NSBA's Letter to the House Committee on Education and Labor: July 25, 2007
July 25, 2007
The Honorable George Miller
Chairman, Committee on Education and Labor
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Howard “Buck” McKeon
Rnk. Member, Committee on Education and Labor
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Dale Kildee
Chairman, Subcommittee on Early Childhood,
Elementary and Secondary Education
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Michael Castle
Rnk. Member, Subcommittee on Early Childhood,
Elementary and Secondary Education
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Re: NSBA Recommendations to Conference Committee on Head Start Reauthorization (H.R. 1429 & S. 556)
Dear Chairmen Miller and Kildee, and Ranking Members Castle and McKeon:
On behalf of the 95,000 school board members who serve our nation’s 48 million students in local public school districts, the National School Boards Association (NSBA), would like to express our support for legislation to reauthorize the federal Head Start program and offer our recommendations for conference.
As you may know, approximately 17 percent of Head Start grantees are school districts and all have a vested interest in the quality outcome of the program. Local school boards believe this reauthorization offers an important opportunity to update the program to incorporate new research regarding children’s cognitive development and to ensure that they are school ready. NSBA is pleased that both the House- and Senate-passed bills move in this direction. Now, as you begin the work of reconciling these two bills, NSBA urges you to consider the following specific recommendations:
Education Performance Standards
NSBA is pleased that both the House and Senate bills would strengthen the educational component of Head Start by updating program quality standards to include pre-reading, math, language, science, and other cognitive abilities that are reflective of the latest science in child development. As you know, developing these skills early in a child’s life can help to reduce the achievement gaps that exist among children prior to entering school and are imperative to their future academic success. NSBA agrees that such standards should be scientifically-based and developmentally appropriate. In setting these standards, NSBA encourages the committee to also take into consideration how they align with the larger system of K-12 state academic standards so as to ensure that they are well-articulated with what children will be expected to know when they enter school.
Accountability
NSBA appreciates language in both bills that would increase accountability among Head Start grantees by allowing for an open competition of funds in instances where grantees have been designated as low-performing. NSBA believes that the re-competition of funds will help to improve the overall performance of grantees and ensure that only well-qualified providers participate in the program.
NSBA supports the creation of an application review system (as outlined in the House bill) to be used when making decisions regarding high quality providers. NSBA strongly suggests that this review system include an evaluation component by the local school district(s) to help in determining the quality of the provider. Schools are in a unique position to assess the effectiveness of providers since they are the recipients of the children who have attended these programs.
Furthermore, NSBA agrees with both the House and Senate that young children should not be subject to high stakes testing and supports the termination of the National Reporting System.
Coordination with pre-K-12
Local school boards are pleased that both bills require Head Start grantees to coordinate additional aspects of their programs with local education agencies, including the continuity of curriculum, program participation, and parent outreach activities. NSBA believes this sharing of information will help to foster smoother transitions for children between programs and to ensure more efficient and effective delivery of services in their communities.
NSBA is specifically supportive of language in H.R. 1429, which allows local school districts responsible for operating publicly funded pre-K programs to play a greater role in the operation of Head Start programs through memorandum of understanding (MOU) agreements that encourage stronger partnerships between the two entities. Such collaboration is essential to ensure that Head Start programs are well articulated with other publicly funded preschool efforts as well as kindergarten and early elementary school programs in their communities.
NSBA believes that the formalization of these agreements through the MOU process is an important step to ensuring that meaningful coordination takes place. NSBA cautions the committee, however, against establishing too rigid a system of MOU participation given the variety of district governance structures within states and the disparities that exist between district boundaries and Head Start service areas. For example, in Oklahoma, a state which operates a statewide pre-K program throughout more than 450 school districts, there are only 20 Head Start grantees and another 13 American Indian Head Start grantees. As a result, the MOU process must be flexible and adaptable enough to accommodate the range of players and demographic differences.
Eligibility
School boards support additional flexibility for grantees to increase participant eligibility from 100 percent to 130 percent of poverty to reflect the varying needs of disadvantaged children and families in their districts. NSBA encourages conferees to adopt the language in S. 556, which provides grantees with the most flexibility and least amount of red tape to expand program eligibility to needy children in their areas.
Funding
The increased funding authorization level for FY’08 in both bills is a step in the right direction to providing Head Start services to children. However, NSBA is reminded that even with significant increases in program funding, Head Start is expected to serve only approximately 50 percent of those eligible. Given the critical role that preschool education programs play in setting a positive trajectory for student success, conferees should adopt the strongest possible language for increasing the federal investment in this program over time. It is our hope that Congress will appropriate the funds necessary to meet these specific levels so that more children will benefit from the highest quality program and have a meaningful opportunity to begin school ready to learn.
Teacher Quality
NSBA is encouraged by language in both bills that would set goals to improve teacher and staff qualifications over time. NSBA encourages conferees to enhance, under state leadership, the pre-school teaching skills, credentials, and professional development opportunities of Head Start workers. School boards recognize, however, that this is an expensive proposition and call upon the federal government to ensure adequate federal resources to support these efforts.
On behalf of local school board members across the country, NSBA thanks you for your leadership on this important legislation. We look forward to continuing to work with you to improve and expand quality early education programs in your states and districts. If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact Chrisanne Gayl, Director of Federal Programs, at 703-838-6763; or by e-mail at cgayl@nsba.org.
Sincerely,
Michael A. Resnick
Associate Executive Director