July, 2003
Senate
Reauthorization Update, July 1, 2003
New Fiscal Year--New Leadership, July
9, 2003
Content Standards Institute, July 11, 2003
Senate WIA Update, July 31, 2003
NAEPDC
News, Views, and Clues
July 1, 2003
Senate Reauthorization Update
I wanted to catch you up
on the ever-changing timetable in the Senate. As of today, the Senate plans NO
hearing on WIA Title II, the adult education section. What was not too long ago
a plan for slow and interactive deliberations is now a plan to start writing the
bill when folks return from the July 4th holiday with a complete bill
out of the Senate before the August recess.
The most talked about reason
for the change of pace is the concern about the rising unemployment rates and
the need to show a rapid response by getting the workforce and employment
legislation developed and signed.
Some of my colleagues still
believe that plate is too full to get the bill out this year. Welfare, Head
Start, and IDEA are all in process. Continuing resolution may still be an
option.
The National Coalition for
Literacy has developed a draft bill, based on the 1998 WIA Title II, Adult
Education and Family Literacy Act. From that base, the draft integrates
provisions from 1) our "bottom lines" 2) HR 1261, 3) the Department's Blueprint
for adult education and literacy, and 4) the Coalition's Omnibus Literacy
Concept Paper. I have attached a copy of the draft, the errata regarding two
minor changes, and a rational for each of the recommendations. Copies have been
delivered to the Senate HELP Committee staff.
I will keep you posted as the
legislation progresses. Nothing is certain. Everything is subject to change.
Keep up the good work. Let me know when we can
help.
News, Views, and Clues
July 9, 2003
New Fiscal Year--New
Leadership
Policy Activities and
Colleagues
As we announced earlier, Lynn
Selmser became our new Policy Analyst effective July 1. In her former job on
Congressman Goodling's staff and the House Education and Workforce Committee,
she played a major role in writing WIA and has worked on adult education and
literacy issues on the Hill for years. Since her retirement, Lynn has been
working with us as our Policy Consultant. We are truly fortunate to have her
join us in a leadership role. Garrett Murphy will stay on as our Policy
Consultant. Lynn and Garrett basically just switched roles.
Consortium Chair, Randy Whitfield, has appointed Patricia Bennett,
Maryland State Director, to chair our Policy Committee. Patricia has been
successful working with her state legislature and brings an understanding of the
policy process to this important leadership role. She replaces Roberta Pawloski
from Connecticut who retired in June.
Professional Development
Activities and Colleagues
Randy has also appointed Linda Warner, Indiana State Director, to chair
our Professional Development Committee. Due to constraints on out-of-state
travel and the likelihood of USDOE calling a fall meeting if the WIA passes, the
Executive Committee decided not to hold our Fall National Training Institute.
As we discussed in Portland, those professional development funds will be
devoted developing resources for your website a
www.naepdc.org. Kathi Polis, former West
Virginia State Director and now adult education consultant, will work part-time
with us to "populate our web site." We have accumulated a variety of valuable
state-level resources, but we have not had the time, funds, or staff to publish
them on the website. The framework, built around the State Director's Program
Self Assessment, is on the website at
http://www.naepdc.org/resources/sa/self_assess_1.html. The goal of this
project is to have resources in each category accessible with the click of a
mouse. Kathi and Linda will be contacting you as the Professional Development
Committee begins that work this summer
Phone Numbers and Contact
Information
Attached is the new contact list for Consortium and Council staff,
consultants, and the policy leadership. This list is provided to Congressional
staff so they will know who to call, and I thought it would be a handy reference
for you. NOTE that Garrett’s phone number has changed. The entire executive
committee list is on our web site at
http://www.naepdc.org/members/board.html. Feel free to contact any of the
Council and Consortium leadership whenever we can be of assistance.
We have a number of exciting
policy and professional development activities in our plan of work. If you
would like to contribute, please contact Randy Whitfield, Chair, or any of the
staff or committee chairs.
Keep up the good work. Let
me know when we can help.
News, Views, and Clues
July 11, 2003
Content Standards
Institute
The NIFL EFF staff has developed
considerable expertise in creating content standards. That expertise relates to
the EFF standards as well as helping states develop their own standards. Below
is an announcement of their upcoming institute here in Washington designed to
help states explore options.
“Have you or a team from your
state registered for the EFF Institute on Standards-Based Instruction and
Assessment in Reading and Math on August 25-27 in Washington, DC? If not, this
is a reminder that the deadline for the reduced registration fee and the block
of sleeping rooms is July 25.
The institute
will include helpful information on standards-based instruction and assessment
as well as the variety of tools, technical assistance, and training that EFF has
developed to assist states in standards-based reform. If you do not presently
have content standards in your state, one session that you might find
particularly helpful is called "System Implementation Strategies: Getting
Started with Standards-Based Instruction." A tentative agenda of that session
is attached for your review.
The institute will feature
excellent presenters on standards-based reform including Regie Stites of SRI and
Eva Baker, professor at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information
Studies and co-director of the National Center for Research on Evaluation,
Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST). Dr. Baker's research is focused on the
integration of instruction and measurement, including design and empirical
validation of principles for developing instructional systems.
To register and to find
additional hotel information, go to
http://cls.coe.utk.edu/eff2003 --note the hotel, registration, and other
information buttons on the top bar. If you have any questions, feel free to
contact Kathi Polis at
kpolis@charter.net or 304-773-5111.”
Keep
up the good work. Let me know when we can help.
News,
Views, and Clues
July 31, 2003
Senate WIA Update
The Senate staff members have been hard at work on the WIA
legislation. Here is where they stand as of today.
Adult Education:
The Senate Staff members actually began working on the
adult education portion of the bill with a meeting at noon yesterday. They are
working from the Coalition’s bill and the House Bill, both of which we sent you
earlier.
We have gotten a number of inquiries from various staff
members about issues and alternatives. They want to ensure that revised
provisions do not fix one issue only to create others. August 1, tomorrow,
begins the August recess, so Senators will be home and the staff will continue
to work on the bill interspersing vacation time. Their plans are to have an
adult education bill done the first of September with mark up of the entire bill
mid-September. As soon as a Senate draft is complete, we will forward it to
you.
Title I:
Attached is the DRAFT of the Senate Title I bill. The
final will probably be different, of course, but this first draft will give you
an indication of where they are going. Lynn will be analyzing it but if you see
any issues please contact Pat Bennett, Policy Chair, at PBennett@msde.state.md.us, me
or Lynn, with your insights.
Remember, everything is
subject to change. This slice of life is merely that.
Keep up the good work. Let me know when we can
help.
