U.S. Federal Education andLanguage Policy Update

John Segota, CAEAssociate Executive Director for Public Policy & Professional Relations

2016 TESOL International Convention

Overview

• 114th Congress• Obama Administration• Education Policy

– Federal Budget– ESEA– WIA– Immigration

114th Congress

House of Representatives

– 247 Republicans– 188 Democrats

Senate– 54 Republicans– 44 Democrats– 2 Independents

House of Representatives

• Leadership– Speaker of the House – Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)

• Education and Workforce– Chairman – Rep. John Kline (R-MN)

U.S. Senate

• Leadership– Majority Leader – Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

• HELP Committee– Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN)

U.S. Department of Education

• John B. King, Jr. – Secretary of Education

• Johan Uvin – Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Voc. & Adult Ed.

• Libia Gil – Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director, OELA

Federal Budget Process

Budget Proposal

February

Budget Resolution

17 Appropriations Bills(Labor-HHS-Education)

President’sSignature

By September 30

President’s FY2017 ED Budget Proposal

Provides $69.4 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Education in 2017, an increase of $1.3 billion, or 2 percent, over 2016

Proposes $139.7 billion in new mandatory spending and reforms over the next decade

Three core themes:

1. Increasing equity and excellence2. Supporting teachers and school leaders 3. Improving access, affordability, and completion in

higher education

FY2017 ED Budget Proposal

Title I: $15.4 billion to help schools, districts, and States meet the challenge of reaching high standards for disadvantaged students.

Pre-K: $1.3 billion in FY17 and $75 billion over the next decade for the Pre-School for All proposal

RESPECT: $1 billion in mandatory spending, and $2.8 discretionary funding to support teachers and school leaders

Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program: $250 million

Teacher and Principal Pathways Program: $125 million

America’s College Promise: $60.8 mandatory spending over the next 10 years to support two free years of community college

OCR: $138 million, an increase of $31 million from FY2016

FY2017 ED Budget Proposal

FY2016 FY2017 Budget Request

Title I - ESSA $14.9 billion $15.4 billion

Title III -ESSA

$737 million $800 million

Title II - WIOA $596 million $607 million

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

• Reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)

• Replaces the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB)

• Signed into lawDecember 2015

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

• Accountability for ELLs moved to state plans under Title I

• Common statewide entrance and exit procedures for ELLs

• Identification languages other than English that are present to a significant extent

• New reporting requirements– Long-term ELLs

– ELLs with disabilities

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

Legislation Regulation

Rulemaking

OCR/DOJ Dear Colleague Letter

• Issued January 7, 2015• Single guidance document that addresses

array of federal laws governing schools’ obligations to ELs

• Distributed to states• Available online at

http://1.usa.gov/1Dl9Wt0

OCR/DOJ Dear Colleague Letter

• Explains schools' obligations to:– identify English learner students in a timely, valid and reliable manner;– provide qualified staff and sufficient resources for instructing English learner

students;– ensure English learner students have equitable access to school programs

and activities;– avoid unnecessary segregation of English learner students from other

students;– monitor students' progress in learning English and doing grade-level

classwork;– evaluate the effectiveness of English learner programs; and– provide limited English proficient parents with information about school

programs, services, and activities in a language they understand.

OELA EL Toolkit

• Ten chapter toolkit to be read in conjunction with Dear Colleague Letter

• Contains overview, sample tools, and resources• Chapters include:

– Staffing and Support

– Creating an Inclusive Environment

– Ensuring Meaningful Communication with EL Parents

• Available online at http://1.usa.gov/1exU0tO

Supporting Undocumented Youth

• Resources aimed at high school and college students and includes:– An overview of the rights of undocumented students;– Tips for educators on how to support undocumented youth in high school

and college;– Key information on non-citizen access to federal financial aid;– A list of private scholarships for which undocumented youth might be

eligible;– Information on federally-funded adult education programs at the local level;

• Available online athttp://1.usa.gov/1XGgw59

Adult Education

• Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)– Signed into law July 22, 2014

– Reauthorizes and replaces the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA)

• Amends the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (Title II)

– Effective date of implementation July 1, 2015

– State plans and accountabilityprovisions take effectJuly 1, 2016

DACA and DAPA

• Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA)• Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA)• United States v. Texas

– Amicus Brief

Immigration Reform

• White House Task Force on New Americans

• Federal Strategic Plan available at

http://1.usa.gov/1P2nGPw

2016 TESOL Advocacy & Policy Summit

19-21 June 2016

• Policy Updates• Advocacy Training• Congressional Visits

Embassy SuitesAlexandria, VA

http://www.tesol.org/AdvocacySummit

TESOL International Associationhttp://www.tesol.org

E-mail: jsegota@tesol.orgTwitter: @JohnSegota

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