CEC Policy Insider

More Early Learning Challenge Race to the Top Grants On The Way!

The U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced they will invest the majority of the 2013 Race to the Top funds for a second Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge competition. About $370 million will be available this year for states to develop new approaches to increase high-quality early learning opportunities and close the school readiness gap. This announcement mirrors the emphasis the Administration placed on this issue in its FY2014 Budget proposal and supports its intention to expand access to high-quality early learning programs for all children, especially those in disadvantaged communities.

"Expanding access to high-quality early learning opportunities is simply one of the best investments we can make in our country, and these funds can help states develop and strengthen programs that serve America's youngest learners," said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "Getting our children off to a strong start not only increases their individual chances for lifelong success, it helps create the conditions for a thriving middle class that will forge the path into a bright future for our entire country."

The Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge is part of the Obama Administration's comprehensive early learning agenda. The program is jointly administered by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the two agencies are continuing to work closely together on new initiatives to expand and improve services for children from birth through age 5.

Last week, President Obama detailed his FY 2014 budget proposal, which would invest $75 billion over 10 years in fully offset funding to create new partnerships with states and provide high-quality preschool to more communities, helping ensure that all children enter kindergarten ready to learn. Read CEC’s analysis of President Obama’s budget proposal and our thoughts on the Early Learning Challenge Grants. Finally, want to know more? Read specifics about the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge.

Apply Now: U.S. Department of Education Offers 2 New Awards

The U.S. Department of Education is now accepting applications to the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program, through the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).  The purpose of these projects is to improve the effectiveness of services that advance a wide range of independent living and employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. Applicants for this award must demonstrate how in whole or in part, the needs of individuals with disabilities from minority backgrounds are met.  

The first award prioritizes projects which will serve as the Center on Knowledge Translation for Technology Transfer (Center). This center will conduct rigorous research, development, technical assistance, dissemination, and utilization activities to increase successful technology transfer of rehabilitation technology products and devices developed by NIDRR-funded technology grantees. For more information on this award and to learn how to apply, please click here.

The second award is to fund NIDRR Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers which conduct advanced engineering research, develop and evaluate innovative technologies and provide training opportunities. These centers also seek to solve rehabilitation problems and remove environmental barriers to improvements in employment, community living and participation, and health and function outcomes of individuals with disabilities. For more information on this award and to learn how to apply, please click here.

Tune in Today to Hear about Early Learning Priorities from the U.S. Departments of Education, and Health and Human Services

Later today, at 4:00 p.m. ET, Secretary Duncan and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius will host a conference call on the Administration’s commitment to early learning. This comes as part of the President’s education priorities defined in the budget released by the administration earlier this week, focusing in particular on the President’s plan to make high quality preschool available to every child in America.

Then, for a more in dept conversation, tune in on April 19, at 12:30 p.m. ET, when senior staff from both agencies will host an in-person briefing to delve deeper into the plan.  The briefing will also be live streamed. 

To register for the call and/or the briefing, click here.

President’s Budget Proposal Includes Few Increases for Special Education; Expands Investment in Preschool and Overall Education Budget

Today, President Obama released his fiscal year 2014 budget which proposes to increase spending on education programs by 4.5% and repeals the devastating, automatic across-the-board cuts known as sequestration which stripped over $600 million from special education programs. 

While the President’s proposal increases the overall investment in education, funding levels for special education programs would largely remain the same as pre-sequestration funding amounts with a few important exceptions (see full list of programs below).  Funding for IDEA represents 18% of the president’s education budget request.    

• IDEA’s grants to states programs for school aged children would be level funded at $11.6 billion,
• IDEA’s infants and toddlers with disabilities program would be increased by $20 million to $462.7 million,
• IDEA’s preschool program would be level funded at $372.6 million,
• IDEA’s state personnel development grants would be increased by $1.1 million to $45 million,
• IDEA’s personnel preparation grants would be decreased by $2.5 million to $85.8 million,
• IDEA’s technical assistance and dissemination grants would be level funded at $46.8 million,
• IDEA’s parent information centers would be level funded at $28.9 million,
• IDEA’s educational technology, media, and materials would be level funded at $29.6 million,
• Special education research would be increased by $10 million to $59.9 million,
• Special education studies and evaluations would be level funded at $11.4 million.

*It is important to note that these funding comparisons do not take into account the over 5% across-the-board cut imposed by sequestration.  These figures come directly from the U.S. Department of Education’s budget materials. 

While there are aspects of the President’s budget that CEC commends – such as the elimination of sequestration, increases to IDEA’s early intervention and special education research programs – we are greatly concerned that there wasn’t a greater investment in all IDEA programs.   School districts rely on a healthy federal investment in special education to support the implementation of services and supports for students with disabilities.  Unfortunately, the President’s proposal does little to fulfill the federal government’s commitment to fully funding IDEA established in 1975 and never met. CEC will continue to actively advocate to increase funding for all IDEA programs.  If you would like to help us advocate, please let us know by emailing pubpol@cec.sped.org – we need a strong collective voice!!

Other highlights of the President’s proposal include:

• Preschool for All: A new early learning initiative in which the president is proposing $75 billion in over 10 years to provide high-quality, full-day preschool to all 4-year-olds from families whose incomes are at or below 200 percent of the poverty line; with an additional $750 million would be dedicated to states to help build capacity for implementing such programs.  This program would be paid for by increasing the tobacco tax. 
• Reducing School and Community Violence:  To compliment the President’s Now is the Time proposal, which was created in response to the tragedy in Newtown, the budget proposal includes:  $30 million for emergency management grants, $50 million for school climate transformation grants, and $25 million for project prevention grants, a new initiative that would enable school districts with high levels of violence to provide social and emotional supports and mental health services. 
• High School Redesign:  This new initiative proposes $300 million for a competitive grant program to support partnerships between school districts, institutions of higher education, and business, industry, nonprofits and community-based organizations to redesign high schools. 
• STEM Initiatives: The President is proposing several new initiatives to address the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) including $150 million for STEM Innovation Networks to support STEM educators, $80 million for STEM Teacher Pathways to prepare 100,000 new STEM teachers, and $35 million for STEM Master Teacher Corps. 

It is important to note that the President’s budget proposal is not law and is simply an illustration of the Administration’s priorities.  The budget and appropriations process is now underway in Congress and will continue in the months to come.  Stay tuned for updated information! 

More information on the President’s education budget.

African American Males with Disabilities Suspended at Far Greater Rates than Peers, New Report Shows

A new report from the University of California Los Angeles Civil Rights Project has found that one in three African American males with disabilities in secondary schools were suspended at least once in 2009-2010.  This sobering data is in stark contrast to the 17% of white males with disabilities, and 22% of Latino males with disabilities who were suspended. 

Using data collected from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, Out of School & Off Track:  The Overuse of Suspensions in American Middle and High Schools calls into question civil rights issues that address the fairness and effectiveness of discipline practices implemented in every school across the nation. 

The report found that students with disabilities – of any race, but particularly students who are African American and Latino – were suspended at nearly triple the rate of students without disabilities (19.3% for students with disabilities vs. 6.6% for students without disabilities).   And digging deep into the suspension numbers of students with disabilities reveals large racial disparities, for example 31% of African American middle school students with disabilities being suspended versus 12% of white middle school students with disabilities being suspended. 

Not surprising to any educator, the report highlighted research which shows that students who are suspended are more likely to drop out of school and that most suspensions come as a result of minor infractions of school rules, such as disrupting class, tardiness, and dress code violations rather than serious violent or criminal behavior. 

Importantly, the report proposes significant recommendations targeted to parents/children’s advocates, policymakers, and the media such as requesting data from school and district to support changing local, state and federal policies; providing support for teachers to receive training and assistance in addressing the needs of diverse learners and classroom management, and investing in promising, evidence-based interventions such as positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS). 

CEC applauds the Civil Rights Project for its work to examine racial disparities in discipline practices and procedures.

Read the CRP Report