From Cradle to Career:

From Cradle to Career:KEY POLICY SHIFTS FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH AND PROFESSIONALS

CEC National Legislative Conference ▪ June 8, 2014

Let’s Discuss…

• Advancing Early Learning Opportunities for Children with Disabilities

• ESEA Flexibility Driving Transition to College & Career Ready Standards & Assessments

• Implementing New Standards/Assessments: Impact on Students with Disabilities, Special Educators

•Transitioning to Postsecondary and Career

•Investing in Special/Gifted Education

4

Importance of a Good Catchphrase

Early Learning

PK-12 Education Reforms

Overhauling Higher

Education

Expanding Workforce

Opportunities

Investing in Education

Resources

Sharon WalshCEC DIVISION FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD

INFANT AND TODDLER COORDINATORS ASSOCIATION

PK-12 Education ReformsIMPACT OF ESEA FLEXIBILITY

2007…2008…2009…2010…2011…2012…2013…2014??

What a difference 7 years makes!!

Senator Lamar Alexander

R-Tennessee

Senator Tom Harkin

D- Iowa

Lots of Talking …

American Association of Administrators, Policy Insider Oct 2011

9

82%

White House Announces WaiversSEPTEMBER, 2011

ESEA Waivers• 43 States +

Washington, DC; Puerto Rico have waivers

BREAKING NEWS:Washington State Waiver

Revoked on April 24, 2014

Remove 2014 AYP deadline

Funding Flexibility

Changes to Accountability

Flexibility for HQT Plans

ESEA Waivers

4 Conditions: Adopt College & Career Ready

Standards Develop Assessments that

Measure Student Growth Develop Guidelines for Local

Teacher and Principal Evaluations Based on Effectiveness

Develop Differentiated Accountability System

ESEA Waivers

Source: Fordham Institute

15

CEC Supporting Special Educators in Transition to CCRS & Assessments

Increasing professional development opportunities for special educators to learn, digest, and prepare for the implementation of college and career ready standards;

Halting/Removing high-stakes, personnel decisions based solely on student outcomes on college and career ready standards;

Building professional learning communities to reinforce a joint, collaborative approach between general and special educators; and

Rebuilding educator preparation programs to ensure future educators understand how students with disabilities have access to college and career ready standards.

Next Generation of Assessments

1% Dynamic Learning

Maps

1% National Center &

State Collaborative

99%Smarter

Balanced Consortia

99% PARCC

Consortia

“The newness of this program will

generate a few hiccups.”

– PARCC Official, March 2014

Field Tests: March –June 2014

4 million + students 36 states, District of Columbia

What Works? What Doesn’t?

Hardware? Bandwidth? Desktops? Laptops?

Tablets? Accommodations

Policies, Implementation

Confusing? Overwhelming for

students?

Field Testing…The Good, Bad, & Ugly!

• 37,000 Schools

• 4 million students

• 36 States

• 3-4 Hours of testing…for now!

• Most students taking online

Source: EdWeek

18 StatesAlaska, Colorado,

Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan,

Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North

Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma,

Utah, Vermont, Virginia,

Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin

Alternate Assessment based on Alternate Achievement Standards

Dynamic Learning Maps

Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of

Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, New York,

Oregon, Pacific Assessment Consortium (PAC 6),Pennsylvania,‐Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wyoming

Alternate Assessment based on Alternate Achievement

Standards

National Center & State Collaborative

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Computer-Based Assessment

http://www.parcconline.org/

ArizonaArkansasColoradoDistrict of ColumbiaIllinoisIndianaLouisianaMarylandMassachusetts

MississippiNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkOhioPennsylvaniaRhode IslandTennessee

Computer-Adaptive Assessm

ent

http://www.smarterbalanced.org/

John RileyNATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

2013 House vs. Senate ESEA Bills

Total Opposites!!

Where are we in the legislative process??

Passage by House Education

Committee

Passage by Senate Education

Committee

President Signs!Conference Committee Works Out

Differences!

Passage by Full House of Representatives

Passage by Full Senate

• July 19, 2013: Passed House by 221-207 vote; all Democrats and 12 Republicans voted against

• Two days of debate– 18 amendments passed– 4 amendments defeated– 4 withdrawn

Student Success Act (HR 5)House Version of ESEA

CEC Opposed, as did most of the education & disability communities

Provisions in Student Success Act (HR 5) CEC Supports

Eliminates AYP & 2014 Deadline

Maintains Disaggregation of Subgroup Data


CEC Expresses Serious Concerns with Student Success Act (HR 5)

Reduces Accountability for Students with Disabilities

Eliminates Highly Qualified Teacher Provisions

Lacks focus on Professional Development

Reduces, Caps and Eliminates Funding; Locks into place sequestration

Increases Privatization

Ignores High-Ability Students


• Passed Senate Health, Education, Labor, Pensions (HELP) Committee June 12, 2013

• Passed with only Democrat support

• Two days of debate and amendments

Strengthening America’s Schools ActSenate Version of ESEA

CEC supported with some reservations, as did most of disability

community; education community split

Provisions in Strengthening America’s Schools Act CEC Supports

Focus on early learning for entry “ready to learn” Encourage equity through greater transparency and fair distribution of resources Limits Use of Alternate Assessment Changes to Accountability System, Focus on Bottom 15%, Low Performing Subgroups, Maintains Subgroup Disaggregation, Student Growth & Performance Targets; Eliminates AYP & 2014 Deadline

Early Intervening Services in General Ed, UDL, PBIS Mental Health Supports Includes Key Provisions of CEC-Endorsed, TALENT Act for High-Ability Students


Provisions in Strengthening America’s Schools Act That Concern CEC

New Requirements without Adequate Resources

Accountability System Focus on Bottom 15% of Schools and Only Reporting for Remaining 85% Includes “Turnaround” Models that Promote Firing of Staff and Other Interventions Overemphasis of Teacher Evaluation from Federal Level

Defining “Highly Qualified” to Include Individuals Still Enrolled in Alternate Route to Certification Programs


What’s Next for ESEA?

Expanding Opportunities in Higher Education & Workforce

Supporting Transition to Postsecondary Education Must reinforce high expectations

Transition planning must begin at age 14

Strengthen relationships between PK-12, postsecondary, workforce systems

Invest in National Center for Information and Technical Support for Postsecondary Students with Disabilities

Invest in National Coordinating Center for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

Only 29% of students with

disabilities complete

postsecondary program/graduate

with diploma


Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act Limits use of subminimum wage for individuals with disabilities by

ensuring that before an individual receives subminimum wage they first:1. receive pre-employment transition services; 2. applied for vocational rehabilitation services, and if eligible,

made a serious attempt at competitive integrated employment; 3. receive counseling, information and referral about alternatives

to subminimum wage employment.

Individuals with disabilities currently employed at subminimum wage must be provided on going career counseling, information and referrals, and notification of local training opportunities to move into competitive integrated employment, as appropriate.


Emphasizes State vocational rehabilitation agencies make “pre-employment transition services” available to all students with disabilities and to coordinate those services with IDEA’s transition services.

State vocational rehabilitation programs

will set aside 15% of their Federal funding to help young people with disabilities transition from secondary school to post secondary education programs and employment.

06

12

Unemployment Rate %

Investing in Special/Gifted Education

IDEA Early Intervention IDEA Preschool IDEA School

Aged

More children served + stagnant

funding = cost savings measures

Federal funding per child at 27-

year low

IDEA Full Funding Act:

Reach 40% in 10 yrs, now at 15.8%

IDEA Full Funding Act

Congressmen Van Hollen (D-MD), McKinley (R-WV), Walz (D-MN), Gibson (R-NY), Huffman (D-CA) and Reichert (R-WA)

IDEA Full Funding Act would fully fund IDEA by 2024 (HR 4136)

Investing in Special/Gifted Education

IDEA National Programs

(R&D)

National Center for Special Education Research

Javits Gifted & Talented Students

Act

Only 2% of IDEA budget, far too

low

Cut by 30% in 2011 resulted in

75% fewer grants in 2013

Resurrected in 2014 but only $5

million

Today’s Topic: Education policy shifts… Discuss!

Documents

From Cradle to Career: