|
Elementary
and Secondary Education Act
 Background
The Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, a law that affects nearly every school
district in the
nation, will expire on September 30, 1999.
ESEA was last reauthorized in
1994 in the Improving America's Schools Act (IASA), and the law is
sometimes referred to by this name.
Beginning
this year, Congress will review the more than 40 programs within
this comprehensive, $12 billion law and debate
proposals that could dramatically change the way these programs
operate. Attempts to weaken ESEA could include the consolidation of
programs into block grants or creation of vouchers in ESEA programs.
Currently,
ESEA programs supplement state and local efforts to provide
educational opportunities to all children and are targeted to
address specific national concerns. Parent involvement is a major
component of Title I, which is the largest of the ESEA programs.
Following is a partial list of the programs contained in ESEA, which
demonstrates the broad range of critical support the programs
provide to schools and students across the nation:
-
Title I provides supplemental
assistance to improve the educational attainment of low-achieving
children
-
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Professional Education Program provides professional development
opportunities for teachers and school staff
-
Bilingual Education Act helps
students acquire the language skills needed for educational
success
-
Impact Aid compensates school
districts for loss of local tax revenue caused by federal
activity, such as the presence of military bases or other
government property
-
Educational technology
programs provide resources to schools and students to acquire and
use high technology tools that enhance learning and maximize
academic achievement
-
21st Century Community
Learning Centers support school-based before- and after-school
enrichment and care programs
-
Safe and Drug-Free Schools and
Communities programs fund vital substance abuse and violence
prevention programs in schools
-
School Facilities
Infrastructure Improvement Act could help schools fund school
repairs, construction, and modernization projects
-
The Reading Excellence Act
funds programs to help children learn to read well by the time
they complete the 3rd grade
-
Programs that support state
and local comprehensive school reform projects
-
Class Size Reduction Act
provides a one-year allocation of funds to states, specifically
for hiring or training new teachers to reduce class size in grades
1-3
The 1994
reauthorization of ESEA made a number of changes in the programs to
focus on school reform and innovation needed to improve learning.
For example:
-
States and school districts
were given more flexibility in attaining education goals and
implementing reforms.
-
Title I program requirements
became focused on improving the whole school to raise the quality
of teaching and learning for all children.
-
Parent involvement provisions
were strengthened by requiring home-school compacts that outline
the responsibilities of schools and parents in helping children
succeed, and there is a greater focus on obtaining parent input
and disseminating information to parents about school programs and
policies.
-
Professional development,
especially in schools identified as needing improvement, was
stressed.
-
Academic expectations were
raised with the requirement that all students were to be assessed
with the same instruments and expected to meet the same academic
standards.
-
States were required to
develop content standards that specify what children are expected
to know and be able to do and performance standards that define
how children demonstrate their proficiency in the knowledge and
skills specified in the content standards.
National PTA Positions
Overall,
National PTA strongly supports the reforms and innovations that were
made in the 1994 reauthorization, and we believe many of the changes
still need time to be fully implemented. In the new reauthorization,
our focus will be to secure stronger and more effective provisions
in the law that ensure parent involvement in the planning,
development, implementation, and evaluation of programs; equity in
meeting children's special educational needs; and an increase in
schools' capacity to provide the comprehensive services
children need and a learning environment that improves student
achievement. We also support the parent involvement provisions in
Title I and believe that positive effects are apparent in schools
where comprehensive parent involvement programs are in place.
National PTA believes the parent involvement requirements in Title I
should be applied to other federal education programs.
Other Voices on ESEA
"How will we know
that our Compact is working?
-
Discussions held during
regularly scheduled School-Parent Compact Meetings
-
Attendance logs from
Parent-Teacher Conferences, School-Parent Compact Meetings,
informational meetings, family library nights, and volunteer
sign-in forms.
-
Student, staff, and parent
responses from evaluations."
—from a school-parent compact
"ESEA
programs now promote the alignment of all education
components-curriculum and instruction, professional development,
school leadership, accountability, and school improvement-so that
every aspect of the education system works together to ensure that
all children can attain challenging standards."
—The Improving America's Schools Act
of 1994
U.S. Department of
Education
"The secret
to success is doing things schoolwide [because] you will never
change with just one teacher doing things….You need the entire
school and parents together….You need to learn what works and what
doesn't."
—Principal, Snively Elementary School
Implementing Schoolwide Projects: An Idea Book
U.S. Department of Education
"If we are
to demand high standards of our students then it is essential that
we give teachers and administrators the necessary tools to implement
those standards. Title II [professional development] recognizes the
worth of our school professionals and provides the necessary fiscal
support to implement these policies."
—Sen. James Jeffords (R-VT), July 27, 1994
Contact—Carolyn Henrich
February 1999
| 
