Triangle Coalition

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Triangle Coalition

• Collaborating for Better STEM Education
• Vance Ablott
• Triangle Coalition
• ablottv_at_triangle-coalition.org

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Our Mission

• Triangle Coalitions Mission is to
  bring together the voices of government,
  business, and education to improve the quality
  and outcome of science, technology, engineering
  and mathematics (STEM) education.

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Our Mission

• We foster collaboration among all parties in
  order to unite, focus, amplify the call, and
  advocate for STEM education.
• We nurture the development of local, regional,
  and state coalitions focused on the improvement
  of STEM education in their communities by
  providing materials, resources, and information
  to encourage their success.
• We provide educational opportunities to our
  membership and others to ensure understanding of
  both the prospects and processes for growth and
  achievement within their communities and
  constituencies.
• We unite educators with government leaders,
  through programs such as the Albert Einstein
  Distinguished Educator Fellowships, to facilitate
  a dialogue for understanding and improvement of
  STEM education.
• We inform our membership and others of current
  legislative and programmatic opportunities
  through the Coalition's website, and wide
  distribution of the Triangle Coalitions
  Electronic Bulletin.

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A Quick History Lesson

• Education has traditionally been considered a
  local matter.
• Bill of Rights10th Amendment
• Powers not delegated to the United States by the
  Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States
  are reserved to the States respectively or to
  the people.

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Quick History

• Article 1, Section8
• The Congress shall have power to provide for
  the Common Defense and General Welfare of the
  United States
• These two parts of the Constitution governed
  Federal education policy until the 1950s

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For Example

• In 1862 and again in 1890 the Morrill Acts
  created Land Grant Colleges to educate the
  industrial classes.
• Smith-Hughes Act provided direct assistance to
  schools for vocational educationagriculture,
  home economics, trades and industry in 1917

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More Recent History

• Then in 1954 we see the landmark ruling in Brown
  v. Board of Education decided on the basis of the
  14th Amendment
• nor shall any state deprive any person of life
  liberty or property without due process of law
  nor deny any person within its jurisdiction the
  equal protection of the laws.
• Education became a civil rights issue.

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Recent History

• Sputnik 1958America responds with the National
  Defense Education Act
• Offered subsidized loans for tuition and assisted
  in the development of science laboratories.
• Perkins Loan Program is the current iteration of
  the NDEA.

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1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act

• Following the 1963 assassination of President
  Kennedy, President Johnson made it a priority to
  push Kennedys Civil Rights and Education agendas
  though Congress.
• ESEA was authorized in 1965 and reauthorized
  several times since. Current incarnation is No
  Child Left Behind.

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No Child Left Behind

• NCLB incorporated the concept of accountability
  through testinga logical conclusion to the
  debate of the 1990s.
• Though bi-partisan in its origin NCLB is widely
  thought of as George W. Bushs policy and so we
  will most likely see the name return to ESEA or
  something new.

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So Where Are We Going?

• ESEA Reauthorization
• Given Secretary Duncans background and the
  Democrats history it is generally expected that
  there will be an expanded Federal role in
  Education.
• The big issues will likely revolve around
  accountability and the role of testing.
• Given the focus on ARRA and Race to the Top along
  with Health Care and the economy nobody expects
  there to be much movement on NCLB this year or
  maybe even next.

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Education Budget

• The biggest area for influence right nowtodayis
  the Federal Budget for Education.
• Education is not just the Department of
  Educationespecially when talking STEM and even
  more so when we talk the T E of STEM.
• NASA, Energy, NIST, NSF, NOAA, and other agencies
  make significant investments in STEM Education
  programs.

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Authorization vs Appropriation

• We often hear that Congress has not fully funded
  a program. America COMPETES or Title I of ESEA
  are examples.
• There are Authorization Bills which authorize the
  various agencies to do somethingand set the
  amount of money they can spend.
• The Appropriations Committee through the Budget
  Resolution decides how much will be available to
  be spent.

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My Authorization76,600
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My Appropriation 2,000 parking, gas,
insurance.
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• Just to be sure we understand

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Authorized
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Appropriated
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Whats Up With STEM Ed?

• Health Care Economy Afghanistan the
  Environment There is a lot in the way before we
  get to education.
• That said there have been some STEM Education
  Bills introduced.
• SPEAK Act. Introduced by Congressman Ehlers
  (R-MI) and Senator Dodd (D-CT) Deals with
  Voluntary Common Standards, but this legislation
  would include Science.

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Whats Up With STEM Ed?

• STEM Coordination Act Congressman Gordon (D-TN)
  Creates a committee at OSTP to coordinate STEM
  Education across the Federal Agencies.
• E-STEM Act Congressman Honda (D-CA) proposes
  several changes to coordinate STEM activities.

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ARRA and Race To The Top

• Program is designed to encourage and reward
  States that are implementing significant
  education reforms across four assurance''
  areasThe Four Pillars.
• Implementing standards and assessments
• Improving teacher effectiveness and achieving
  equity in teacher distribution
• Improving collection and use of data
• Supporting struggling schools.

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STEM In Race To The Top

• Competitive Preference Priority to proposals
  with an emphasis on STEM subjects.To Meet this
  priority a state must
• Offer rigorous coursework in STEM
• Must prepare more students especially
  underrepresented groups for careers in STEM
  fields
• Work with community partners to prepare and
  assist teachers in integrating STEM content
  across disciplines and grades to promote relevant
  and applied learning opportunities for students.

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ESEA (NCLB) Reauthorization

• Not likely to happen in this session of Congress.
  Too much on the plate right now and then we run
  up against the 2010 elections.
• That said HELP Committee and Ed/Labor are doing
  work on the redraft. The Secretary of Education
  is soliciting input on the reauthorization. We
  may see something in a draft form next spring.

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ESEA Reauthorization

• Big Issues
• Accountability
• Growth Models?
• What will count?
• Comparability Clause issuesesoteric to most but
  key to equity intent of the law.
• Role of Federal Government in Education
• Funding
• Standards

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• Vance Ablott
• 703-516-5965
• ablottv_at_triangle-coalition.org
• www.trianglecoalition.org

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