April 2006 Policy Brief

A recent policy brief by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) examines the impact of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) on English language learners (ELLs). It concludes that while the law has not been implemented adequately, it holds considerable promise for closing the achievement gap between ELLs and other students. NCLR hopes to work with Congress, the White House, community groups, and other stakeholders to improve public schools by strengthening NCLB. The issue brief also provides identifies a series of steps required to realign NCLB’s implementation with its stated goal of leaving no child behind. Read the report here.

Source: ECS E-Connection [April 5, 2006]

NEARLY 2 MILLION SCORES UNCOUNTED UNDER NCLB LOOPHOLE

A recent article by the Associated Press reports that states are helping public schools escape potential penalties by skirting the No Child Left Behind law's requirement that students of all races must show annual academic progress. The article claims that with the federal government's permission, schools aren't counting the test scores of nearly 2 million students when they report progress by racial groups. States are helping schools by using a loophole in the law that allows them to ignore scores of racial groups that are too small to be statistically significant. State educators decide when a group is too small to count, and have been asking the government for exemptions to exclude larger numbers of students in racial categories. Almost two dozen states have successfully petitioned the government for such exemptions in the past two years. Read more here.

Source: Arizona Republic [April 17, 2006]

NEW REPORT: STATE POLICIES TO ACHIEVE THE DREAM IN FIVE STATES

A new report published in February 2006 presents the findings of an audit of state policies affecting access to, and success in, community colleges in five states, with particular focus on minority and low-income students. Given recent local and state initiatives to implement programs to improve student access and success, this report explores the existence of key policies relating to tuition, student aid, open door admissions, remedial (or developmental education), transfer, performance accountability, and a number of other key areas. Recommendations for future state policy are also discussed. Read the report here.

State Policy Trends in Early Childhood Education
A new ECS paper looks at current and emerging state policy trends in Early Childhood Education through the prism of governors' 2006 State of the State addresses -- nearly half of which included preschool- and/or kindergarten-related proposals.
Source: Education Commission of the States [March, 2006]

State Financed Prekindergarten Programs
Enrollment in state-financed prekindergarten programs has increased nationwide, but average spending per child appears to be dropping, according to a new report by the National Institute for Early Education Research. The 2005 State Preschool Yearbook is the third in a series of annual reports profiling state-funded prekindergarten programs in the United States. The 2005 Yearbook primarily focuses on state-funded prekindergarten during the 2004-2005 school year, and also presents data from 2003-2004.
Source: ECS e-Connection [March 29, 2006]

STATE BY STATE. . .

University of Virginia Easing Transfers from Community Colleges
Community college students who get good grades and meet other requirements at two-year programs in Virginia will be guaranteed admission to University of Virginia, one of the most selective universities in the country. U-Va. is one of a growing number of schools to ease transfers for community college students as part of a push to increase diversity, especially economic diversity, on campus. Read more here. Source: Washington Post [April 13, 2006]

Idaho Lawmakers Get New Community College Plan
Idaho lawmakers and the governor's office recently presented a new plan for expanding Idaho's community college offerings. Idaho now has two community colleges, and most policymakers agree that the state needs more, especially in the Boise area. The latest plan would establish a pool of money from 40% of the state's liquor tax. Those tax revenues now go to the counties, where half is designated for general expenditures and half to help local residents with community college tuition, with any leftover tuition funds going to general needs. Under the new 60-40 split, counties would keep 60% and apply to the state for use of education money in the equalization fund. An additional $5 million from the general fund would be added to the fund this year, and $3.5 million would be added in following years. Read more here. Source: ECS E-Clips [April 4, 2006]