• Democrats Gain Control of House and Senate in Election Day Sweep; CEC Ready to Collaborate with New Congressional Leadership on Education Legislation
• Department of ED Approves Three Additional States for Growth Model Pilot
• What’s the Big IDEA? Understanding IDEA 2004 Regulations: CEC Workshops

Democrats Gain Control of House and Senate in Election Day Sweep; CEC Ready to Collaborate with New Congressional Leadership on Education Legislation

On November 7, Americans voted to oust Republicans from both the House of Representatives and Senate, leaving Democrats in control of both branches of Congress for the first time in over a decade. While the new leadership does not guarantee gains for education - particularly in the area of funding which has diminished in recent years - it does provide a new opportunity for CEC to present its legislative agenda to a new set of leaders on Capitol Hill.

The shift in power in the House and the Senate means Democrats will steer the Congressional legislative agenda and hold top positions on committees. Senator Kennedy (D-MA) and Representative George Miller (D-CA) are expected to become the Chairmen of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, Pensions Committee and House Education and the Workforce Committee, respectively. CEC has enjoyed a good working relationship with both members of Congress, both of whom had members of their staff address CEC’s Children and Youth Action Network Coordinators earlier this year. CEC looks forward to working to advance legislation that benefits students with disabilities and/or gifts and talents as well as the educators who work on their behalf. Specifically, CEC looks forward to working with the 110th Congress on issues such as education funding, Javits program for gifted education and Medicaid .

In his acceptance speech, Senator Kennedy pledged to fight for education and ensure that schools serve all students well. Senator Kennedy has been a long-time supporter of full funding for IDEA and an advocate for students with disabilities.

Similarly, Congressman Miller announced his bid to become the Chairman of the Education and the Workforce Committee and stated, “We will work to ensure not only that the economy grows but that all families benefit from it. We will invest in our schools, colleges, and students so that every child has an opportunity to succeed and so that America maintains its economic leadership in the world.”

Democrats far exceeded the gains needed to take control of the House by gaining 28 new seats, beyond the 15 that were required to hold a majority. Eleven House races still remain undecided. Similarly, in the Senate, Democrats gained six new seats (including two Independents who have stated they will caucus with the Democrats), the number needed to take control of the Senate. New Senators have been elected in Vermont, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Tennessee, Missouri, Virginia, and Montana. CEC encourages its members to get to know their new members of Congress and strengthen relationships with existing elected officials.

While CEC looks forward to working to advance legislation for students with disabilities and/or gifts and talents with new members of Congress, CEC would like to recognize outgoing Senator Chaffee (R-RI) and outgoing Representative Bass (R-NH) who have been supportive of special and gifted education consistently over the years. As the new 110th Congress prepares to convene in January, CEC encourages its members to develop or enhance relationships with their elected officials. CEC looks forward to advancing a pro-education legislative agenda with a focus on special and gifted education to support both students and educators.

Department of ED Approves Three Additional States for Growth Model Pilot

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Education approved three additional states -- Delaware, Arkansas, Florida -- to participate in the growth model pilot program. This program seeks to track the performance of individual students over time to determine progress made to meet adequate yearly progress (AYP) under No Child Left Behind (NCLB), rather than taking a snapshot of a student’s performance at one given time. To be approved for the pilot program, states must submit detailed plans to the Department of Education on assessment systems that will be used to measure student progress.

The Department plans to approve no more than 10 states for this pilot program. Having already approved North Carolina and Tennessee -- in addition to Delaware, Arkansas, and Florida -- five slots still remain available for interested states. CEC supports a growth model approach to assessing a student’s performance for means of meeting AYP. Read CEC’s policy on Assessment and Accountability

What’s the Big IDEA? Understanding IDEA 2004 Regulations: CEC Workshops

The IDEA 2004 Regulations are out – all 300 pages! But rather than you sifting through this mountain of paper – The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) has done the work for you and are bringing the knowledge right to your backyard! The calendar is set to visit 5 more US cities to share with you Understanding IDEA 2004 Regulations Workshops. These one-day workshops will break down the formidable regulations into easily digestible information by three of CEC’s policy experts. Check out the complete list of scheduled stops and make sure not to miss us when we arrive in your area! Space is limited so register now!

More information.