House Committee Investigates Mismanagement of Reading First
On Friday, April 20, the House Education and Labor Committee raised questions about mismanagement by the Department of Education in running the Reading First program. The reading initiative was established during the 2001 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA-NCLB), aimed at improving literacy among at-risk children. Despite the possible ethical violations in the administration of the program, it has helped participating students improve their reading skills by over 15 percent.
Though the program has been a success, Congress is scrutinizing possible conflicts of interest by experts involved in both the assessment and the reading initiative's implementation. Additional allegations have been made that those in charge of selecting the materials required for the program are also selling the materials themselves, creating a certain profit with material that may not be the most beneficial to students.
The Education and Labor Committee will continue to scrutinize these practices as they prepare legislation for the reauthorization of ESEA-NCLB. As noted by Chairman George Miller of California during the hearing "There is no question that this mismanagement and these conflicts of interest undermined the program and the public's confidence in it. In reauthorization, this committee will act on legislation to explicitly prohibit these types of conflicts."
Showing posts with label Advocacy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Advocacy. Show all posts
Sunday, April 29, 2007
House Committee Holds Hearing on Supplemental Education Services
On Wednesday, April 18, the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing to investigate the effectiveness of supplemental education services (SES) under the No Child Left Behind Act. SES has been a controversial topic as Congress looks to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, reauthorized as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2001, and parent involvement appears to be at the heart of the controversy.
Under NCLB, students attending public schools that have not made adequate yearly progress (AYP) for three consecutive years have the right to take advantage of free supplemental educational services, such as private tutoring. However, reports have highlighted a lack of parental awareness regarding these options, meaning eligible students do not have the chance to take advantage of these benefits under the law.
Testifying before the committee, Cornelia Ashby, Director of Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues at the Government Accountability Office, said that "part of the problem is parental notification." Parents may not understand what SES is and what it provides, she said, adding that "states need to help districts to better notify parents."
"The SES participation rate increased from 12 to 19 percent of eligible students between school years 2003-2004 and 2004-2005," said Ashby. "While districts have provided written information notifying parents of SES and taken other actions to encourage participation, challenges remain, such as notifying parents in a timely and effective manner."
Additionally, Chairman Dale Kildee of Michigan recognized the need to ensure proper funding is given to every school to provide these services and that without such funding, SES will certainly fail. In his opening statement, Kildee stated "We owe it to our children to ensure that their schools have the resources and support to provide them with the education they need and deserve."
The PTA Legislative Initiative for reauthorizing NCLB calls on schools and districts to do a better job in notifying parents about SES services. The law needs to create an incentive for schools to encourage student participation in these support services. Whether it's through a tutoring service or through an afterschool program, supplemental education services need to be widely available and advertised as such so that all students have extra support to achieve academic success.
On Wednesday, April 18, the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing to investigate the effectiveness of supplemental education services (SES) under the No Child Left Behind Act. SES has been a controversial topic as Congress looks to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, reauthorized as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2001, and parent involvement appears to be at the heart of the controversy.
Under NCLB, students attending public schools that have not made adequate yearly progress (AYP) for three consecutive years have the right to take advantage of free supplemental educational services, such as private tutoring. However, reports have highlighted a lack of parental awareness regarding these options, meaning eligible students do not have the chance to take advantage of these benefits under the law.
Testifying before the committee, Cornelia Ashby, Director of Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues at the Government Accountability Office, said that "part of the problem is parental notification." Parents may not understand what SES is and what it provides, she said, adding that "states need to help districts to better notify parents."
"The SES participation rate increased from 12 to 19 percent of eligible students between school years 2003-2004 and 2004-2005," said Ashby. "While districts have provided written information notifying parents of SES and taken other actions to encourage participation, challenges remain, such as notifying parents in a timely and effective manner."
Additionally, Chairman Dale Kildee of Michigan recognized the need to ensure proper funding is given to every school to provide these services and that without such funding, SES will certainly fail. In his opening statement, Kildee stated "We owe it to our children to ensure that their schools have the resources and support to provide them with the education they need and deserve."
The PTA Legislative Initiative for reauthorizing NCLB calls on schools and districts to do a better job in notifying parents about SES services. The law needs to create an incentive for schools to encourage student participation in these support services. Whether it's through a tutoring service or through an afterschool program, supplemental education services need to be widely available and advertised as such so that all students have extra support to achieve academic success.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
PTA Advocacy Week: February 19-23, 2007
Get ready! PTA National President Anna Weselak has designated the week of February 19, 2007, as PTA Advocacy Week. This special week will be a time for PTA members to meet with their federal, state, and local lawmakers and tell them that children and education should be their highest priorities! The week is scheduled to coincide with federal legislators' district work period, when they will be in their home offices to talk to their constituents.
The PTA national legislation committee, the state PTAs' federal legislative chairs, and the national PTA office's public policy staff will work together to prepare PTAs for the February 19 launch of PTA's yearlong effort to develop child advocates, build a chorus of voices, and strengthen PTA's position as a voice for every child.
[from This Week in Washington, December 12, 2006]
Ok To Play ... PTA and ESRB Video Game Rating System Campaign
PTA joined forces with the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) to launch a national ratings education campaign "OK to Play". The campaign will encourage PTAs to hold meetings to educate parents in their communities about video game ratings, and will be supported on both the PTA and ESRB websites.The campaign is distributing 1.3 million brochures to more than 25,000 PTAs across the nation to encourage and enable PTAs to educate parents about video game ratings. The brochures are available in both English and Spanish.
"Every parent knows how popular video games are these days, but perhaps not as many are familiar with the tools that can help them select games that are appropriate for their children," said Anna Weselak, PTA national president. "Just as with all media, we urge parents to be as involved and informed as they can. The ESRB ratings are informational and help parents to make sensible video game choices for their families."
PTAs began receiving the informational brochures this week, and are encouraged to distribute them to PTA members through their regular programs and events. Additional information on video game safety and the campaign is available online. Visit the Media and Technology section for more tips on managing kids' video game play, television viewing, and Internet use.
PTAs can help promote the OK to Play campaign and raise awareness about video game safety by downloading banner ads and posting them on their PTA and school websites.
[from This Week in Washington, November 22, 2006 ]
PTA Urges FCC to Put Children's Needs First
On Monday, October 23, 2006 the PTA joined other members of the Children's Media Policy Coalition in filing comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on the effects of broadcast ownership rules on children. The coalition urged the FCC to protect children's interests in its rulemaking on media ownership rules.
In its comments, the coalition argued that any relaxation of existing rules to allow for further consolidation of media companies must be accompanied by a stipulation that the FCC must analyze the impact of any proposed media merger on kids served by the market. The coalition is concerned that relaxation of ownership rules will reduce competition, stifling innovation and increasing commercialism in children's programming. Research shows that children are particularly vulnerable to the influences of commercialism. The coalition urged the FCC to consider the effects of consolidation on advertising aimed at children, as well as on the content of children's programs.
The coalition also argued that the FCC should limit local broadcasters to one license in a given market in order to ensure sufficient original programming for children. According to a 2003 Children Now research study, media consolidation diminishes the diversity and availability of programming for the child audience. The coalition argued that young viewers must have access to diverse viewpoints in television programming.
The coalition's comments may be read on the Children Now website.
In its comments, the coalition argued that any relaxation of existing rules to allow for further consolidation of media companies must be accompanied by a stipulation that the FCC must analyze the impact of any proposed media merger on kids served by the market. The coalition is concerned that relaxation of ownership rules will reduce competition, stifling innovation and increasing commercialism in children's programming. Research shows that children are particularly vulnerable to the influences of commercialism. The coalition urged the FCC to consider the effects of consolidation on advertising aimed at children, as well as on the content of children's programs.
The coalition also argued that the FCC should limit local broadcasters to one license in a given market in order to ensure sufficient original programming for children. According to a 2003 Children Now research study, media consolidation diminishes the diversity and availability of programming for the child audience. The coalition argued that young viewers must have access to diverse viewpoints in television programming.
The coalition's comments may be read on the Children Now website.
A Founders Day for Families to Share
This February marks PTA's 110th Founders Day. This day commemorates the legacy of PTA's founders Phoebe Apperson Hearst and Alice McLellan Birney, as well as Selena Sloan Butler, the founder of Georgia's Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers, which merged with PTA in 1970. These were women of imagination and courage who understood that everyday people, banded together to accomplish a common mission, could change the world. PTA has clung close to the mission and purposes of our founders to support parent involvement and work on behalf of all children and families. We have a lot to be proud of, but our work continues. Founders
Day is a time of celebration and a chance to renew our commitment to be a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for parents, and a strong advocate for public education.
In 2006, National PTA decided to extend our celebration to the community by holding its first-ever "Take Your Family to School Week" during the week of Founders Day. This new event was a great success in welcoming families to get to know their children's world at school. It was an excellent example of the kind of participation our founders hoped PTA would encourage.
Founders Day is February 17. We encourage you to plan and promote your own Take Your Family to School Week events.
Look for more information on the event from National, State and Taconic Region PTA in the coming weeks and get ready to celebrate PTA.
Day is a time of celebration and a chance to renew our commitment to be a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for parents, and a strong advocate for public education.
In 2006, National PTA decided to extend our celebration to the community by holding its first-ever "Take Your Family to School Week" during the week of Founders Day. This new event was a great success in welcoming families to get to know their children's world at school. It was an excellent example of the kind of participation our founders hoped PTA would encourage.
Founders Day is February 17. We encourage you to plan and promote your own Take Your Family to School Week events.
Look for more information on the event from National, State and Taconic Region PTA in the coming weeks and get ready to celebrate PTA.
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