WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON?! That is one terrible title.

EARLY CHILDHOOD/Early Intervention

SPP/APR  Changes Afoot  Policy Forum, May 11-13, 2011  December, 2011 Dept. Accepts Comments on Changes  Changes are very minor (CEC comments)  April 2012 – Department Suspends Verification Visits  June 12 – Department Call! What to do next?  Shift to Outcomes, not process But what will this mean??

WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT (WIA) CEC Reauthorization Recommendations - CAN 2011

History  Signed into law by President Clinton in 1998  WIA marked the first major job training reform in over 15 years

Goal : Workforce Investment System  Create a “Work First” employment system  Integrate welfare, unemployment compensation, employment services, and training into one seamless system of public assistance reform  WIA was passed to reform the nation’s job training system that formerly was fragmented, contained duplicative programs, and did not serve either job seekers or employers well.  Full implementation for all states was to be completed by July 1, 2000.

Structure  Title I – Workforce Investment Systems  Title II – Adult Education and Literacy  Title III – Workforce Investment Related Activities  Title IV – Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998  Title V – General Provisions

State Workforce Investment Boards

WIA & Equality How has WIA helped? More Access to Facilities & Programs: Architectural Access Assistive Technology Devices Directed Marketing Updated Policies Providing Needed Accommodations GAO Report (Dec. 2004)

Unemployment Rates  In May 2011, the percentage of people with disabilities in the labor force was By comparison, the percentage of persons with no disability in the labor force was  The unemployment rate for those with disabilities was 15.6 percent, compared with 8.5 percent for persons with no disability.

Workforce Investment Act (WIA) 11  April CEC Issues Updated WIA Recommendations  WIA is long overdue for reauthorization  Senate is currently working on a draft – could be introduced this summer

Action Since April 2011? Oh My!  Senate Bill – STALLED  Sheltered Workshop Main Issue  House Bill(s) – Moving, Mark-Up, and Going No Where (very unlikely to move in the Senate.)  Concerning Provisions: Allows Consolidation of Voc Rehab Funds into Title I of WIA, essentially eliminating Voc Rehab altogether. HR 4297 Consolidates 27 (mostly youth) Programs into 1 block grant aimed at mostly adult services

Talking Points CEC Recommends: Begin Transition Planning As Soon As Possible, No Later Than Age 14; Require Representation of Disability Interests on State Workforce Investment Boards; Create and Fund Research Priorities Designed to Address Individuals with Disabilities; and Include and Emphasize Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Negotiated Rulemaking & Potential Impact on Special Education Higher Education Act

What is the Problem?? Student performance lags far behind other nations

What is the Problem??  What is the Department saying…  “Teacher preparation programs are not always attracting the strongest candidates – only 24% of all teachers, and only 14% of teachers in high-poverty schools, come from the top third of college graduates”  “More than three in five education school alumni report that their educations school did not prepare them for “classroom realities”  “70% of superintendents and principals said teachers were not prepared to address the needs of students with disabilities.

What is the Problem??  States identified less than 2% of teacher preparation programs as “low performing”  Current HEA reporting requirements = 440 reporting fields for states; 250 for IHEs

Shift to Effectiveness…Not Just in K-12 “The Department is interested in ensuring that teacher preparation programs, school districts and prospective students have access to meaningful, outcome-based as well as input-oriented indicators of program effectiveness that will promote improvements in those programs, and provide to potential employers and prospective students actionable information to guide their hiring and program application decisions.” - U.S. Department of Education

Shift to Effectiveness…Not Just in K-12  Rate every teacher preparation program on 1- 4 scale (1 best, 4 worst)  Rating system as proposed by feds  K-12 student outcomes of program graduates based on value added scores;  Employment outcomes for graduates including placement and retention;  Customer satisfaction (graduate and principal surveys);  Professional accreditation OR state approval;

Shift to Effectiveness…Not Just in K-12 Discussion: Tie ranking to financial aid eligibility !

Impact on Special Education  High stakes decision based on student test scores  Will teacher preparation programs want to maintain special education focus?  Exacerbating the special education shortage

What to Expect  Proposed regulations are expected out soon  Keep informed – stay tuned!!