Education Report for May 15, 2009

1. Budget and Appropriations
-Education community digested and began to respond to the release of the Obama Administration's detailed FY 2010 budget proposal last week (see 5/8 ed report and chart for details)
-Despite overall increased ed spending, notable criticism and concern has emerged around spending freezes and transitions to competitive grant based funding for longtime ed programs.
-Breakdown of many aspects of the proposal that the ed world has to be happy about (mentioned last week): funding for early-childhood ed. programs and grants; Teacher Incentive Fund growth; Pell Grant; Title 1 School Improvement funding.
-Disappointments for some ed. groups: Afterschool/Career and Technical ed. program spending frozen at FY 2009 level; IDEA funding frozen at FY 2009 level; STEM funding frozen.
-Congress' view of the administration's proposal is still unclear.
-Overall, sobering for those with high expectation on the heels of unprecedented stimulus funding for education--a realization that these investments will not all be long term and sustained.

2. Secretary Duncan Addresses Innovation Funding at Brookings Institution
-Duncan articulated his vision for use of innovation funding generated by the stimulus.
-Recognized that much of $ given to states to stabilize and prevent job loss but still hopeful that some will also achieve innovation: "Race to the Top" fund; What Works Innovation Fund.
-Participants expressed concerns that money will go to existing programs rather than reform initiatives.

3. House Educational and Labor Committee Holds Hearing on High School Reform
-"America's Competitiveness through High School Reform"--focused on how addressing drop-out crisis connects to strengthening American economic competitiveness
-Bi-partisan panel of congressmen and six experts testified
-Alarming statistics presented and general recognition of the crisis' extent
-Experts agreed that increased federal investment in high school reform must be included in ESEA reauthorization
-Highlighted "high,common standards that are tied to college-and work-readiness" (the growing chant for national standards!) as critical to high school reform.

4. In Brief, headings include
-EDUCATION DEPARTMENT MEETS WITH STAKEHOLDERS ON ENHANCING EDUCATION THROUGH TECHNOLOGY (EETT) STIMULUS SPENDING
-SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE IN EDUCATION (SEE) HOLDS BRIEFING ON NEW RESEARCH ON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MATH CURRICULA
-NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION (NSBA) AND CENTER FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION (CPA) HOLD BRIEFING ON GROWTH MODELS
-NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD HOLDS MEETING ON BUDGET
-BROOKINGS HOLDS DISCUSSION OF HIGH SCHOOLS' ROLES IN ENCOURAGING POSTSECONDARY STUDY
-HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE HOLDS HEARING ON CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS
-HOUSE SCIENCE AND TECH COMMITTEE HOLDS HEARING ON FY 2010 BUDGET
-OBAMA ADMINISTRATION SELECTS SUPREET ANAND FOR ELL POST

Refer to attached report itself for more details surrounding areas of interest above. Be sure to also scan sections #5 ("New Publications") and #6 ("In the News"), for articles of interest.