CEC Policy Insider

Universal Design for Learning Gaining Steam; Professional Development and Resources to Support Implementation Viewed as Barriers

A report issued today by the National Center on Universal Design for Learning titled  Understanding the Impact of the Race to the Top and ARRA Funding on the Promotion of Universal Design for Learning indicated that many states are pursuing implementation of UDL principles to support student learning. 

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational framework that focuses on three areas:

1. Multiple means of representation (i.e. Present information and content in different ways) 
2. Multiple means of action and expression (Differentiate the ways that students can express what they know
3. Multiple means of engagement (Stimulate interest and motivation for learning)

While the report reflects many examples of states that are moving forward, it also identifies many barriers to full implementation of UDL, such as: a need for additional professional development; need for greater resources and investment from the state and federal level; and the need to have UDL better infused into general and special education laws (i.e. the Elementary and Secondary Education Act/No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).

The 14 states surveyed in the report had all used the terms “universal design” or “universal design for learning” in their Race to the Top applications.  Four of the 14 states surveyed received RTTT grants. 

CEC is a member of the National UDL Taskforce, a group of 40 organizations that promote the use of UDL and its inclusion in various federal education policies. 

Learn more about UDL, including accessing the UDL Guidelines, implementation tips, and much more at: www.udlcenter.org.

Check out CEC's book on UDL and other resources here.

26 States and D.C. Seek Waivers from NCLB Requirements

States are lining up to receive a reprieve from some of No Child Left Behind’s most stringent requirements. 

This week, the U.S. Department of Education announced that 26 states and the District of Columbia have submitted NCLB waiver requests, joining 11 states that have already been approved.  According to the Department, if these requests are approved States will:

• Set performance targets based on whether students graduate from high school ready for college and career rather than having to meet NCLB's 2014 deadline based on arbitrary targets for proficiency.
• Design locally tailored interventions to help students achieve instead of one-size-fits-all remedies prescribed at the federal level.
• Be free to emphasize student growth and progress using multiple measures rather than just test scores.
• Have more flexibility in how they spend federal funds to benefit students.

 

Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Winners Announced

On Friday, December 16, the Obama Administration announced the winners of the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge. California, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island and Washington state will each receive a portion of the $500 million allotted for this grant.

 Race to the Top is the Administration’s keystone education initiative which allows states to compete for grant money for innovative programs to make schools more effective. Of the 35 states who applied for these grants to improve their pre-kindergarten educational programs, the nine winners will receive between $50 and $100 million.  Budgets will be finalized after discussions between the grantees and the Department, and states will draw down funds in accordance with their plans.

Round Three of the Race-to-the-Top Grants Now Open

Two weeks ago, the nine finalists for the Race-to-the-Top grants were able to begin the application process for the $200 million available through round three. These applications will be tailored to focus on an aspect of their Race-to-the-Top plans which will include investments in advancing science, technology and mathematics. The first part of the application will consist of assurances of commitment to education reform in their state, while the second part (once the first is approved) will consist of detailed action plan and budget. The deadline for the first part is November 22, and the deadline for the second part is December 16. The awards will be announced in late December.

Due to the funds available, the nine round two finalist states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina) will be eligible to receive awards for between $12 and $49 million, depending on the population. The Race-to-the-Top grants are part of an education reform initiative announced by President Obama to spark ingenuity in education reform, and it is a program the administration hopes to continue to fund in the 2012 budget with a $900 million district-level grant competition.

Department of Education Announces first ever Office for Early Learning

Last week at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Conference, Senior Advisor on Early Learning Jacqueline Jones announced the Department of Education’s plan to create the first ever Office for Early Learning. The object of this new office will be to correct the isolation in which federal early learning programs and funds have functioned and provide the strong coordinated collaboration necessary to dramatically improve early learning services.