1. March Madness: federal education update
AASA
March 2012

2. Overview
ESEA
House
Senate
Waivers
Funding
FY13
Sequestration

3. ESEA Reauthorization: Overview
House Cmte passed ESEA bills out of committee in late February
Very partisan
Can expect it to move to the floor, but not much further
Senate passed their bipartisan bill out of committee in October
Do not expect it to the floor any time soon

4. ESEA Reauthorization: The Good
Both snap AYP, AMO, 100% proficiency
Both require annual testing in math/reading in grades 3-8 and once in high school
Continued data disaggregation
States get big say in intervening in low-performing schools
Eliminates requirement re: tutoring and school choice
Both reauthorize REAP

5. ESEA Reauthorization: Points of Concern
House
Maintenance of Effort
Funding Cap
Equitable Participation
Charters
Senate
Comparability Changes
Reliance on One-Time testing
Treatment of Foster Kids
Codification of RttT and i3

6. ESEA: House & Senate Differences
Both call for higher standards; House makes it illegal for Secretary to endorse specific efforts (Common Core)
House model lacks any specific turn around models, as well as any parameters in identifying who would use models
House doesn’t include another percentage of schools for special attention (Senate includes gap schools, administration includes those at-risk of 5%)
House bill eliminates HQT requirement
House bill requires SEA/LEAs to develop teacher evaluation systems (Driven by student performance and having more than 2 levels); Senate only requires it for those applying for competitive grants
House bill includes significant expansion of funding flexibility

7. ESEA: Regulatory Relief
Flexibility being offered in 11 specific areas
States have to adopt all three policy priorities:
Higher standards
Differentiated accountability system
Teacher/principal evaluation system based on growth
Conditional, quid-pro-quo deal, with states having to adopt specific policy priorities in exchange for relief

8. ESEA: Regulatory Relief
To date, 39+ states have expressed interest in the waivers
11 states applied for and received waivers in the first round: CO, FL, GA, IN, KY, MA, MN, NJ, NM, OK, and TN
26 more states applied in the second round
Who hasn’t applied? AL, AK, CA, HI, ME, MT, NV, NH, ND, PA, TX, WV, and WY
One more round, applications due Sept. 6

9. FY13 Budget Proposal
USED only non-defense funding increase -about $1.7 billion
$30 billion to retain, hire teachers and first responders
$30 billion to modernize at least 35,000 schools

10. FY13 Budget Proposal Level funds Title I and IDEA
Consolidates 38 programs down to 11
$850 million for RTT
$150 million for i3
$2.5 billion for teacher quality formula grants
$400 million for Teachers/Leaders Innovation Fund
NEW $5 billion grant program to reform the teaching profession
Eliminates funding for Impact Aid Federal Property Program

11. AASA Advocacy Resources
AASA Website:
AASA Blog:
AASA
Weekly Leg Corps: Concise weekly wrap up of what happened in Congress ( Sasha)
Monthly Update: Summary of everything going on in Congress ( Noelle)
Policy Insider: A periodic publication that takes a more in-depth look at current education policy issues ( Noelle)

12. Questions?
Noelle Ellerson Assistant Director, Policy Analysis & Advocacy
Sasha Pudelski
Government Affairs Manager