NSBA's Letter to House and Senate Education Committees: April 21, 2008

April 21, 2008

The Honorable Edward M. Kennedy
Chairman, Senate Committee on Health,
Education, Labor & Pensions

The Honorable Michael B. Enzi
Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Health,
Education, Labor & Pensions

The Honorable George Miller
Chairman, House Committee on Education & Labor

The Honorable Howard "Buck" McKeon
Ranking Member, House Committee on Education & Labor

Re:     Conference negotiations on the Higher Education Act (H.R. 4137 / S. 1642)

Dear Chairmen and Ranking Members:

On behalf of the 95,000 school board members who serve the nation’s 49 million students in our local public school districts, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) thanks you for your leadership in advancing the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (H.R. 4137 / S. 1642). School board members have particular interest in Title II Teacher Quality Enhancement grants because of the important role they can play in helping to strengthen teacher quality, which is a critical component to raising student achievement and fulfilling the goals of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) / No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

In general, NSBA is pleased with the similar reforms in Title II of both the House and Senate bills, including the streamlined focus on partnership grants that directly involve local school districts, the strengthening of pre-baccalaureate teacher preparation programs, the promising addition of teaching residency programs, and heightened accountability for teacher preparation programs for increasing the number of teachers in shortage areas.

However, as you and your committees deliberate over differences between the two versions, we offer these recommendations for making Title II most effective:

Definitions
  • Support the House version of the definition of eligible partnerships, H.R. 4137, Sec. 201 (b) (1) (B) (xiii). This specifies that alternative certification programs may be included in an eligible partnership.
  • Support the House version of the definition of teacher mentoring, H.R. 4137, Sec. 201 (b) (4) (B). This includes the addition of classroom management to the instructional strategies that make up high-quality training for mentors.
  • Support the Senate version of the definition of induction program and evaluations, S. 1642, Sec. 201 (b) (15) (I). This calls for regular evaluation of new teachers but is not as prescriptive as the House version which would mandate the number of evaluations.
  • Amend the House version of the definition of partner institution, H.R. 4137, Sec. 201 (b) (3) (C) by adding the word “may” between “participants” and “include.” This would prevent restricting programs from having to include current teachers seeking professional development but would still allow them to participate.
Partnership Grants
  • Support the House version that includes an emphasis on preparing general education teachers to teach students with disabilities and to participate in individualized education program teams, as well as preparing teachers to teach English language learners, H.R. 4137, Sec. 202 (b) (6) (E) and (F).
  • Support the House version that includes an emphasis on educating teachers on the use of instructional techniques and strategies that are consistent with the principles of universal design for learning (UDL), which recognizes the diversity of students and learning styles and provides multiple strategies for educating all students, H.R. 4137, Sec. 202 (d) (1) (A) (i) (II).
  • Support the House version that includes an emphasis on preparing teachers to effectively teach higher-order analytical, problem-solving and communication skills that are crucial to success in the 21st Century economy, H.R. 4137, Sec. 202 (d) (1) (A) (ii).
  • Support the Senate version of support for mentor teachers, which may include a stipend, bonus, differential or performance-based pay or incentives, S. 1642, Sec. 202 (d) (2) (E) (iii).
  • Support the House version of teacher recruitment activities which specifies allowable use of alternative routes to certification as a recruitment mechanism, and includes an emphasis on recruiting specific groups of teachers including those from underrepresented populations, rural communities, teachers of subject shortage areas, and mid-career professionals, H.R. 4137, Sec. 202 (d) (5).
  • Support the House version of teacher residency programs regarding placement of graduates in cohorts to facilitate professional collaboration, H.R. 4137, Sec. 202 (e) (1) (B).
  • Support the House version of teacher residency programs regarding clear criteria for the selection of mentor teachers, which specifies that it may be based on certain domains of teaching, but permits greater flexibility on that determination, H.R. 4137, Sec. 202 (e) (2) (A) (iv).
  • Support the House version of teacher residency programs admission goals which may include consideration of applicants who reflect the communities in which they will teach, H.R. 4137, Sec. 202 (e) (2) (A) (viii).
  • Support the House version of teacher residency programs that specifies a teacher must be “highly qualified” before beginning to fulfill their service obligation, H.R. 4137, Sec. 202 (e) (2) (C) (iii) (V).
  • Support the House version of awarding partnership grants with priority given to institutions with teacher preparation programs that have a rigorous selection process, H.R. 4137, Sec. 203 (b) (2) (A).
Accountability for Teacher Preparation Programs
  • Support the House version that calls for institutional reporting on preparation of teachers to effectively teach students with disabilities, including participation in individualized education program teams, and effective teaching of English language learners, H.R. 4137, Sec. 205 (a) (1) (F).
  • Support the House version that calls for state reporting on preparation of teachers to effectively teach students with disabilities, including participation in individualized education program teams, and effective teaching of English language learners, H.R. 4137, Sec. 205 (b) (1) (J) and (L).
Teacher Development
  • We strongly support the inclusion of this section as found in both bills but urge support for the House provision that delegates designation of teacher and subject shortage areas to the State education agency as opposed to the U.S. Secretary of Education as the Senate bill does, H.R. 4137, Sec. 206 (a) (1).
We appreciate your consideration of our recommendations as your committees continue to negotiate differences among the two bills, and thank you again for your leadership in renewing and strengthening this important law. If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact Marcus Egan, Director of Federal Affairs, at (703) 838-6707, or by email at megan@nsba.org.

Sincerely,

Michael A. Resnick
Associate Executive Director

Cc:  Members, House Committee on Education and Labor 
Members, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
 
 
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