Copyright 1999 Federal Document Clearing House, Inc.
Federal Document Clearing House Congressional Testimony
September 14, 1999
SECTION: CAPITOL HILL HEARING TESTIMONY
LENGTH: 4883 words
HEADLINE:
TESTIMONY September 14, 1999 GINNY MARKELL PRESIDENT NATIONAL PTA
SENATE HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR & PENSIONS SCHOOL FUNDING
POSSIBILITIES
BODY:
TESTIMONY OF THE NATIONAL PTA
ON EDUCATIONAL READINESS IN THE 21ST CENTURY SUBMITTED TO THE COMMITTEE ON
HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR, AND PENSIONS UNITED STATES SENATE GINNY MARKELL
NATIONAL PTA PRESIDENT SEPTEMBER 14,1999 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 21 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 t ' o 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 1, 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 are challenged to excel, and 21st 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 21st 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
hiding 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 21st
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 1, 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 $1 0 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 1 00 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 the1998 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 (1 981); The Evidence Continues to Grow (1
987); and A New Generation of Evidence: The Family Is Critical to Student
Achievement (1 995). 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
socio- economic 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, wide 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 intent
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 scho6ls
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 21st 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.
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