Republican and Democratic Senators Issue "Top Ten" Issues

This week, both the Republicans and the Democrats in the Senate offered their respective policy agendas for the 109th Congress. Among the bills introduced are several pieces of legislation aimed at reforming education.

The Republican bill: S. 9: The Lifelong Education Opportunities Act of 2005;

Below is a reprint of a description of the bill from the Republican Party.

"Purposes:
Setting high expectations and raising achievement for all students, regardless of their background Improving accountability for results providing flexibility for States to manage Federal program dollars most effectively supporting a lifetime of learning opportunities for students at all stages in life.

Title I - Head Start

The bill seeks to improve academic performance of Head Start children require stronger fiscal accountability for federal program dollars encourage greater collaboration between Head Start programs and other federal and State programs.

Title II - Elementary and Secondary Education

Part A - Elementary Education

Encourages improvements in elementary education by improving access to supplemental services

Part B - Secondary Education

Encourages stronger career and technical education programs that - Link courses with needs of businesses Integrate rigorous and challenging academic courses Emphasize academic content Create stronger partnerships between high schools and colleges

Emphasizes stronger math and science education programs that - Help students graduate with strong math and science skills Offer Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses in low income schools

Title III - Teacher Preparation

Part A - Teacher Loan Forgiveness

Emphasizes the recruitment and retention of teachers by encouraging the use of expanded loan forgiveness provisions enacted last year

Part B - Preparing Teachers

Emphasizes the important role that teachers play in improving student achievement Improves teacher training programs at postsecondary institutions Provides states with greater flexibility for using teacher preparation program dollars Emphasizes high standards for postsecondary teacher preparation programs will help improve teacher recruitment and retention in high-need areas, including rural areas

Title IV - Higher Education and Lifelong Learning Opportunities

Part A - Higher Education

Encourages Congress to consider policies to - address the rising costs of higher education promote student academic preparation for postsecondary education encourage efforts to increase the availability of financial aid information for those who need the financial aid most simplify the student aid application process and improve the administration of the student aid improve efforts to help parents and students find and utilize information about attending and paying for college improve the level of accountability in the Federal student aid programs; take steps to ensure the long-term availability of Federal Pell Grant funds by addressing the current Federal Pell Grant program shortfall, exploring initiatives to reduce the time to graduation, and making efforts to ensure the fair distribution of Federal Pell Grant funds to eligible recipients promote quality educational opportunities for all students, including nontraditional students that will equip graduates with the skills the graduates need to continue lifelong learning and succeed in the 21st century workforce support stronger partnerships between businesses and institutions of higher education strengthen collaboration between higher education programs, and other Federal, State, and local education and training programs promote the access to and affordability of higher education through the use of technology and distance learning.

Part B - Workforce Investment Act Amendments of 2005

Amendments to the Workforce Investment Act:

The major themes of the WIA reauthorization provisions are:
Providing workers with the training they need to find new or better jobs; Providing employers with an appropriately trained workforce they need to compete in the global marketplace; Improving upon the existing One-Stop Career Center delivery system to ensure that it can respond quickly and effectively to the changing needs of employers and workers in the new economy and can address the needs of special populations, including individuals with disabilities; Better connecting the job training system with the private sector and with post-secondary education and training, social services, and economic development systems to prepare the 21st century workforce for career opportunities and skills in high-growth sectors; Removing barriers from the law that have discouraged business involvement in workforce training, while finding new ways to increase business and industry influence in job training decisions in communities; Encouraging job training and employment services to be demand-driven and responsive to the needs of employers, both large and small; and Improving access to services in all areas, including rural areas.

Amendments to the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act:

The major themes of Adult Education Reauthorization are:

Holding States and eligible providers of adult education more accountable for student performance by measuring outcomes such as skill acquisition, entrance into postsecondary education, and employment; Improving adult literacy services, including workplace literacy services, services for adults with limited English proficiency, and services for those with learning disabilities; Encouraging the use of technology as a mode of delivering adult education; Providing quality professional development for adult education instructors; Strengthening the efforts of the National Institute for Literacy with respect to literacy for children, youth, adults and families; Encouraging linkages between adult education programs and postsecondary education; and Promoting the development and application of more rigorous research on adult education.

Rehabilitation Act Amendments

The major themes of the Rehabilitation Act reauthorization are:

Strengthening individual choice and transition planning for individuals with disabilities; Creating a stronger link between the Rehabilitation Act, the President's New Freedom Initiative and the Olmstead Executive Order (13217:
Community-Based Alternatives for Individuals with Disabilities); Increasing the opportunity to expand Vocational Rehabilitation partnerships with business/employers; and Improving coordination with other employment programs such as the Workforce Investment Act and the Ticket to Work Act."

For more information on Republican bills recently introduced in the Senate, go to http://frist.senate.gov/_files/toptensummary.pdf

The bill introduced by the Democrats in the Senate: S. 15: Quality Education for All

S. 15 is a comprehensive education bill. Here is a reprint of a description of S. 15 from the Democratic Party.

"Democrats are committed to providing a quality education to all Americans because we recognize that education has always been the cornerstone of equal opportunity. Democrats will keep our promise to our children by increasing support for pre-school education, fully funding No Child Left Behind and improving its implementation. We are committed to providing safe and reliable transportation for our rural school children and meeting the Federal commitment to children with disabilities. Democrats will also address the shortfall of math, science and special education teachers by creating tuition incentives for college students to major in those fields.

We will help expand educational opportunities for college by providing relief from skyrocketing college tuition, increasing the size and access to Pell Grants and supporting proven programs that encourage more young people to attend and succeed in college."

For more information on the recent legislation introduced in the Senate by the Democratic Party, go to http://democrats.senate.gov/issues.html.

Source: CEC Policy Update, January 27, 2005 http://www.cec.sped.org/pp/legislative_update/modules/news/article.php?story

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