: August 2009

• "Race to the Top" to Advance School Reform
• New Tools to Advocate for Family Engagement
• Education Funding: Congressional Attention
• Early Learning Initiatives
• Additional Funding for School Facilities
• Congressional August Recess

President Obama and Secretary Duncan Announce "Race to the Top" Competition to Advance School Reform

On July 24, President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced that states leading the way on school reform will be eligible to compete for $4.35 billion in competitive grants, provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to support education reform and innovation in classrooms. Key education stakeholders, including National PTA CEO Byron V. Garrett, were invited to attend the meeting during which the Secretary and President made this announcement. Race to the Top is designed to encourage and reward states who are implementing ambitious plans in four core areas: implementing rigorous content standards and assessments, improving teacher effectiveness and achieving equity in teacher distribution, improving collection and use of data, and turning around the lowest performing schools.

Race to the Top is designed to encourage and reward states who are implementing ambitious plans in four core areas: implementing rigorous content standards and assessments, improving teacher effectiveness and achieving equity in teacher distribution, improving collection and use of data, and turning around the lowest performing schools.

The Department of Education will consider applications from states that address the four core reform areas, as well as have demonstrated conditions and a solid plan for the reform. The Department is particularly interested in states' current progress and continued plans to turn around their lowest performing schools using a number of innovative measures, including increased family engagement. One of the proposed selection criteria for Race to the Top grants is that states make available a variety of educational data to parents, students, and families.

This competition will not be based on politics or ideology or the preferences of a particular interest group," Obama said. "Instead, it will be based on a simple principle—whether a state is ready to do what works. We will use the best evidence available to determine whether a state can meet a few key benchmarks for reform—and states that outperform the rest will be rewarded with a grant. Not every state will win and not every school district will be happy with the results. But America's children, America's economy, and America itself will be better for it."

The Department will award grants in two phases, with Phase 1 closing in late 2009 and Phase 2 closing in 2010. States that do not receive grants for Phase 1 application are encouraged to apply again during Phase 2.

"States will have two chances to win," Duncan said. "They have plenty of time to learn from the first-round winners, change laws where necessary, build partnerships with all key stakeholders, and advance bold and creative reforms."

Read more about "Race to the Top".

Read President Obama's full remarks.

PTA Releases New Tools to Advocate for Family Engagement

On July 23, 2009, PTA's Office of Public Policy released two new issue briefs: Seeing Is Believing: Promising Practices for How School Districts Promote Family Engagement, developed through an exciting new partnership with the Harvard Family Research Project,and Model Partnerships: Leveraging Resources and Capacity for PIRCs and PTAs. PTA presented findings from both briefs at the Department of Education's 2009 National PIRC Project Director's Conference.

The first issue brief, Seeing is Believing, discusses best practices for family engagement at the district level. The brief profiles six school districts implementing effective family engagement strategies, such as creating district- level offices to address family and community engagement and providing professional development for district staff with a strong family engagement component. The second brief, Model Partnerships, draws on the innovative collaborations between state PIRCs and PTAs nationwide and offers best practices and strategies for PTAs and PIRCs to deepen these collaborations to maximize their impact on family engagement at the state level.

State and local PTA members can use these tools to advocate for stronger family engagement efforts at their local, district, and state levels. The Model Partnerships brief provides a number of strategies for state PTAs to collaborate not only with PIRCs but also with local schools and districts. PTA leaders are encouraged to present the findings of these briefs to local and state officials to demonstrate the impact family engagement can have on student achievement and encourage a strong investment in family engagement programs. PTAs can use the brief to position themselves as ideal partners for statewide family engagement efforts.

Read the Issue Briefs        

Education Funding Receives Congressional Attention

The fiscal year (FY) 2010 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bill, the legislative vehicle which funds all major education programs, has recently been at the forefront of congressional action. Though health care reform has stolen most of the national headlines, education funding remains one of PTA's top priorities and is moving rapidly through the halls of Congress.

On July 24, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed their version of an FY 2010 appropriations bill for education by a vote of 264-153. The House version of the bill provides over $165 billion in total funding, including nearly $68 billion for our nation's education programs.

The Senate Appropriations Committee passed their version of education appropriations on July 30, 2009. Their bill provided over $163 billion in total funding, including approximately $63.5 billion specifically dedicated to education programs. It is not yet clear when the full Senate will take up the bill.

While both versions of the bill show significant support for education, this commitment is proven to be even stronger when one takes into account the nearly $100 billion for the Department of Education appropriated through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act earlier this year, most of which will be parceled out during FY 2010.

For more specific information on education funding levels in both versions of the bill, please consult the chart below:

If you have any questions regarding the funding levels in the above chart, please direct them to James Vanderhook, Public Policy Specialist, at jvanderhook@pta.org.

Early Learning Initiatives Gain Momentum

A key piece of President Obama's education agenda is supporting comprehensive and effective early learning programs for children from birth to age 5. In July, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced their support for efforts in Congress to answer the President's challenge to invest $10 billion in the administration's early learning reforms.

The proposed Early Learning Challenge Fund will be driven by standards, as well as outcomes to improve the quality of early childhood programs across the country. The proposed Fund will encourage states to set a high standard of quality across all of their early learning programs, ensure that a greater number of children participate in high-quality programs, and deliver the training and support needed to ensure that more children are prepared with the cognitive, social, and emotional skills necessary for kindergarten success.

The Fund would be established through the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009, which was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman George Miller, the Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. This legislation embraces President Obama's early education agenda and builds upon proposals included in President Obama's 2010 budget. The bill would invest $1 billion each year in competitive grants that include:

• Early learning standards reform
• Evidence-based program quality standards
• Enhanced program review and monitoring of program quality
• Comprehensive professional development
• Coordinated system for facilitating screenings for disability, health, and mental health needs
• Improved support to parents
• Process for assessing children's school readiness
• Data to improve child outcomes

The Senate is expected to consider its version of the bill following the August recess.

Additional Funding for School Facilities Moves Forward in Congress

The United States Congress continues to move forward with efforts to provide additional funding for the renovation, modernization, and repair of America's school facilities. In addition to the unprecedented funding provided for this effort in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) earlier this year, two bills are currently being debated which would provide at least $4.8 billion for school facilities over the next two years.

The fiscal year 2010 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bill contains $700 million for a new program to repair unsafe and unhealthy school buildings or build new school facilities in every state. The House of Representatives passed their version of the bill on July 24, 2009 by a vote of 264-153. The Senate Committee on Appropriations passed their version of the bill on July 30, 2009. It is not yet clear when the full Senate will take up the bill. However, the $700 million for school facilities is included in both versions of the bill.

In addition, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009, introduced by house Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller, includes $4.1 billion over the next two years in mandatory funding for school modernization. These funds would be distributed through grants to local school districts to renovate, repair, and modernize schools and to encourage green and energy-efficient programs.

These and other school facility related efforts which have already been signed into law are evidence of a commitment to bring our nation's schools into the 21st century. However, with estimates of the need for the modernization of school facilities ranging from $112 billion by the U.S. Government Accountability Office to $250 billion by the American Federation of Teachers, this commitment is one that needs to be sustained. For our part, PTA has consistently maintained that modern, safe, and healthy education facilities will result in a better educated, more informed, and more productive population.

Congressional August Recess – Time to Visit Your Members of Congress

Next month members of Congress will be attending to business and campaigning in their home districts during their August recess. This is the perfect time for PTA advocates to schedule meetings and talk to their senators and representatives face-to-face.

PTA is keenly interested in Elementary and Secondary Education Act – No Child Left Behind (ESEA-NCLB), Child Nutrition Act, and Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), all of which will be up for reauthorization soon, if not already. Make this your opportunity to ask your members of Congress to support PTA's public policy priorities. You can also share with them PTA's two new issue briefs, Seeing is Believing and Model Partnerships, which outline family engagement strategies and innovative collaborations between state PIRCs and PTAs. During your visit, be sure to thank them for their support in funding PIRCs with the fiscal year 2010 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill.