NCLB update

NCLB
Reauthorization hearings are scheduled for March and April. A bi cameral (both Senate and House) hearing on NCLB issues is scheduled for March 13th. Witnesses: Roy Barnes - Aspen Institute Commission on No Child Left Behind; Elizabeth Burmaster - Council of Chief State School Officers; Mike Casserley - Council of Great City Schools; Wade Henderson - Leadership Conference on Civil Rights; Ed McElroy - American Federation of Teachers; Arthur J. Rothkopf - Business Coalition for Student Achievement; Reg Weaver - National Education Association

Future Hearings Topics: High school reform, AYP, teacher quality, special education, ELL. Field Hearings throughout the country are expected in the spring. The Senate and the House hope to have NCLB reauthorization bills introduced before the August recess.

Funding
On March 13, Secretary Margaret Spellings will testify before the House Labor, Health & Human Services and Education (L, H&HS&ED) Appropriation sub committee. The Secretary will testify on the President’s budget proposal for education for FY08. The budget was released in early February. http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2008/pdf/appendix/edu.pdf

Since no appropriations bill for L, H&HS&ED has been passed, a continuing resolution* (CR) will fund education programs for FY07. The suggested levels for FY07 are based on continuing funding at FY06 levels. The Department of Education is expected to release program funding levels within 30 days.

Higher Education
The Senate hopes to introduce the higher education reauthorization in early summer with the House to follow in late summer. The Higher Education Act governs all federal policy concerning teacher preparation programs.

Head Start
The Senate has reported out of committee its Head Start reauthorization S556 which calls for more prewriting, prereading skills and prenumeracy skills to be included in Head Start curriculum. A summary will be posted to the blog, when completed. The House is expected to introduce its version of Reauthorization within the month.