October, 2002
The
Morning News: Adult Education State Directors' National Training Institute San
Francisco, November 6-9, 2002, October 3, 2002
Reauthorization “Bottom Lines” ,
October 7, 2002
New Airline Ticket Policy, October
16, 2002
Your Five Minutes of Glory,
October 29, 2002
Garrett’s Analysis
of HR 3801 (formerly OERI), October, 29, 2002
NAEPDC
News, Views, and Clues
October 3, 2002
The Morning News
Adult Education State Directors' National Training Institute
San Francisco, November 6-9, 2002
You are doing some really exciting things in your state that you need to
share with your colleagues. Your venue is the Morning News, Co-hosted by the
lovely and talented Israel Mendoza (WA) and Diane Glass (KS).
Remember all the useful tidbits of information you learned over the last few
years during the Morning Show, not to mention the laughs? Now it's your
turn to share some knowledge with the rest of us! Do you have a really
interesting initiative going on in your state that you want to share? Have you
developed a new process or policy that has had significant impact? Whatever it
is, we would like to have you as a guest on the Morning Show!
During breakfast on Thursday and Friday, our Co-hosts offer you five minutes
of fame to brag about your current initiatives or events. Here are the steps:
- Notify Linda Warner,
Indiana State Director at (317-232-0521) or
lwarner@doe.state.in.us.
- Indicate your preference
for Thursday or Friday morning (if you have one). Linda will confirm your
exact time before the Institute.
- Provide copy for an overhead transparency that bullets
your points.
- Provide more detailed copy for The State Directors
Morning News, which is a newspaper format of the morning presentations. This
maximum half-page typed information can give more details of the activities.
- Provide the name of the State Director or other who will
make the presentation.
- BE SURE TO LIMIT YOUR PRESENTATION TO FIVE MINUTES.
It is not Good Morning America, but it is not bad.
Keep up the good work. Let me know when we can help.
NAEPDC
News, Views, and Clues
October 7, 2002
Reauthorization
“Bottom Lines”
Reauthorization of our adult education legislation is fast approaching. In
preparation, the Council Policy Committee and Executive Committee have been
deliberating what should be emphasized in the upcoming discussions.
In 1995, the Adult Education State Directors developed the “Bottom Lines”
which described the mutually decided points that should be in any federal adult
education legislation. This spring and summer, those “Bottom Lines” have been
revisited in light of the first four years of WIA. The resulting new “Bottom
Lines” are attached. The purpose for creating this document is to stimulate
discussion about what is important and to allow adult educators to speak with
one voice on important issues to better serve adult learners.
Look over the attached “Bottom Lines.” (You may obtain a copy by contacting
lmclendon@naepdc.org).
1. Review them with your staff and local practitioners
2. If you plan to testify at one of the upcoming hearings, feel free
draw from this information in preparation for your testimony.
3. Be prepared to share you thoughts with your colleagues at the
National Training Institute in San Francisco where the Council Policy members
will facilitate a “Bottom Lines” discussion.
Any concerns or comments prior to the San Francisco meeting can be sent to
Roberta Pawloski (CT), Policy Chair (roberta.pawloski@po.state.ct.us).
Keep up the good work. Let me know when we can help.
NAEPDC
News, Views, and Clues
October 16, 2002
New Airline Ticket
Policy
It has been troublesome in the past when National Training Institute
participants wait until the last minute to make travel arrangements. It only
takes a few of those expensive tickets to drive up our cost—which is supported
by your dues. The Consortium’s budget is really tight, and we are looking for
every way to reduce costs.
Therefore, the Executive Committee recently adopted the following policy:
NTI Participants for whom the Consortium pays travel costs are asked to make
a 14-day advance purchase of airline tickets through our travel agency,
Corporate Travel. The cut off date this year is October 23rd. If you do not
make travel arrangements prior to the cutoff date, you will not be able to use
our travel agency. You must use your own travel agent and the Consortium will
reimburse your airline fare to an amount not to exceed the cost of a 14-day
advance ticket.
If you find yourself past the 14-day advance date, some of your colleagues
find inexpensive fares on www.hotwire.com
and www.priceline.com or other similar
discounters. I use them often and even though you have no control of flying
times, the connections are good, and the rates are worth it.
Thank you for your understanding and for you efforts to adhere to this money
saving policy. The Executive Committee and I are trying to be good stewards of
your funds.
Should you have questions, feel free to call me.
NAEPDC
News, Views, and Clues
October 29, 2002
Your Five Minutes
of Glory
We still have some spots left on the Morning News on Thursday and Friday
morning in San Francisco. This is your chance for five minutes of fame and
glory and to share successes you have had with your colleagues.
Details below:
During breakfast on Thursday and Friday, our Co-hosts, Israel Mendoza (WA)
and Diane Glass (KS) offer you five minutes of fame to brag about your current
initiatives or events. Here are the steps:
- Notify Linda Warner,
Indiana State Director at (317-232-0521) or
lwarner@doe.state.in.us.
- Indicate your preference
for Thursday or Friday morning (if you have one). Linda will confirm your
exact time before the Institute.
- Provide copy for an overhead transparency that bullets
your points.
- Provide more detailed copy for The State Directors
Morning News, which is a newspaper format of the morning presentations. This
maximum half-page typed information can give more details of the activities.
- Provide the name of the State Director or other who will
make the presentation.
- BE SURE TO LIMIT YOUR PRESENTATION TO FIVE MINUTES.
Keep up the good work. Let me know when we can help.
NAEPDC
News, Views, and Clues
October 29, 2002
Garrett’s Analysis of HR 3801 (formerly OERI)
To: State Directors of Adult Education
From: Garrett Murphy
Subject: Authorization of a New “Institute of Educational Sciences” to
Replace the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI)
References to adult education in this summary are in
bold typeface.
Title I of this legislation, which has been agreed to by
both Houses of Congress establishes the new Institute within the Department of
Education. It is to be headed by a Director, appointed by the President – with
the advice and consent of the Senate – who shall serve for a term of 6 years.
But the first Director may be appointed by the President without the advice and
consent of the Senate and may be the incumbent Assistant Secretary for OERI.
The Act makes it clear that the authorizing language for
the National Assessment of Educational Progress will continue as before this
legislation.
The legislation assigns the Director a long list of duties
and priorities in which adult education is not mentioned, although an Adult
Literacy Center is established later in the Act. The Institute is to have a
board of directors. Along with advising on priorities, procedures, policies
and activities, one of the Board’s responsibilities is to advise the Director to
ensure that “activities conducted or supported by the Institute are objective,
secular, neutral, and nonideological and are free of partisan political
influence of racial, cultural, gender or regional bias.”
In addition to ex officio members of the Board, (the
Director, three Commissioners to be described below, the Director of the
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Director of the
Census, the Commissioner of Labor Statistics and the Director of the National
Science Foundation) there are to be 15 appointed members of which no fewer than
8 must be researchers in the field of statistics, evaluation, social sciences,
or physical or biological sciences. Board members will be appointed initially
to 2, 3, and 4 year terms in order to establish a continuing body. The Board
will elect a chair.
The legislation also establishes three Centers – one each
for research, statistics, and evaluation/regional assistance. Each Center will
have a commissioner appointed by the Director with the advice of the Board. (One
exception is the Commissioner for the Center on Education Statistics, who must
be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.) The
Board may establish standing committees to serve each of the three Centers.
These Committees may have among their members highly qualified people who are
not members of the Board.
Activities carried out under the Act will be done through
grants, contracts or cooperative arrangements, at a minimum, and shall be
awarded on a competitive basis and, when practicable, through a process of peer
review.
The Center for Education Research is to carry out
scientifically valid research that includes both basic and applied research.
The definitions section contains a definition of “scientifically based research
standards” that includes an admonition to make ”claims of causal relationships
only in random assignment experiments or other designs (to the extent such other
designs substantially eliminate plausible competing explanations for the
obtained results).”
One mechanism by which the Research Center is to carry out
its obligations is through a group of 11 statutorily authorized National
Research and Development Centers. The very first such Center listed is the
one for Adult Literacy. Such Centers are to address areas of national need,
including technology. Support for the Centers shall be for a period of 5 years
and may, if supported by the Director, the Research Center Commissioner and the
Board, be renewed without competition for another 5 years. After 10 years there
must be a competitive process to select the agency to operate the Center.
(The existing adult education Center is the National Center for the Study of
Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) at Harvard University. It is currently in
its 7th year.) At least 50% of funds provided to a National
Research and Development Center is to be applied to long-term research programs
of not less than 5 years.
The language establishing the Center for Education
Statistics contains a number of references to adult education. Statistics are
to be collected from “preschool, elementary, secondary, postsecondary and
adult levels in the United States….” Included must be data on “secondary
school dropouts, and adult literacy and reading skills.” The Statistics
Commissioner may accomplish the mission of the Center via grants, contracts and
cooperative agreements. The Commissioner may use information collected “from
States, local education agencies, public and private schools, preschools,
institutions of higher education, vocational and adult education programs,
libraries, administrators , teachers, students, the general public and other
individuals, organizations, agencies, and institutions (including information
collected by States and local education agencies for their own use);….” “The
Statistics Center may establish 1 or more national cooperative education
statistics systems for the purpose of producing ad maintaining, with the
cooperation of the States, comparable and uniform information and data on early
childhood education, elementary and secondary education, postsecondary
education, adult education, and libraries….”
The third Center established in the law is the Center for
Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. Among its duties are to conduct
evaluations of federal programs administered by the Secretary and (as time
permits) other education programs, to provide technical assistance, to support
wide dissemination of results of research and evaluation efforts, and to
encourage the use of scientifically valid research and education.
The Commissioner is charged with disseminating results on:
reading, mathematics and, science; closing the achievement gap; educational
practices that improve academic achievement; and “those topics covered by the
Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) clearinghouses (established
under section 941(f) of the Educational Research, Development, Dissemination and
Improvement Act of 1994 (10USC6041(f) (as such provision was in effect on the
day before the enactment of this Act).”
Under “Additional Duties” the Commissioner must “continue
awards for the support of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC)
Clearinghouses and contracts for regional education laboratories (established
under subsections (f) and (h) of section 941 of the Educational Research,
Development, Dissemination, and Improvement Act of 1994 (20 U.S.C. 6041(f) and
(h) (as such awards were in effect on the day before the enactment of the Act)
for the duration of those awards, in accordance with the terms and agreements of
such awards.”
The Act also establishes a National Library of Education
whose responsibility it is to collect and archive information and provide
comprehensive reference services on matters relating to education to Department
employees, grantees and contractors, other Federal employees and members of the
public. Information collected and archived by the Library shall include
products and publications produced by the Institute and other relevant research,
statistics, and evaluation materials that are consistent with scientifically
valid research or the priorities and mission of the Institute and developed by
the Department of Education or other Federal agencies including the ERIC
clearinghouses.
The Act provides for 10 Regional Educational Laboratories
for Research, Development, Dissemination and Technical Assistance. The regions
served by these entities shall be the same 10 regions served by the existing
laboratories. There is no mention of adult education in the sections dealing
with these laboratories.
$400,000,000 is authorized for the Institute and
$100,000,000 for the Regional Educational Laboratories for fiscal year 2003 with
“such sums as may be necessary” for each of the five succeeding fiscal years. Of
amount provided to the Institute, the Center for Education Statistics may not
receive less than it currently receives.
Title II of the Act is entitled the Educational Technical
Assistance Act of 2002. The title authorizes awards of not less than 20 grants
to local entities to provide technical assistance and professional development
to low performing schools. Each of the 10 regions that has a Regional
Laboratory must have a Comprehensive Center. A competition shall be held to
select the awardees. Eligible applicants are (1) research institutions,
agencies, or organizations, (2) institutions of higher education, (3)
partnerships among such entities, and (4) individuals with demonstrated capacity
to carry out the functions of the Center – including entities that carried our
activities under the Educational Research, Development, Dissemination, and
Improvement Act of 1994. Each Center shall have an advisory board.
The Act also provides for a Regional Advisory Committee for
each of the 10 regions. These Committees are to provide regional assessments,
i.e. each regional advisory committee must assess the educational needs within
the region to be served. Input for such assessments must be solicited
from a number of sources, among which are “other customers (such as adult
education programs)….” This is the only other mention of adult education in the
Act.
There are authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year
2003 $80,000,000 and such sums as may be necessary for the 5 succeeding fiscal
years.
Title III of the Act is the National Assessment of
Educational Progress Authorization Act. It authorizes $4,600,000 for the Board
and $107,500,000 for operations for fiscal year 2003 and such sums as may be
necessary for the succeeding five fiscal years.
Although this analysis is somewhat lengthy I have just
scratched the surface of this very comprehensive piece of legislation. Those
interested in seeing the complete text may do so by opening
www.thomas.loc.gov Enter HR3801 in the appropriate box. You will be
offered 5 versions of the bill. Click on version #1. If you get a “this page
cannot be displayed” message, search for Thomas on your browser and click on the
entry that is entitled “Thomas Legislative Information.” If that doesn’t work,
open
www.house.gov Click on “The Legislative Process”. Then click on “107th
Congress Bill Text” and enter HR3801 in the appropriate box.
Keep up the good work. Let me know when we can
help.
NAEPDC
A Natural
Resource For Adult Education State Directors and their Staff Members
Dr. Lennox L.
McLendon, Executive Director
lmclendon@naepdc.org
www.naepdc.org
202.624.5250
202.624.1497 FAX
