CEC Policy Insider

House Committee Tackles Teacher Effectiveness

Special Educators to be Impacted

On Wednesday, the Education and the Workforce Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives held a hearing to address one of the most controversial topics under discussion for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act/No Child Left Behind: defining teacher effectiveness.

 On Capitol Hill – consistent with new legislation in many states – movement has been away from accepting a teacher as effective simply because they are deemed “highly qualified” and toward basing effectiveness – in part – on the academic outcomes of students on standardized assessments.  What such a system looks like for special educators and other educators who are not directly linked to a standardized assessment is now under discussion, though few answers have emerged. 

 

Reviewers Needed for Promise Neighborhoods Initiative

The U.S. Department of Education is seeking individuals to serve as peer reviewers for the FY 2011 Promise Neighborhoods planning and implementation grant competitions. Promise Neighborhoods supports cradle-to-career services designed to improve educational and developmental outcomes for children and youth in urban and rural neighborhoods. The deadline for application submissions is August 8, 2011.

Successful peer review candidates will come from various backgrounds and processions including:

 

CEC: Stakeholder Input for Change to IDEA Regs

The U.S. Department of Education – along with other federal agencies – is under an executive order from President Obama to review existing regulations and guidance documents in an effort to revamp rules that may be “outmoded, ineffective, insufficient, or excessively burdensome”. 

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act – Part B regulations made it onto the Department’s list of regulations that may be reviewed and changed.  But just what changes may be considered remains unknown. 

New Report: Trends in Learning Disabilities

The National Center for Learning Disabilities has released a new report on state of learning disabilities in the United States, focusing on the educational and life experiences of students with learning disabilities. 

The report highlights key findings, including:

• 2.5 million public school students – about 5% of all students in public schools – were identified as having learning disabilities in 2009;

CEC Honors 21st Anniversary of ADA

Today, CEC honors the 21^st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), historic civil rights legislation that upholds the rights of individuals with disabilities. With nearly one in five Americans living with disabilities, CEC takes this day to reflect on the great progress made and future achievements yet to come.