Copyright 1999 Federal News Service, Inc.
Federal News Service
SEPTEMBER 14, 1999, TUESDAY
SECTION: IN THE NEWS
LENGTH:
4847 words
HEADLINE: PREPARED TESTIMONY OF
GINNY
MARKELL
NATIONAL PTA PRESIDENT
THE NATIONAL PTA
BEFORE THE
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR AND PENSIONS
SUBJECT - EDUCATIONAL READINESS IN THE 21ST CENTURY
BODY:
Good morning Chairman Jeffords and
members of the Committee. My name is Ginny Markell. I am President of the
National PTA, the country's largest child advocacy organization, which has 6.5
million members. Parents are key stakeholders in the education debate, so I
thank you for the opportunity to express National PTA's perspective on the
ability of our current educational system to prepare children to meet the
demands of a global economy in the 21st Century, and National PTA's vision for
the future.
First, I would like to commend you, Mr. Chairman, for your
commitment to school improvement, your efforts to secure a sustained and long-
term commitment to increased federal funding for education, and your work to
urge congressional leaders to break the arbitrary and untenable appropriations
caps now constraining needed growth. In addition, I thank you for your hard work
in the current reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
(ESEA). Your efforts are critical to our success in assuring
that all children have access to excellent public schools, and we look forward
to working with you and your staff as the process continues.
Before going
further, Mr. Chairman, I would also like to say that my references to the term
parent should be interpreted broadly to include all the adults who play an
important role in a child's family life, since grandparents, aunts, uncles,
stepparents, and guardians often have primary responsibility for a child's care
and education.
Overview
All of us in this room are aware of the
philosophical battles currently being fought in the name of school reform. There
are debates over waste and bureaucracy, vouchers and tax subsidies, block grants
and "dollars to the classroom". We believe these discussions serve only to block
real change. There is no evidence that the federal government is wasting tax
dollars on bureaucracy and ineffective programs. To the contrary, Department of
Education data show that, depending on the program, between 92 and 98 percent of
federal education dollars are spent on instruction-related services to students.
Further, the federal investment in education, which is intended to
supplement state and local programs, has been. successful in targeting funds
where they are most needed. Again, Department of Education and U.S. General
Accounting Office documents show that federal dollars are far more targeted to
disadvantaged children than state funds. On average, for every $1.00 of federal
funds school districts receive for each student, they receive $4.73 in
additional federal funding per poor student.
Over the past thirty-five years
Congress, working during that time with the National PTA and other education
advocates, has developed a network of education programs, each created to
address a specific national concern that was not being adequately met by states
or local school districts. Federal funds disbursed through these programs have
helped close the achievement gap between disadvantaged and nondisadvantaged
children, increased the learning and independence of children with disabilities
or other special needs, and helped states and schools implement reforms they
would not otherwise have been able to afford.
More specifically, this
targeting has helped Title I narrow the achievement gap between white and
minority children. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores
show that this gap has decreased, starting in the early 1970s. Between then and
1992, the difference between scores for white and black 9-year-olds narrowed by
23 percent in reading and math. Without Title I, these gaps would likely have
been greater. More recent NAEP scores show improvements in reading for students
in grades 4, 8, and 12, and Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) math scores are at
a 27-year high level. There are similar success stories illustrating the
importance of the federal role for each of the Department of Education's
programs.
Congressional committees review these federal programs regularly,
and refine and improve them as needed. In fact, as a result of recent
reauthorizations, school districts enjoy increased flexibility with regard to
how they will use the money they receive from federal programs. In this
reauthorization cycle, we should not focus on overhauling existing programs.
Instead we need to examine ESEA programs, build upon past
successes, and strengthen programs we know will lead to effective schools.
Some of the debate has circled around programs and proposals that will only
help the small percentage of students who attend private schools. The focus
should be on supporting the schools where 90 percent of America's children are
educated. Reauthorization of ESEA provides an opportunity to
improve effective programs and strengthen those in need of additional support;
therefore, lawmakers must work in a cooperative and bipartisan manner to develop
solutions to the problems many of our schools are facing.
Our nation has
thousands of effective public schools that are providing children with
stimulating and healthy environments, where student expectations and academic
standards are high, where children are learning, teachers a rechallenged to
excel, and 21" Century technologies are mastered. However, this type of school
will only be a reality for all children with an increased federal financial
investment. Local schools know where they need help, and ESEA
creates a framework for federal involvement that outlines the national concerns
that have been identified, targets the funds, and assures accountability for how
the dollars are spent. This structure protects the federal assistance so it can
be most effective to local communities. They are still charged with devising and
implementing individualized school improvement plans to turn failing schools
into schools of excellence. However, Congress must then appropriate adequate
financial resources targeted to these needs. Only with this type of partnership
will we be able to prepare the technologically proficient workforce needed in
the 21" Century.
Increase the federal investment in education
Schools
are under tremendous pressure to prepare students for jobs of the future, but
they face enormous challenges in carrying out this mission. Schools are
contending with record high student enrollments, an increased percentage of
students with special needs, such as learning disabilities or limited English
proficiency (LEP). There is also a projected teacher shortage, rapidly changing
education technology demands, and a staggering need for school construction and
modernization.
Consider, for example:
- this year, as a result of the
"Baby Boom Echo" population growth, elementary and secondary schools will enroll
53.2 million students, nearly half a million more than last year. New
enrollments will continue to grow for the next seven years, with more than 54
million students in 2008!
- the Department of Education has reported that a
large number of teachers are nearing retirement, which together with the
unprecedented enrollments, is fueling a teacher shortage that will require
hiring an estimated 2.2 million teachers over the next ten years.
-
the U.S. General Accounting Office estimates the cost of simply repairing
schools to bring them up to minimal health and safety codes would cost $112
billion. In addition, an estimated $73 billion is needed to accommodate the
rising enrollments, and billions more are needed to bring schools up to date
with 21" century technology needs.
The reality is, while states and local
communities have always had primary responsibility for creating excellent
schools, many simply do not have adequate financial resources to do so. This is
where the federal government must help. One of the primary roles of the federal
government in education is to ensure access and equal opportunity to high
quality education for all children, and this is most effectively accomplished
through programs such as Title I, IDEA, Impact Aid, and bilingual education,
which address students' and schools' special needs. The federal government also
has a responsibility to fund research in how to improve the quality of education
and to invest in developing model programs that can be replicated around the
country. Finally, the National PTA believes the federal government should
provide budgetary appropriations that are adequate to meet these goals,
particularly in economically disadvantaged areas, and to prepare the future
workforce to meet the nation's economic and defense needs. Public education
advocates are often criticized when they ask for more money. The reality is,
however, that not one federal education program has ever been funded to the
level that would provide services to all who are eligible. The public expects
100% excellence, but the federal government has not provided 100 percent
funding. This, despite the fact that public opinion polls show overwhelming
support for increased federal support of education. In a poll the National PTA
conducted in December, 1998, a majority of parents, ranging from 65 percent to
83 percent of those surveyed, depending on the program, said they supported
federal funding for education programs, and solid majorities of parents support
increasing current levels of federal government funding for a number of
education programs.
The need is great. Currently, the Title I program is
only able to provide services to about one-third of those who are eligible. To
provide services to all would cost a total of $24 billion. The Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is another program essential for assuring that
all children have equal access to a high quality education. Since its creation,
IDEA has provided access to education for millions of children with disabilities
who had been previously denied services.
Many lawmakers are calling for
increased funding for IDEA, which we would strongly support. However, in the
current funding climate, it is unlikely Congress could find the $12-14 billion
to provide full funding for IDEA. The National PTA strongly believes we cannot
pit one program against another because they all work together. If funding for
IDEA is increased, while Title I funding is cut, there is no net gain. Students
who would otherwise receive compensatory education services could be referred to
special education services.
In addition, we must look at the challenges
schools are facing. We cannot hire more teachers to end the shortage, implement
strategies to increase parent involvement, or reduce class size, nor can we
build and repair school facilities to accommodate record high enrollments for
free. These reforms cost money in amounts too large for states and schools to
bear alone.
Part of the problem is that federal funding is not keeping pace
with these changes. In 1980, funding for Department of Education programs
comprised 2.5 percent of the overall federal budget. Today that share has shrunk
to two percent. Over the past three years, federal discretionary education
spending has grown by more than $10 billion, which has helped restore the cuts
that were enacted in 1995 and 1996 and provided some real growth in critical
programs. However, over the last fifteen years, Congress enacted many deficit
reduction bills that eroded the federal share of total education spending. The
federal share of elementary and secondary education declined from 11.9 percent
to 6.1 percent between 1980 and 1998.
Is money the only investment needed in
education? No, but the truth is we already know what schools need to be
effective. Mr. Chairman, I have submitted for the record, a document the
National PTA has prepared, which outlines the components of an effective school.
Effective schools may come in many shapes and sizes, because of the uniqueness
of their communities, but they share a number of common characteristics.
However, effective schools, those with a mission, that offer sound academic
programs, have effective parent involvement, qualified teachers and staff,
comprehensive services that address the needs of the whole child, quality
before- and after- school learning opportunities, a welcoming climate to
students and their families, and modem and sturdy facilities that are safe for
students, will not be a reality for all children without an increased federal
financial investment.
Other Investments that are needed
In addition to
direct funding increases to programs targeted to students, schools, and specific
needs,'there are a number of other ways that the federal government can, and
must, invest in public schools. These investments involve funding, but they can
provide a broader benefit to all states, with a potential positive impact on
thousands of school districts and individual schools. For example, the
Department of Education must continue to push for high academic standards (a
very bi-partisan effort that was started in 1989 with setting national education
goals), and provide technical assistance and special help to states and
districts that do not have the tools they need to implement the reforms the
local communities have devised. The federal government must also invest in
education research and development, as well as disseminate information about the
results and potential model programs, to states and school districts.
The
federal government's role in funding education programs does not equal federal
control. In fact, current federal education policy extends great flexibility to
state education officials and to local school districts and schools to address
their needs with local plans. However, the federal government must require
targeting and demand accountability for seeing that school reforms are
implemented in a coordinated and comprehensive manner.In recent months there
have been various proposals put forward to increase accountability in education.
But many of these approaches would weaken the positive impact the federal
government has in education and harm ongoing efforts to implement
standards-based reforms. For example, pending block grant proposals would
eliminate the targeted focus of federal programs and back away from a primary
federal role of directing funds to poorest students and schools. In addition,
attempts to funnel federal taxpayer dollars to private schools, through
education tax subsidies, vouchers, or other similar proposals, take limited
funds away from public schools to give them to schools that serve small numbers
of students. Public accountability of how funds are spent are sharply diminished
or eliminated under these funding approaches.
The National PTA supports
increased accountability to assure program effectiveness and has recommended
some ways that increased accountability provisions can help assure that existing
parent involvement provisions are fully implemented. For example, we would like
to see a school's parent involvement policies evaluated along with its progress
in raising student achievement, its offering of professional development
opportunities, and the other requirements of the law. If parent involvement is
part on a school's overall assessment, it will be likely more effective, and the
increased parent involvement will have a beneficial impact on student
achievement and other school improvements.
In the current reauthorization
process, National PTA is also looking at ways to help states and schools be more
effective in educating the children in their care. Our recommendations call for
increased technical assistance from the federal to state level and from the
state to local schools. This can be accomplished in part through the use of
existing, and new, parent resource centers, which can serve as clearinghouses of
information helpful to states and schools. National PTA also supports an
increased emphasis on information sharing and dissemination, through the federal
government to the states and through the states to local districts. As mentioned
earlier, there are thousands of successful schools across the country and
thousands more that could benefit by replicating model programs of what is
working.
Finally, National PTA believes the parent involvement requirements
in Title I should be strengthened and applied to other ESEA
programs so that parent involvement truly becomes an integral part of states'
and schools' efforts to provide a quality education for all children.
Investment in Parent Involvement
Affirming the significance of parent
involvement has been a priority of the National PTA since its founding.
Over the past 100 years, National PTA has consistently demonstrated that
effectively involving parents and families in support of children and their
education produces meaningful and lasting results. National PTA endorses what
numerous research studies and years of experience as advocates on behalf of
children have demonstrated to be true: Parent involvement increases student
achievement and success. The overall importance of parent involvement, as the
foundation for all other education reforms, warrants the same consideration and
attention as other areas for which national standards are being developed.
Therefore, investment in meaningful parent involvement programs, at all levels
of government, is a crucial element of school reform.
As the nation's
largest child advocacy organization, we have long been strong advocates for
strengthened parent involvement in schools, but many people ask us, what does
parent involvement mean? Data from the 1998 U.S. Digest of Education Statistics
shows that 76.4 percent of parents of elementary and secondary school children
were involved in school activities by attending a general school meeting, 70.6
percent attended a parent teacher conference, 66.1 percent attended a class
event, and 39.6 percent volunteered at school. These are just a few of the
possible examples that can define parent involvement.
How parents are
involved may differ, but public support for increasing the level of parent
involvement remains steady. For example, in the 1998 National PTA survey on
parent involvement, 91 percent of the respondents agreed it was extremely
important for parents to be involved in their children's schools in order to get
a quality education. The poll demonstrated that solid majorities of parents
support federal funding for a wide variety of education initiatives, and this
includes funding designed to increase parent involvement in their children's
schools. In fact, parents rate federal funding for parent involvement programs
even higher in importance than funding for programs currently receiving intense
political attention, such as hiring new teachers and building new schools,
although these concerns ranked high with parents as well.
Over 30 years of
research have also demonstrated the impact parent involvement can have on
student achievement, proving beyond dispute the positive connection between
parent involvement and student success. Effectively engaging parents and
families in the education of their children has the potential to be far more
transformational than any other type of education reform. The most comprehensive
survey of the research is a series of publications developed by Anne Henderson
and Nancy Berla: The Evidence Grows (1981 ); The Evidence Continues to Grow
(1987); and A New Generation of Evidence: The Family Is Critical to Student
Achievement (1995). Citing more than 85 studies, these publications document the
profound and comprehensive benefits for students, families, and schools, when
parents and family members become participants in their children's education and
their lives. Following are a few of the key findings from this research:- When
parents are involved, students achieve more, regardless of socioeconomic status,
ethnic/racial background, or the parents' education level.
- The more
extensive the parent involvement, the higher the student achievement.
- When
parents are involved in their students' education, those students have higher
grades and test scores, better attendance, and complete homework more
consistently.
- When parents are involved, students exhibit more positive
attitudes and behavior.
- Student behaviors, such as alcohol use, violence,
and antisocial behavior decrease as parent involvement increases.
- The
benefits of involving parents are not confined to the early years; there are
significant gains at all ages and grade levels.
- Junior and senior high
school students whose parents remain involved, make better transitions, maintain
the quality of their work, and develop realistic plans for their future.
Students whose parents are not involved, on the other hand, are more likely to
drop out of school.
The evidence is convincing: when parents are involved in
their children's education at home, their children do better in school. When it
comes to parent involvement and its powerful influence, the knowledge base is
broad and clear. The challenge comes in transforming knowledge into practice,
and practice into results.
For National PTA strengthening parent involvement
in education is an organizational priority:
In 1994 National PTA secured
parent involvement as one of the eight National Education Goals: Every school
will promote partnerships that will increase parental involvement and
participation in promoting the social, emotional and academic growth of
children.
Similarly, the National PTA has developed the National Standards
for Parent/Family Involvement Programs to make this task easier. Endorsed by
more than 30 education and parent groups, the National Standards are a resource
to help schools and communities promote quality parent involvement programs.
National PTA also launched a new initiative to increase parent involvement
called "Building Successful Partnerships." Through this project, trained PTA
leaders will conduct workshops at the state and local level that will help
strengthen family, school, and community collaborations.
Most recently,
National PTA helped initiate and develop the Parental Accountability,
Recruitment and Education National Training Act (PARENT Act), S. 1556 in the
Senate and H.R. 2801 in the House. I would like to thank those members of the
committee who are co-sponsors of S. 1556 and urge others to sign-on in support
of this important legislation.
The PARENT Act is a modest proposal that will
help strengthen the involvement of parents in the education of their children by
amending provisions within the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
(ESEA), which is our nation's most comprehensive federal law
affecting elementary and secondary education, containing more than 40 programs.
The PARENT Act would:
- bolster Title I's parent involvement
requirements by strengthening the information and technical assistance provided
to states and schools.
- ensure Title II's professional development
activities include training on how to foster relationships with parents and
encourage parent involvement.
- use technology programs in Title III to
develop and expand efforts to connect schools and teachers with parents to
promote parent involvement.
- increase the role of parents in using Title
IV's drug- and violence- free communities funds.
- require Title VI
innovative education fund applicants to include a description of parent
involvement activities.
- expand Title XIV's general education provisions to
require any state or local education agency seeking ESEA funds
to adopt parent involvement policies.
The PARENT Act is not a one-size fits
all federal program, or a costly mandate that schools must implement. This is a
sensible outline for schools to develop stronger relationships between parents
and educators. When parent involvement is a comprehensive, well-planned
partnership, student achievement will increase.
If a goal of school reform
is to improve education and student achievement in the 21st century then your
leadership is needed to adopt public policies that will help establish and build
strong school, home, and community involvement. As noted before, research shows
that parent involvement matters more to a child's academic performance than
parent income or education.
A recent report by the National Education Goals
Panel commends three states for improving their parent involvement in schools.
California, Colorado, and Indiana have set policies to help school districts
improve outreach to parents, with the of improving academic achievement.
According to the report, while some lawmakers may have been originally hesitant
to approve parent participation provisions, they acknowledge that the laws may
be working by highlighting the problem and sparking remedies.
Unfortunately, the Goals report found some states showed decline in
their parent involvement indicators, so clearly more leadership is needed.
Parent involvement also has a monetary value to schools, which would exceed
the cost needed to implement such programs. In Nevada, as an example, the state
PTA presented a check to their governor for nearly $700,000 calculated from
volunteer hours at the minimum wage. Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland
estimate that in 1998, 48,000 parent volunteers logged in nearly 3 million work
hours. At the minimum salary scale in that school system this equals over $33
million dollars, or the equivalent of 1,384 full-time equivalent staff. This is
not to suggest that parent volunteers are interchangeable with school staff, but
it highlights the work that would go undone or have to be done by other staff if
there were no parent volunteers. Imagine the value to schools if they invest a
small amount to increase parent involvement! When schools recognize the value of
parent involvement, they can look at new ways it can be focused on increasing
student achievement.
Potential Funding Offsets
When the National PTA
advocates for an increased investment in federal funding, we are often asked how
we would pay for the added spending. In general, we do not propose specific
budget cuts or offsets to provide funding for other education programs. On
occasion we have taken positions in support of increased investments that would
be paid for by cuts when the impact is not centered on education or other
children's programs. For example, we would support a tax credit for school
construction that uses revenue from other potential tax cuts to cover the costs.
At other times, we have supported amendments to discretionary appropriations
when the offsets have had no impact on children's programs.
However, we do
not believe we need to identify specific cuts. There are experts, inside and
outside of the Congress and government agencies who can recommend budget changes
to reorder our federal spending priorities in an efficient and productive
manner. In fact, some of those experts have testified here today. The point is
that our leaders need to set national priorities. When the federal government
identifies needs, it finds ways to cover the costs and we can cite a number of
recent examples. When the Congress agrees that helping all children learn is a
in the national interest, lawmakers will find the funds to pay for the programs.
Conclusion
The National PTA believes that public education provides a
common experience for building and maintaining a basic commitment to the values
of a democratic system of government. A strong public education system is vital
to our nation's well-being, and the federal government must be an active
participant in strengthening this system. The Congress and the White House must
work together to strengthen America's system of public education so that
effective schools provide education excellence for all children to achieve high
standards, become responsible citizens, and attain economic self-
sufficiency.Congress must invest significant funds now in addressing the
immediate needs of schools, such as reducing class size, modernizing schools,
and expanding before- and after-school learning opportunities. Congress must
also look to ways schools can be ready for the challenges of the future, and
investing in other ways we have outlined, including in strengthened parent
involvement programs. We commend you for your willingness to consider these
issues at today's hearing.
Federal resources provide the foundation schools
need for improvement. They help expand opportunity for students in schools and
communities with limited resources, and they allow us to do what is needed to
meet national standards, for access, quality, achievement, and parent
involvement, that will make all of America's schools effective. We must invest
in our children if we want them to participate in the competitive global economy
of in the 21" Century. Children are only 25 percent of the present, but 100
percent of the future. America's tomorrow depends on quality public schools
today. We are all stakeholders in public education.
Thank you for this
opportunity to present our views today. I look forward to the National PTA and
your staff working together in the coming year.
END
LOAD-DATE: September 15, 1999
