WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON?!

That is one terrible title.

EARLY CHILDHOOD/Early Intervention

SPP/APR

Changes Afoot Policy Forum, May 11-13, 2011 December, 2011 Dept. Accepts Comments

on Changes Changes are very minor (CEC comments) April 2012 – Department Suspends

Verification Visits June 12 – Department Call! What to do

next? Shift to Outcomes, not process

But what will this mean??

WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT (WIA)CEC Reauthorization Recommendations - CAN 2011

History

Signed into law by President Clinton in 1998

WIA marked the first major job training reform in over 15 years

Goal : Workforce Investment System

Create a “Work First” employment system Integrate welfare, unemployment

compensation, employment services, and training into one seamless system of public assistance reform

WIA was passed to reform the nation’s job training system that formerly was fragmented, contained duplicative programs, and did not serve either job seekers or employers well.

Full implementation for all states was to be completed by July 1, 2000.

Structure

Title I – Workforce Investment Systems Title II – Adult Education and Literacy Title III – Workforce Investment Related

Activities Title IV – Rehabilitation Act Amendments

of 1998 Title V – General Provisions

State Workforce Investment Boards

WIA & Equality

How has WIA helped?More Access to Facilities & Programs:

Architectural AccessAssistive Technology DevicesDirected Marketing Updated PoliciesProviding Needed AccommodationsGAO Report 05-54 (Dec.

2004)

Unemployment Rates

In May 2011, the percentage of people with disabilities in the labor force was 21.1. By comparison, the percentage of persons with no disability in the labor force was 69.7.

The unemployment rate for those with disabilities was 15.6 percent, compared with 8.5 percent for persons with no disability.

11

Workforce Investment Act (WIA)

April 2011 - CEC Issues Updated WIA Recommendations WIA is long overdue for reauthorization Senate is currently working on a draft –

could be introduced this summer

Action Since April 2011? Oh My! Senate Bill – STALLED

Sheltered Workshop Main Issue House Bill(s) – Moving, Mark-Up, and

Going No Where (very unlikely to move in the Senate.) Concerning Provisions:

Allows Consolidation of Voc Rehab Funds into Title I of WIA, essentially eliminating Voc Rehab altogether. HR 4297

Consolidates 27 (mostly youth) Programs into 1 block grant aimed at mostly adult services

Talking Points

CEC Recommends:Begin Transition Planning As Soon As

Possible, No Later Than Age 14;Require Representation of Disability Interests

on State Workforce Investment Boards;Create and Fund Research Priorities

Designed to Address Individuals with Disabilities; and

Include and Emphasize Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

CEC Talkin

g Point

s!!

Negotiated Rulemaking & Potential Impact on Special Education

Higher Education Act

What is the Problem??

Student performance

lags far behind other nations

What is the Problem??

What is the Department saying… “Teacher preparation programs are not always

attracting the strongest candidates – only 24% of all teachers, and only 14% of teachers in high-poverty schools, come from the top third of college graduates”

“More than three in five education school alumni report that their educations school did not prepare them for “classroom realities”

“70% of superintendents and principals said teachers were not prepared to address the needs of students with disabilities.

What is the Problem??

States identified less than 2% of teacher preparation programs as “low performing”

Current HEA reporting requirements = 440 reporting fields for states; 250 for IHEs

Shift to Effectiveness…Not Just in K-12

“The Department is interested in ensuring that teacher preparation programs, school districts

and prospective students have access to meaningful, outcome-based as well as input-

oriented indicators of program effectiveness that will promote

improvements in those programs, and provide to potential employers and prospective

students actionable information to guide their hiring and program application decisions.”

- U.S. Department of Educationhttp://www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/reg/hearulemaking/2011/teacherprep.html

Shift to Effectiveness…Not Just in K-12

Rate every teacher preparation program on 1-4 scale (1 best, 4 worst)

Rating system as proposed by feds K-12 student outcomes of program

graduates based on value added scores; Employment outcomes for graduates

including placement and retention; Customer satisfaction (graduate and

principal surveys); Professional accreditation OR state approval;

Shift to Effectiveness…Not Just in K-12

Discussion: Tie ranking to financial aid

eligibility !

Impact on Special Education

High stakes decision based on student test scores

Will teacher preparation programs want

to maintain special education focus?

Exacerbating the special education shortage

What to Expect

Proposed regulations are expected out soon

Keep informed – stay tuned!!