The
U.S. Congress is now engaged in activities to prepare for the
reauthorization of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) - currently known as the No
Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Our
Kids Count keeps
you up to date on activities affecting special education students
and alerts you to issues of concern. Find
us on facebook Follow
us on Twitter
"Eighty-five
percent (85%) of students identified under the IDEA do
not have intellectual disabilities that should prevent
them from achieving at grade level. This includes students
with learning disabilities, who comprise nearly half
of the IDEA population, as well as students with physical
disabilities, vision and hearing impairments, emotional
and behavioral disabilities, and even some students with
mild cognitive impairments."
Excerpt
from testimony of Jacqui Farmer Kearns before House
Education and Labor Committee, March 18, 2010.
- Watch the testimony on YouTube
- Read full
testimony.
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NEWS AND ACTIVITIES
 October 15, 2011: Get this document to help with review and input of state requests for waivers - ESEA Flexibility Requests: Tips for Protecting Students with Disabilities.
July 11, 2011: Get the real scoop on a new bill in the House of Representatives to permit flexible use of federal funds provided under ESEA.
It's all in the Our Kids Count blog.
June 17, 2011: Advocacy organizations send joint letter to ED Secretary Duncan regarding ED plan to provide regulatory relief and waivers of provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Read the letter.
UPCOMING
CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS: None scheduled
U.S.
Department of Education :: ESEA Reauthorization
Website
 September 23, 2011: U.S. Dept. of Education announced flexibility regarding specific requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) in exchange for rigorous and comprehensive State-developed plans designed to improve educational outcomes for all students, close achievement gaps, increase equity, and improve the quality of instruction.
Details here.
August
3, 2010: U.S.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan addressed
the August Mega-Conference,
telling the
group "I understand that parents are compelled to
advocate because they see that their sons and daughters aren't
getting
the free, appropriate public education that federal law guarantees
them." Read
the full speech here.
March
13, 2010 :: The
U.S. Dept. of
Education released "A
Blueprint for Reform: The Reauthorization of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act".
Congressional
Hearings on
the USED Blueprint (111th Congress):
-
Hearing in the Senate Health, Education,
Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee ::March 17, 2010
Statements
and Webcast archive
- Hearing
in the House of
Representatives :: March 17, 2010
Statements
of Members and Witnesses :: Webcast
archive
Series of Stakeholders Forums
-
November 20, 2009 Forum
on "Educating
Diverse Learners"
Download files: Transcript
in MS Word :: Video :: Audio
Video of presentation by Dr. Judith Moening
-
November 4, 2009 Forum on "Measuring Progress and Creating Continuous
Systems of Improvement"
Including testimony
by Dr. Martha Thurlow of the National
Center on Educational Outcomes
Download files: Transcript
in MS Word :: Video :: Audio
U.S.
Senate ::
Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee
112th Congress :: Committee's
Education Webpage
- October 20, 2011: Senate HELP Committee approves a bill to reauthorize ESEA. Details here.
Past Senate Hearings:
To date, the Senate has not held any hearing on ESEA reauthorization during the 112th Congress.
U.S.
House of Representatives ::
Education and the Workforce Committee
112th Congress :: Committee's
ESEA Web page
Past
Hearings:
- June 1, 2011 :: Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education
Subject:
Education Reforms: Exploring the Vital Role of Charter Schools
-
April 7, 2011 :: Committee
on Education and the Workforce
Subject: Education Reforms: Promoting Flexibility and Innovation
- March
17, 2011 :: Committee
on Education and the Workforce
Subject: Education Regulations: Roadblocks to Student Choice in Higher Education
-
March 15, 2011 :: Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education
Subject: Education Regulations: Burying Schools in Paperwork
-
March 9, 2011 :: Committee
on Education and Labor
Subject: The Budget and Policy Proposals of the U.S. Department of Education
- March 1, 2011 :: Committee
on Education and Labor
Subject: Education Regulations: Weighing the Burden on Schools and Students
- February 10, 2011 :: Committee
on Education and Labor
Subject: Education in the Nation: Examining the Challenges and Opportunities Facing America's Classrooms
Democrats' Website
Hearings held in the Senate and House during the 111th Congress are available here.
ORGANIZATIONAL
POSITIONS
See
what leading disability organizations and coalitions have to
say about updating the ESEA!
Consortium
for Citizens with Disabilities Education Task Force :: Principles
for the ESEA reauthorization (2011) (PDF)
National
Center for Learning Disabilities :: Principles
for the Reauthorization of ESEA (PDF)
National
Down Syndrome Society & National Down Syndrome Congress ::
ESEA Issues (PDF, 8 pgs)
Council
for Exceptional Children :: ESEA
Reauthorization Recommendations (PDF,
16 pgs)
Learning
Disabilities Association of America :: ESEA
Recommendations (PDF, 9 pgs)
Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates :: ESEA Policy Recommendations Related to Students with Disabilities (PDF, 6 pgs)
Democrats
for Education Reform :: Statement
of Principles (PDF)
National
Universal Design for Learning Task force :: Recommendations
for ESEA Reauthorization
School
Success for All Coalition :: Recommendations to
Improve School Climate (PDF)
Parents Across America :: Recommendations for ESEA/NCLB reauthorization (PDF)
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