomic status: inadequate access to health care, exposure to and absorption of lead in the blood, parents' irregular work schedules, single parenthood, and parenting practices that impede children's development. The report shows how each of these characteristics are associated with lower cognitive and behavioral outcomes among students, increasing the likelihood of struggle in school before children even enter classrooms, but notes that they are not determinative of individual student outcomes. The EPI study offers a wide variety of recommendations to address each of the five characteristics, including increased in-home health care during pregnancy, more preschool programs, high-quality after school programs, universal lead screening, and policy changes to discourage companies from just-in-time shift scheduling models.
Grants available for middle grades noncognitive skills development
ED set aside new grant resources for programs that improve students' noncognitive skills during grades 5-8. These programs aid middle grades students' capacity for developing growth mindsets, resilience, and self-control, and are significant contributors in ensuring positive academic and behavioral outcomes. Applications for the grant program are currently available with a deadline of July 29. NEA supports prioritizing a variety of interventions for the middle grades since reaching students during this time has a profound impact on their prospects for high school graduation and postsecondary success.
Take Action: Bring ESEA to the floor now
The test and punish regime of No Child Left Behind has now been in effect for over 13 damaging years. Urge your Senators to bring ESEA to the floor of the Senate and debate and pass a bill that finally gets ESEA right by making learning a priority instead of labeling.
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(From NEA - June 14, 2015)
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