NSBA's Letter to House Committee on Education and Labor: November 13, 2007

November 13, 2007

Member
House Committee on Education and Labor
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Re:  Mark-up of H.R. 4137, the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007

Dear Representative:

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 moving forward with the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, H.R. 4137 (The College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007).  School board members have particular interest in Title II, the Teacher Quality Enhancement grants because of the useful role they can play in strengthening 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 reforms included in Title II of H.R. 4137, introduced by Chairman Miller and Representative Hinojosa, and urges the committee to adopt them along with the authorization for the Teacher Incentive Fund that is included in H.R. 3746, introduced by Ranking Member McKeon.

Support for Continuation of Partnership Grants
NSBA welcomes the streamlined focus on teacher quality partnership grants, which directly involve local school districts. Quality teacher preparation programs are integral to ensuring the nation has an adequate supply of outstanding teachers today and in the future, and few would disagree that the nation’s programs have room for improvement. In fact, research indicates that many new teachers believe that their training programs do not adequately prepare them for the classroom.  The matching partnership grants can assist in improving pre-baccalaureate teacher preparation programs.

We support the grants’ focus on ensuring that teacher preparation programs are aligned with states’ academic standards and prepare candidates to meet NCLB’s highly qualified provisions, including a specific mention of preparing rural school teachers of multiple subjects and special education teachers – two categories of educators for which meeting the highly qualified requirements are especially challenging. We also appreciate the grants’ focus on teaching candidates to effectively use technology and data to improve instruction, to create and provide induction and mentoring programs, and to implement effective recruitment strategies, including alternative routes to teacher certification.

NSBA is pleased that the chairman’s mark also includes a potentially promising addition to Title II in the form of teaching residency programs. Partnership funds can be used by local districts to establish and operate a residency program for recent college graduates or mid-career professionals to receive financial support and learn alongside a mentor teacher for one school year in a high-need school, if they commit to teaching in such a school for at least three years upon completion of the residency program.

NSBA further applauds the chairman’s mark for requiring the Secretary of Education to give priority to grant applications that include teacher preparation programs with rigorous selection criteria to assist in encouraging the highest quality candidates to enter the teaching field.

Support Increased Accountability for Teacher Preparation Programs
NSBA is pleased that the chairman’s mark includes language from S. 1642 regarding “Teacher Development,” that requires institutions of higher education with a teacher preparation program to establish and publicly report on annual quantifiable goals for increasing the number of teachers in shortage areas, increasing collaboration with local school districts to ensure training matches LEAs’ needs, and focusing on effective training to teach students with disabilities, a diverse student enrollment and in urban and rural schools.

Include Authorization for Teacher Incentive Fund
NSBA urges members to include in the committee-passed bill the authorization for the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) that Ranking Member McKeon included in H.R. 3746. This discretionary matching grant program can assist local district initiatives to reward teachers and principals who demonstrate positive results in high-poverty schools. Such initiatives can also help foster the creation and expansion of differential pay initiatives for teachers of high-need subjects and in hard-to-staff schools, and is one strategy available to local districts and states to strengthen teacher quality.

Support Universal Design for Learning Principles
Lastly, NSBA appreciates the chairman’s mark for mentioning a promising teaching method called Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as one of the authorized activities eligible for funding under Title VII.

We appreciate your consideration of our recommendations as the committee votes tomorrow on H.R. 4137, and thank you for your leadership in renewing 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