SENATE UPDATE
ESEA reauthorization (the process Congress is using to amend the law that was referred to as the No Child Left Behind Act) is moving very quickly. It is important to understand that the result we get in ESEA reauthorization now, will likely impact IDEA reauthorization later.
In the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Chairman Alexander released a discussion draft of his ESEA bill. NDSC submitted comments opposing this bill and recommending how to fix it. Chairman Alexander has responded to demands for a bipartisan process and is now working with the senior Democratic Senator on the HELP Committee, Patty Murray, to negotiate a new bill for the HELP committee to vote on. That could happen sometime in the next few weeks. Senator Bob Casey and Senator Chris Murphy have introduced two related ESEA bills that ensure parents are given the information they need for assessment decisions and contain other critically important alternate assessment language recommended by NDSC. These bills are co-sponsored by Senator Patty Murray.
NDSC is focusing its advocacy on students who take an alternate assessment because the vast majority of students with Down syndrome take these assessments at some point in their education, often starting as early as third grade. We are also advocating for ESEA to contain some federal accountability requirements to ensure that states and districts are using the federal funding to keep expectations high and improve student outcomes.
Members of Congress need to hear from YOU that inclusion in the general education curriculum and the chance to earn a diploma are important for students who take an alternate assessment. Personal stories help!ACT NOW
Please contact both of your Senators as soon as possible with the following message. The information in
bold type is the most important to share. However, the other bullets are also important to emphasize, if possible. You can find your Senators'
contact information at this link.
Ask your Senators to please encourage Chairman Alexander to continue working on a new bill with Senator Murray, because the provisions that were in the Chairman's draft bill were harmful to students with disabilities, especially students who participate in an alternate assessment. A new bi-partisan bill should:- Require states to ensure that parents are well informed to make assessment decisions and that students who take alternate assessments are included in the grade-level curriculum and are eligible to try to earn a regular high school diploma, as provided in the combined Casey and Murphy bills.
- Add a cap equal to 1% of students (which corresponds to 10% of students with disabilities) on the number of students who can participate in a state's alternate assessment, because the assessment is not appropriate for a higher number of students (also in the combined Casey and Murphy bills).
- Require assessments developed using the principles of universal design for learning in grades 3-8, and once in high school that are "peer reviewed" by the U.S. Department of Education to ensure they meet the requirements of the law.
- Require states to develop targets for student achievement and steps to address achievement gaps between students with and without disabilities (e.g. the use of universal design for learning principles would address the gap while benefiting all students).
If either Senator Bob Casey from Pennsylvania or Senator Chris Murphy from Connecticut is your Senator, please thank him for his ESEA bill on alternate assessments.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES UPDATE
On February 11, 2015 the House Education and Workforce Committee debated and voted on the Student Success Act (Committee Chairman Kline's bill to change ESEA) and various amendments, including a substitute bill from Senator Scott that would replace Chairman Kline's bill. Much of NDSC's language to improve provisions for students who take an alternate assessment, as well as other important provisions for accountability and high expectations, were in the substitute bill. Unfortunately, this bill was defeated. The Student Success Act was passed and will be going to the House floor for a vote, along with any amendments offered by the Representatives. This could happen as early as the last week in February or the first week in March.
Right now, please focus your attention on the Senate, where we have a better chance of an improved bill if your Senators hear from YOU! © National Down Syndrome Congress 2015
