ESEA Reauthorization - 112th Congress
The Coalition and its Partners believe that the education of our children and youth is a shared responsibility among schools and communities.
Community schools are a vehicle for bringing together family, school, and community partners and resources so that every student has the learning opportunities and support they need to succeed. Community schools, using resources more effectively and efficiently, are getting results in more and more diverse places.
With increased federal recognition, these communities - and many more like them - can do much more. The Coalition's ESEA Reauthorization Statement offers recommendations which reflect the best principles of successful community schools across the nation.
Specifically, we recommend that:
- The Community School strategy be a permissible intervention for schools in need of improvement. S. 616, the Supporting Community Schools Act, proposes just that.
- Greater incentives for public/private school and-community partnerships;
- Enable greater school-community coordination;
- Development of a comprehensive accountability framework that goes far beyond test scores and improves access to data on multiple indicators of student well-being;
- Ensure effective professional development;
- Stronger emphasis on family and youth involvement; and
- Better coordination and more effective and efficient use of dollars across federal agencies.
Click here to access our ESEA Framework.
Below is legislation that has been introduced that supports community schools. These bills offer a vehicle to mobilize the field. They also serve as stalking horses for getting community schools principles into the reauthorized ESEA. Integrating community school principles into the reauthorized ESEA is a key priority for the Coalition.
- Full Service Community Schools Act (FSCS) of 2011 (HR 1090, S 585) – House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) introduced HR 1090 and Senators Nelson (D-NE) and Cochran (R-MS) introduced S. 585, on March 15, 2011. It was first introduced by House Representative Steny Hoyer (D-Md), to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to: (1) eligible entities to assist public elementary or secondary schools to function as full-service community schools; and (2) state collaboratives to support development of full-service community school programs. To provide and organizational endorsement for the for the HR 1090 and S 585, email: Charlie Ellsworth (Senator Nelson, D-NE) or Amy Schultz (Representative Hoyer, D-MD). Click here for the FSCS Act of 2011 fact sheet.
- DIPLOMA Act (S. 426, Developing Innovative Partnerships and Learning Opportunities that Motivate Achievement)– has been re-introduced on the Senate side by Senator Sanders (I-VT), Senator Mikulski (D-MD), and Senator Brown (D-OH). The legislation authorizes grants to incentivize partnerships between schools, parents, business leaders, higher education institutions, and community-based organizations in order to ensure the success of our nation’s youth. The DIPLOMA Act draws on the community schools strategy and other successful models to promote a shared, approach to education through integrating services framework will build community ownership for change, and strengthen results for children and youth. To provide an organizational endorsement, email: Jessica Cardichon (Senator Sanders, I-VT). Click here for the 1-page description of DIPLOMA.
- Supporting Community Schools Act S. 616- was introduced Thursday, March 17, 2011 by Senator Sanders (I-VT) and Senator Mikulski (D-MD). This Act proposes the Community School Strategy as a 5th Intervention Model in ESEA. Primarily, it will be used as a stalking horse to ensure that community school principles make it into ESEA. Read the Supporting Community Schools Dear Colleague letter that was sent to Members. To provide an organizational endorsement, email: Jessica Cardichon (Senator Sanders, I-VT). Click here for a one page description of S. 616.
Other related Federal Legislation:
- Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA, also known as No Child Left Behind, NCLB) - is a federal statute which was enacted on April 11, 1965. This Act funds primary and secondary education. The Obama Administration has released its Blueprint for revising the ESEA, which will ask states to ensure that their academic standards prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace, and to create accountability systems that recognize student growth and school progress toward meeting that goal. Follow the U.S. Department of Education’s ESEA re-authorization blog.
- Keeping Parents and Communities Engaged Act (Keeping PACE) – Introduced by Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Ma) to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary of Education to award grants to states for competitive sub-grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) that receive school improvement funds under part A of Title I of the Act to enable such LEAs to assist public elementary and secondary schools hire and maintain Parent and Community Outreach Coordinators responsible for improving family and community involvement in such schools. This bill never became law.
- Time for Innovation Matters in Education (TIME) Act - would provide federal funding to support states’ efforts to expand the school day in pilot schools in each state. This reform initiative, modeled after the Massachusetts Expanded Learning Time Initiative, will enable low-performing, high-poverty schools to implement a longer school day or year, with any luck as early as 2010. If enacted, the TIME Act would allocate $350 million next year and up to $500 million in 2014. This bill never became law.
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