U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SECRETARY DUNCAN WARNS OF AUTOMATIC BUDGET CUTS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
U.S. Education Secretary Warns that Automatic Budget Cuts Would Hurt Children and Families Education Secretary Calls on Congress to Work with President Obama for a Long-Term Solution
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today detailed the impact of looming automatic budget cuts, saying they would force schools to lay off teachers and eliminate services for students while indiscriminately reducing programs that serve Americans of all ages.

"Essentially, we’re playing chicken with the lives of the American people – our schools, communities, small businesses, farms, public safety, infrastructure and national security," Secretary Duncan told members of the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee. "If we don’t work together to solve this problem, it further erodes what little faith remains in our elected leadership to put partisan politics aside and do the right thing for children and families."

If Congress fails to create a long-term plan to reduce the budget deficit by the end of the year, across-the-board budget cuts known as sequestration will go into effect on almost every discretionary program, reducing funding for education, defense, public safety and all other federal agencies.

Duncan urged Congress to work with President Obama, who has submitted a plan that includes $4 trillion in deficit reductions and calls for targeted cuts in spending.

"We have tightened our belts in a responsible way," Duncan said. "Most importantly, the President’s plan is a long-term fix. It will put an end to the see-saw budgeting that leaves state and local officials wondering if they can count on the federal government to be a partner with them on education and other vital programs."

Based on the Congressional Budget Office’s projection that sequestration will reduce programs by 7.8 percent, Duncan estimated that the following programs would be at risk:
Title I funding would be cut by $1.1 billion, cutting off funding to more than 4,000 schools serving an estimated 1.8 million disadvantaged students. The jobs of more than 15,000 teachers and aides would be at risk. Students would lose access to individual instruction, afterschool programs, and other interventions that help close achievement gaps.
Funding for special education would be reduced by $900 million. That could translate into the layoffs of more than 10,000 teachers, aides, and other staff who provide essential instruction and other support to 6.6 million children with disabilities.
In higher education, the Department would need to slash spending on contracts to support the processing and origination of student loans, which could cause delays that will hurt students as they make decisions about college and could reduce services for borrowers seeking to repay their loans.
For Title I, special education and other large K-12 programs, the cuts would take effect in the fall of 2013. Duncan pointed out that in a recent poll 80 percent of school administrators said they would be unable to replace the lost federal funds with state and local money.

Duncan also highlighted the potential impact on Head Start, child care, health research and other programs that support children and their families.




　

SECRETARY OF EDUCATION DUNCAN'S STATEMENT ON "CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964" ANNIVERSARY

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Statement from U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on the Anniversary of The Civil Rights Act of 1964
JULY 2, 2012
"Forty-eight years ago today, President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act states, 'No person in the United States shall, on the basis of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.'

"In the education arena, Title VI applies to all elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities—public or private—that receive federal financial assistance, and its protection extends to all aspects of these institutions' programs and activities. Title VI also prohibits denial of equal access to college- and career-preparatory courses and programs and to other educational opportunities for English learners, as well as discriminatory discipline, harassment, or other barriers to equal education.

"The progress we've made toward fulfilling the promise of equal educational opportunities is marked by significant advances made by people of color across the nation. From the rising number of racial minorities with high school diplomas and bachelor's degrees to the increased attention and services designed to meet the educational needs of English learners, we have much to be proud of.

"But serious work remains to ensure equal opportunity for all students. A significant achievement gap persists between people of color and other groups. The high school graduation and bachelor's degree rates for Black, Hispanic, American Indian, and Alaska Native students and other racial and ethnic minorities are still far lower than those for whites. Too many English learners still lack the instruction and services they need to be successful. As we are learning from the Civil Rights Data Collection, students of certain racial and ethnic backgrounds are receiving harsher discipline than other students. And there are too many racially isolated schools with unequal access to critical opportunities and programs. These trends are particularly troubling in an increasingly global economy where a postsecondary degree or certificate is more necessary than ever for a stable, well-paying career.

"So while today is an occasion to celebrate the progress this nation has made under Title VI, continuing that progress will require a sustained commitment to an equal education for all students. The Department's Office for Civil Rights will continue the legacy the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by vigorously enforcing Title VI and working to help end illegal discrimination in our nation's schools so that all children can learn and succeed."

Tags:  
Press Releases
Civil Rights
Civil Rights Act
Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC)

MINNESOTA, NEVADA RECEIVE MILLIONS TO TURN AROUND LOWEST-PERFORMING SCHOOLS

Photo Credit:  Wikimedia.
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Minnesota to Receive Nearly $6 Million to Turn Around Lowest-Performing Schools
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that Minnesota will receive $5.9 million to turn around its persistently lowest-achieving schools through the Education Department's School Improvement Grants (SIG) program.

The funds are part of $535 million provided through the fiscal year 2011 budget and made available to states under the program. To date, Minnesota has received $44.9 million since the SIG program was redesigned in 2009.

Nevada to Receive $3.5 Million to Turn Around Lowest-Performing Schools
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that Nevada will receive $3.5 million to turn around its persistently lowest-achieving schools through the Education Department's School Improvement Grants (SIG) program.

The funds are part of $535 million provided through the fiscal year 2011 budget and made available to states under the program. To date, Nevada has received $30.4 million since the SIG program was redesigned in 2009.

"We've stood on the sidelines for too long as our lowest-performing schools failed our children year after year," said Duncan. "The School Improvement Grants program is providing courageous school leaders and teacher teams in more than 1,300 schools nationwide with the means to accomplish the very difficult work of turning around some of our hardest to serve schools."

When a school system applies to a state for SIG funding, it must indicate that it will implement one of four intervention models in each of its persistently lowest-achieving schools, based on school needs:
Turnaround Model: Replace the principal, screen existing school staff, and rehire no more than half the teachers; adopt a new governance structure; and improve the school through curriculum reform, professional development, extending learning time, and other strategies.
Restart Model: Convert a school or close it and re-open it as a charter school or under an education management organization.

School Closure: Close the school and send the students to higher-achieving schools in the district.
Transformation Model: Replace the principal and improve the school through comprehensive curriculum reform, professional development, extended learning time, and other strategies.

SEC. OF EDUCATION COMMENTS ON STUDENT INTEREST RATE DEAL

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Statement from U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on Action to Prevent Student Loan Interest Rates From Doubling

JUNE 29, 2012

“In his January State of the Union address, President Obama called on Congress to work together to keep student loan interest rates from doubling. Today, I applaud leaders in Congress for answering the President’s call to action and striking a deal that will help make college more affordable for millions of students.

“But most importantly, I want to thank the nation's young people for making their voices heard on an important economic issue directly affecting them. You spoke, the nation heard you, and Congress acted. Democracy worked because of your tireless efforts.

“Both the President and I believe education is a public good. College should not be reserved only for those who can afford it. All of us share responsibility for making college affordable and keeping the middle-class dream alive.

“Investing in education is the best investment America can make to bolster our competitiveness in a knowledge-based, global economy. If we don’t invest today, we will lose tomorrow.”

SEC. OF EDUCATION ARNE DUNCAL ON 40 YEARS OF PELL GRANTS

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Celebrating Success: 40 Years of Pell Grants
Chances are you know someone who wouldn’t have gone to college without the help of a Pell Grant. Since 1972, more than 60 million Americans have received financial assistance to earn their degree.

As President Obama said in a message commemorating the 40th anniversary of the enactment of this program:

Forty years ago, our Nation codified a commitment to bringing higher education within reach for every American by creating the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant—later renamed the Federal Pell Grant after Senator Claiborne Pell, to honor his efforts in creating the program.  On this anniversary, we reflect on four decades of progress toward fulfilling that fundamental promise and rededicate ourselves to making college affordable for all.

Federal Pell Grants have helped millions of Americans achieve their fullest potential by not only opening the doors to college, but also providing students the financial support necessary to complete their studies and prosper in today’s economy.  That is why my Administration has prioritized Pell Grants as a source of funding they can count on each and every year.  We have provided resources to support a 50 percent increase in Pell Grant recipients, giving college access to millions of additional students across our country; aggressively raised the maximum Pell Grant award to keep pace with rising costs; and strengthened the Pell Grant Program by cutting banks out of Federal student lending and delivering financial aid directly to students.  By continuing to provide grants that extend educational opportunity to students, we make critical investments both in their personal success and in America’s success in the 21st century.

As we mark the 40th Anniversary of the Federal Pell Grant Program, we also celebrate the individuals and organizations who have worked to widen the circle of opportunity for countless Americans through higher education.  Today and tomorrow, let us recommit to empowering the next generation with the tools and resources they need to achieve their dreams.  I am confident that, through programs like Pell Grants, our Nation will reach our goal of once again leading the world in college completion by the year 2020.

Senator Claiborne Pell, the chief sponsor of the program, liked to say, ‘Any student with the talent, desire, and drive, should be able to pursue higher education.’ Because of his commitment and vision, millions of students from poor and working class backgrounds received the economic lifeline they need to earn a college degree. The Pell Grant program has literally transformed millions of lives.

In today’s global economy that’s more important than ever. High school graduation is no longer a path leading to a good paying job. College, or other postsecondary training, has never been more important to finding meaningful and substantial employment.

More students than ever are relying on Pell grants, and if we are to reach our goal of out-innovating, out-educating and out-building the rest of the world, we need to continue our investment in Pell.
Arne Duncan is the US Secretary of Education

U.S. EDUCATION SECRETARY DUNCAN WANTS COLLEGES TO BE MORE TRANSPARENT REGARDING COST

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Education Secretary Duncan Calls on Colleges to be More Transparent about Cost of College, Empower Families to Make Smart Investments

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan called on colleges and universities across the country today to provide families with the information they need to make a smart investment in higher education. This call to action follows the commitment that 10 institutional leaders made during a White House meeting with Vice President Biden and Secretary Duncan earlier this month to provide key financial information to incoming students starting next year.

Secretary Duncan’s remarks were part of a national convocation hosted by the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities. In addition to calling for greater transparency, he challenged institutions to control costs and better support students in order to keep prices down and help boost college completion rates.

“Today, I want to challenge every college and university in the country to hold themselves accountable to higher standards of transparency as one step toward our collective goal of meeting the President’s 2020 goal and producing the highest percentage of college graduates in the world,” Secretary Duncan said. “Having easy-to-understand information will help students and families make smarter decisions about higher education. We don’t want students and families taking on more debt than they need. We don’t want them defaulting. Worst of all, we don’t want them deciding they cannot afford college.”
During his remarks, Secretary Duncan asked colleges and universities to commit to providing students and their families with the clear, useful information they need to make the best decisions about where to enroll and what kind of financial commitment to make for their long-term investment in higher education. These institutions would join the previous 10 colleges and universities in providing the following information to all incoming students as part of their financial aid package, beginning with those applying for the 2013-2014 school year:
How much one year of college will cost;
Financial aid options to pay this cost, with a clear differentiation between grants and scholarships, which do not have to be repaid, and loans, which do;
Net costs after grants and scholarships are taken into account;
Estimated monthly payments for the federal student loans the student would likely owe after graduation; and
Vital information about student results, including comparative information about the rates at which students enroll from one year to the next, graduate, and repay their loans without defaulting on their obligations.
A key piece of President Obama’s plan to make college more affordable is improved transparency of college costs and value. Too often, students and families face confusion when evaluating financial aid packages, some of which do not clearly differentiate loans from grants, nor distinguish private versus federal loans, making it difficult to compare aid offers.

To make it easier for institutions to provide transparent information to students, the U.S. Department of Education, in partnership with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, gathered input from students, families, and the higher education community to develop a Financial Aid Shopping Sheet, which colleges and universities are encouraged to adopt in order to provide students with clear information about the type and amount of aid they qualify for and allow students to easily compare aid packages offered by different institutions. This Shopping Sheet – a model of what a good financial aid award letter would look like – will be available in the coming weeks. Institutions that are interested in finding out how they can adopt the Shopping Sheet and improve their transparency efforts can get more information by emailingHigherEducation@who.eop.gov.

$60 MILLION AVAILABLE IN 2012 PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS COMPETION

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
2012 Promise Neighborhoods Competition Opens, $60 Million Available to Continue Reform and Award New Planning and Implementation Grants
The U.S. Department of Education released today the 2012 application for the Promise Neighborhoods program, which will provide $60 million to continue support for existing implementation grantees and award a new round of planning and implementation grants.

"The challenges in distressed communities across the country demand innovative and comprehensive solutions that put education at the center," said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "Promise Neighborhoods is an important investment that helps communities create and execute plans that provide educational, health, and safety services to combat the conditions of poverty and help create greater opportunities for all children."

Nonprofits, institutions of higher education and Indian tribes are invited to apply for funds to develop or execute plans that will improve educational and developmental outcomes for students in distressed neighborhoods.

The Department will provide around $27 million for up to 7 new implementation grants with an estimated first-year grant award of $4 million to $6 million. Implementation grantees will receive annual grants over a period of three to five years. An additional $7 million will fund up to 14 new one-year planning grants with an estimated grant award of $500,000 each. Remaining funds will provide year-two funding to the 5 implementation grantees awarded in 2011.

Promise Neighborhoods grants provide critical support for the planning and implementation of comprehensive services ranging from early learning, K-12, to college and career, including programs to improve the health, safety, and stability of neighborhoods, as well as to boost family engagement in student learning and improve access to learning technology.

The next round of Promise Neighborhoods implementation grants will support communities in their efforts to enlist and coordinate better education, health, and safety services, as well as provide young people the opportunity to be successful in school and everyday life. Specifically, funds can be used to improve learning inside and outside of school, build support staff, secure additional and sustainable funding sources, and establish data systems to record and share the community's development and progress.
As in the 2010 and 2011 competitions, 2012 planning grants will continue to support the creation of plans for providing high-need communities with cradle-to-career services with great schools at the center.

"This next round of Promise Neighborhoods projects will build on the great work of urban, rural, and tribal communities that are taking an all-hands-on-deck approach to improving lives and life outcomes of children and youth," said Jim Shelton, assistant deputy secretary for Innovation and Improvement. "Organizations across the country are developing and implementing innovative solutions from cradle to career—using data not only to identify and address needs, but also to build on the resources and on-going efforts in their communities. We look forward to supporting more Promise Neighborhoods as they strengthen partnerships, develop and implement strategic plans, and continue to put great education opportunities at the center of their efforts."

In fiscal year 2010, the Department launched the first round of the Promise Neighborhoods competition, making available a total of $10 million for 21 planning grants. To date, more than 500 organizations from 48 states and the District of Columbia, American Samoa and Puerto Rico submitted applications. In fiscal year 2011, five communities received the first round of implementation grants and another 15 communities received the second round of Promise Neighborhoods planning grants.

Applications for the third round funds will be due July 27, 2012. Winners will be selected and awards will be made in December 2012. Officials from the Department of Education's Office of Innovation and Improvement will conduct several webinars for potential applicants. All webinars require participants to register in advance. Registration and additional information about the Promise Neighborhoods application and program will be available at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/promiseneighborhoods/index.html.
As part of the White House Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, Promise Neighborhoods seeks to align federal funding stream that invest in transforming neighborhoods of concentrated poverty into neighborhoods of opportunity.

President Obama's fiscal year 2013 budget requests $100 million to provide continued funding support to implementation grantees in addition to funding a fourth round of planning grants and a third round of implementation grants.