Legislative Update 2006

1
Legislative Update 2006

• 3 Priorities

2

• Higher Education Act Reauthorization (HEA) (H.R.
  609 / S.1614)
• Importance of pre-service teacher training
• Currently not trained in universities before
  masters degrees
• Changes to Title II of HEA made in both House
  Senate bills to allow to increase g/t
  knowledge skills (see cosponsor list)

3

• HEA waiting for House Senate action
• Message advanced students need teachers who can
  meet their needs. Please pass the Higher
  Education Act before the end of the 109th
  Congress.

4
Javits G/T Students Education Act

• Only federal program devoted to supporting the
  needs of g/t students
• Act has 3 components
• NRC/GT
• Demonstration grants to explore ways to ID
  serve underserved students
• Since 2000 (NCLB), has included a statewide
  grants component that supports efforts to improve
  the infrastructure (e.g., teacher training,
  program evaluation, new curriculum)

5
Arguments

• Approximately 18 states have the 3-year,
  statewide grants need 2007 funds to continue the
  good work being done
• Javits stories
• NEA article
• Own state stories?
• Use of NRC/GT research to support best practices

6

• Across-the-board funding cuts in the past few
  years have eroded the Javits program need to
  reverse that trend
• Message please support gifted students by
  co-signing the Grassley/Dodd (or Gallegly) letter
  to the education appropriations subcommittee
  requesting 11 million for the Javits program in
  fiscal year 2007.

7
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering
Mathematics)

• Growing concern about shortage of STEM talent
  to meet U.S. natl security needs.
• Reliance on foreign-born talent
• H1B visas
• Changes to U.S. contracts in post-9/11 era
• More STEM jobs in other countries
• Growing awareness of lack of U.S. student
  interest / preparedness in STEM careers

8

• Congressional request to NAS for study
• Rising Above the Gathering Storm
• Makes the connection to K-12 education
• Teacher preparation
• Student Interest in STEM careers
• Statewide math/science high schools
• internships

9
Congressional Response

• 3 bills introduced in Senate
• PACE Education (S.2198)
• PACE Energy (S.2197)
• Financial / energy efficiency (S.2199)
• House bills similar, but not companion bills

10

• S.2198
• Teacher training
• More teachers with STEM degrees
• AP math/science teacher training
• Math/science curriculum teaching materials
  clearinghouse
• Research grants

11

• S.2197 (Energy)
• Use national energy laboratories to support
  math/science K-12 classrooms
• Direct support (staff and equipment) to statewide
  math/science schools
• Provide internships to students
• Student scholarships
• House bills dont address K-12 STUDENTS (only
  have teacher training components)

12
So What Do We Think?

• Too few statewide math/science high schools
  (Intel finalists)
• Like internship opportunities
• Like dissemination of teaching materials
• Like having more teachers with background in math
  science
• Like increasing of AP math science courses

13

• Message
• Amend S.2197 to encourage states to establish or
  expand statewide math/science high schools
  (Senate message)
• Modify House bills to address experiential
  learning for students support new statewide
  math/science high schools (House)

14
Questions?