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

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Importance of a Good Catchphrase Early Learning PK-12 Education Reforms Overhauling Higher Education Expanding Workforce Opportunities Investing in Education Resources

Sharon Walsh CEC DIVISION FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD INFANT AND TODDLER COORDINATORS ASSOCIATION

PK-12 Education Reforms IMPACT 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 %

White House Announces Waivers SEPTEMBER, 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 “The newness of this program will generate a few hiccups.” – PARCC Official, March 2014 Field Tests: March –June million + students 36 states, District of Columbia Field Tests: March –June 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 States Alaska, 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

17 Computer-Based Assessment Arizona Arkansas Colorado District of Columbia Illinois Indiana Louisiana Maryland Massachusetts Mississippi New Jersey New Mexico New York Ohio Pennsylvania Rhode Island Tennessee

Computer-Adaptive Assessment

John Riley NATIONAL 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 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 Student Success Act (HR 5) House Version of ESEA

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 Student Success Act (HR 5) House Version of ESEA

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 Act Senate 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 Strengthening America’s Schools Act Senate Version of ESEA

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 Strengthening America’s Schools Act Senate Version of ESEA

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

Expanding Opportunities in Higher Education & Workforce 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.

Expanding Opportunities in Higher Education & Workforce 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.

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!