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EPLC Education Notebook Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Race-to-the-Top The EPLC Education Notebook (current and past editions) also is available by visiting the EPLC website at www.eplc.org/ednotebook.html. RACE-TO-THE-TOP The U.S. Department of Education announced on August 24 that nine states and the District of Columbia were second-round winners in the Race-to-the-Top competition. Pennsylvania, although a finalist in both rounds one and two, was not among the winners. Pennsylvania leaders had hoped the state might be eligible for up to $400 million in special stimulus funding. The winners in the second round competition are: STATE BUDGET UPDATE Congressional Action Will Ease State’s Budget Situation For Pennsylvania, the two provisions will provide approximately $600 million for increased Medicaid support and nearly $380 million more for teachers. The Medicaid support is less than the $850 million originally under consideration and anticipated by Pennsylvania lawmakers when they approved the state budget a few weeks ago. The state, however, will need to fill the gap between the anticipated $850 million and the actual $600 million to be received. Governor Rendell has announced a set of actions to close that deficit and ensure Pennsylvania meets its constitutional requirement of a balanced budget. Those actions include a decision to reduce the basic education subsidy increase for this year to $200 million, a $50 million reduction. Every school district's subsidy allocation will be adjusted on a pro-rata basis to reflect the $50 million reduction. Without Congressional action on FMAP, the entire basic education increase for 2010-2011 was threatened with elimination. Impact of the EduJobs Program These new EduJobs federal funds must be appropriated by the Pennsylvania General Assembly before they can be allocated to school districts. The Pennsylvania Department of Education has advised school districts that it is expected that legislative action will come in the winter/spring of 2011, and that the $380 million will be driven to districts under our basic education subsidy funding formula. While these funds will be available for use in the 2010-11 school year, districts have until September 30, 2012 to obligate the EduJobs funds. Here are some of the details of the EduJobs legislation: Maintenance of Effort PENNSYLVANIA POLICYMAKERS Independent Regulatory Review Commission On August 19, the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) approved Regulation Number 6-322 (#2859): Academic Standards and Assessment by a 5-0 vote. This rulemaking amends 22 Pa. Code Chapter 4. Notice of public comment was omitted for this regulation and it will become effective upon publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. The rulemaking revises academic standards in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Mathematics, with full implementation of the Common Core standards by July 1, 2013. Currently, each state has its own academic standards – meaning that students across the country are learning at different levels. While Pennsylvania’s academic standards are viewed by many as among the nation’s strongest, Common Core standards in English-language arts (ELA) and math will raise academic expectations nationwide, improve equity, and ensure that all students are prepared for college and career in core subjects. The Common Core will result in grade-level standards in ELA and mathematics, tied to college and career ready targets. As of August 19, 2010, 34 states and D.C. have adopted the Common Core standards. For more information on the IRRC process, click here. EPLC NEWS Education Policy Fellowship Program There remain only a few days to apply for the 2010-2011 Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP). The nationally prestigious Education Policy Fellowship Program is sponsored in Pennsylvania by The Education Policy and Leadership Center (EPLC). The Fellowship Program begins with a two-day retreat on September 16-17, 2010 and continues through June 2011. Click on http://www.eplc.org/fellows.html for complete details. The application may be downloaded online, but must be submitted by mail with the necessary signatures of applicant and sponsor. If you would like to discuss any aspect of the Fellowship Program and its requirements, please contact Ron Cowell at 717-260-9900 or cowell@eplc.org. Save these Dates! RESEARCH AND REPORTS Since the passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) nearly a decade ago, the U.S. Department of Education has collected more data than ever before about the academic performance of our students and schools. See data on how we are doing as a nation—student achievement in reading and math, high school graduation rates, schools making adequate yearly progress, highly qualified teachers, student participation in tutoring and school choice options, state participation in flexibility options, and more. The National Center for Education Statistics is initiating a new effort to link national and international assessments so that states can compare their own students’ performance against international benchmarks. The linking study, to be conducted in 2011, is intended to enable NCES to project state-level scores on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) using data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The relationships between the two assessments of mathematics and science that are found in these two samples will permit state-level projections of how the students in the 50 states and the District of Columbia who took NAEP would have performed in eighth-grade mathematics and science on TIMSS, with scores that can be compared to those of other countries. A report commissioned by the Blackboard Institute found that dual enrollment programs can help high school kids - even those who are considered "high risk" - increase their chances of success and improve school retention efforts. Dual enrollment programs give high school students the chance to take courses for college credit. While the researchers also found examples of other programs that appear to increase college attendance and success rates even for non-traditional students, they also found a mixed bag of student support systems to ensure that success. That includes academic support, such as tutoring or teacher attention; course reconfigurations, such as stretching a one-semester class across two semesters; college preparatory initiatives, such as individual guidance in filling out financial aid applications or helping select and apply to college; career exploration programs, in which the student might do "job shadowing" or have work-based learning experiences; and mentoring by teachers, school staff, or others. The report concluded that there is evidence that dual enrollment helps a wide range of students to be more successful in college. Students in these programs experience themselves as real college students and gain confidence and skills that can help them to excel academically. Click here for the full report. ANNOUNCEMENTS DATEBOOK The Pennsylvania House of Representatives will reconvene at 1:00PM on September 13, 2010. The Pennsylvania Senate will reconvene at 1:00PM on September 20, 2010. Next week… For information on these and other upcoming events, see www.eplc.org/calendar.html.
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