Monthly Archives: January 2012

Committees Continue to Work to Move Bills

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Policy committees in both the House and Senate continued their work to move bills forward in the process. Today marks the last day for House policy bills to move out of committee followed by a February 3 deadline in the Senate.

This morning kicked-off with dualing committees in the House. The House Capital Budget Committee held a public hearing on legislation that would provide increased flexibility around minor works and predesign requirements for institutions of higher education. The Council of Presidents, which represents the six public baccalaureate institutions in Washington, testified in support of the bill. The Committee followed the public hearing with an executive session in which the bill was passed by the committee and moved forward in the process.

At the same time the House Education Appropriations & Oversight Committee held a public hearing on legislation that requires a model policy for open licensing of courseware developed with state funds at higher education institutions.  Higher education institutions, students, faculty, and others, while supportive of the intent of the legislation, expressed concerns about the scope of the legislation, the impact on innovation, and lack of resources -both fiscal and personnel – to undertake this initiative. In addition representatives from higher education testified to the work already being done at institutions to provide for low-cost textbook options for students and highlighted other successful programs across the nation that might serve as models for the development of such an effort in Washington.

In the Senate, the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development held a marathon public hearing on legislation ranging from developing an open courseware policy at insitutions of higher education to creating a database of services provided to students with disabilities at institutions of higher education to putting into law that athletics not receive any state funding at WSU and UW.

Details Emerge About Obama’s Blueprint for Higher Education

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Late last week, several days after President Obama announced new proposed federal policies focused on the availability of affordable quality higher education, details  emerged about how the Obama Administration would go about achieving this goal.

In his State of the Union address, President Obama called for a comprehensive approach to tackling rising college costs. In a speech at the University of Michigan President Obama provided additional details about the framework by which he will work with Congress to establish a set of policies focused on increasing post-secondary education opportunities in the U.S.

The proposal put forth by the President would include several components.

  • Reform student aid to promote affordability and value: To keep tuition from spiraling too high and drive greater value, the President will propose reforms to federal campus-based air programs to shift aid away from colleges that fail to keep net tuition down, and toward those colleges and universities that do their fair share to keep tuition affordable, provide good value, and serve needy students well. These changes in federal aid to campuses will leverage $10 billion annually to keep tuition down. The President’s plan calls for shared responsibility between the federal government, states, and institutions of higher education to tackle rising college costs by  improving the distribution of federal financial aid and increase campus-based aid. This reform will reward colleges that are succeeding in meeting the following principles:
      • Setting responsible tuition policy, offering relatively lower net tuition prices and/or restraining tuition growth.
      • Providing good value to students and families, offering quality education and training that prepares graduates to obtain employment and repay their loans.
      • Serving low-income students, enrolling and graduating relatively higher numbers of Pell-eligible students.

In his proposal the President is proposing to change how funds for the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOGs), Perkins Loans, and Work Study are distributed by implementing an improved formula that shifts aid from schools with rising tuition to those acting responsibly, focused on setting responsible tuition policy, providing good value in education, and ensuring that higher numbers of low-income students complete their education. He is also proposing to increase the amount of campus-based aid to $10 billion annually. The increase is primarily driven by an expansion of loans in the federal Perkins program – which comes at no additional taxpayer cost.

Under his plan colleges that can show that they are providing students with good long-term value will be rewarded with additional dollars to help students attend. Those that show poor value, or who don’t act responsibly in setting tuition, will receive less federal campus-based aid.  Students will receive the greatest government grant and loan support at colleges where they are likely to be best served, and little or no campus aid will flow to colleges that fail to meet affordability and value standards.

 

  • Create a Race to the Top for college affordability and completion: The president will create incentives for states and colleges to keep costs under control through a $1billion investment in a new challenge to states to spur higher education reform focused on affordability and improved outcomes across state colleges and universities. The Race to the Top: College Affordability and Completion will reward states who are willing to drive systemic change in their higher education policies and practices, while doing more to contain their tuition and make it easier for students to earn a college degree.The President is proposing a program that would spur systemic state reforms to reduce costs for students and promote success in our higher education system at public colleges. This $1 billion investment would incentivize states to: (1) Revamp the structure of state financing for higher education; (2) Align entry and exit standards with K-12 education and colleges to facilitate on-time completion; and (3) Maintain adequate levels of funding for higher education in order to address important long-term causes of cost growth at the public institutions that serve two-thirds of four-year college students. The intention is that the Race to the Top for College Affordability and Completion would incentivize governors and state legislatures around the nation to act on spurring this innovative reform. Through cost-saving measures like redesigning courses and making better use of education technology, institutions can keep costs down to provide greater affordability for students.

 

  • A first in the World competition to model innovation and quality on college campuses: The president will invest $55 million in a new First in the World competition, to support the public and private colleges and non-profit organizations as they work to develop and test the next breakthrough strategy that will boost higher education attainment and student outcomes. The new program will also help scale-up those innovative and effective practices that have been proven to boost productivity and enhance teaching and learning on college campuses.  This initiative would provide modest start-up funding for individual colleges, including private colleges, for projects that could lead to longer-term and larger productivity improvements among colleges and universities – such as course redesign through the improved use of technology, early college preparation activities to lessen the need for remediation, competency-based approaches to gaining college credit, and other ideas aimed at spurring changes in the culture of higher education.

 

  • Better data for families choose the right college for them: The president will call for a College Scorecard for all degree-granting institutions, designed to provide the essential information about college costs, graduation rates, and potential earnings, all in an easy-to-read format that will help students and families choose a college that is well suited to their needs, priced affordably and consistent with their career and educational goals. The Administration will create a College Scorecard for all degree-granting institutions making it easier for students and families to choose a college that is best suited to their needs, priced affordably, and consistent with their career and educational goals.  The administration will also make an updated version of the ‘Financial Aid Shopping Sheet,’ announced in October, a required template for all colleges, rather than a voluntary tool, to make it easier for families to compare college financial aid packages. Finally, the President is also proposing to begin collecting earnings and employment information for colleges, so that students can have an even better sense of the post post-graduation outcomes they can expect.

 

  • Federal Support to Tackle College Costs In his State of the Union, President Obama called on Congress to: (1) Keep student loan interest rates low. This summer, the interest rates on subsidized Stafford student loans are set to double from 3.4% to 6.8% – a significant burden at a time when the economy is still fragile and students are taking on increasing amounts of debt to earn a degree. The President is asking Congress to prevent that hike from taking place for a year to keep student debt down, a proposal that will keep interest rates low for 7.4 million student loan borrowers and save the average student over a thousand dollars; (2) Double the number of work-study jobs available:  The President also proposes to double the number of career-related work-study opportunities so that students are able to gain valuable work-related experience while in school; and (3) Maintain our commitment to college affordability: Over 9 million students and families per year take advantage of the Obama Administration’s American Opportunity Tax Credit – supporting up to $10,000 over four years of college.  In his State of the Union address, the President called on Congress to make this tax credit permanent and prevent it from expiring in 2012.

Though many within higher education support the President’s intentions to provide access to an affordable quality education, many are concerned that the lack of recognition regarding the dramatic decline in funding at the state and local levels and the need for flexibility to manage these unprecedented time within the President’s framework may lead to greater harm than good.

House Higher Education Committee Holds Last Meeting As Deadlines Pass

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This afternoon the House Higher Education Committee held its last session prior to the first deadlines of the supplemental session. Tomorrow, January 31, marks the deadline for all House policy bills to have moved from committee to either the floor of their respective chambers or to an appropriation committee.

The Committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2717. The bill focuses on innovation at Washington’s higher education institutions. The bill encourages the public baccalaureate institutions to design innovative approaches to increase the number of resident students gaining baccalaureate degrees or further updating their academic credentials with a focus on high-growth sectors of the economy. In addition, the bill encourages the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) to charter a consortium of volunteer community and technical colleges to design innovative approaches to rapidly and substantially increase the cost-effective delivery of developmental and remedial education, and test these innovations in pilot projects where possible.

The public baccalaureate institutions testified in support of the intention of the bill and shared the innovative activities going on at all of the campuses of the bill but expressed concerns about additional reporting requirements and the lack of state resources for higher education.

The Committee followed the public hearing with an executive session in which three bills were moved forward in the process. Among the bills moved along was House Bill 2717 heard earlier in the day, legislation to enable the opportunity for early registration for veterans, and a bill that would establish a new state higher education entity.

2012 Supplemental Session: Week 4

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Week Four of the 2012 Supplemental Session begins with the passage of the first deadlines of the session.

Tomorrow, January 31 all policy bills that originated in the House must pass out of their respective committees and move to either the floor or an appropriation committee to be considered still active this session. The primary exemption from this being any legislation that is deemed “NTIB” or “Necessary to Implement the Budget”. All Senate policy bills must move from committee by Friday, February 3.

With the deadlines looming in both chambers the higher education policy committees have been full of activity to move bills forward in the process before attention turn towards the appropriation committees and then the Senate and House floors.

This week the focus of the higher education related committees (i.e. House Higher Education and  Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development) will be to move bills forward to the floor or to an appropriation committee.

In the meantime, the appropriations committees (i.e. Senate Ways & Means ,  House Ways & Means, House Education Appropriations) will begin to take up the policy bills referred to committee in order to determine what bills will move forward to the floor by the next deadline – February 7 which marks the date by which bills must move from their respective appropriation committee and to either the Senate or House floor.

Third Week Ends in Olympia

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As the third week of the 2012 supplemental session ends, the Legislature faces the end of initial policy committee work and will switch gears to focus on moving bills through appropriation committees and their respective floors.

The House Higher Education Committee moved several pieces of legislation during its second to last meeting prior to the deadline for policy committees on January 31. Among the bills the Committee took action on include legislation to require public comment opportunities at board meetings of the institutions of higher education, provide regulatory relief to institutions of higher education, and reinforce the role of students around the student and activities fees.

The Senate Early Learning & K12 Education Committee held a public hearing on legislation, which Evergreen testified in support, to establish a task force focused on increasing collaboration among K-12 and higher education for students with disabilities.

Finally the House Labor and Workforce Development Committee met this morning and took action on two bills that would impact institutions of higher education. House Bill 2071 focuses on raising awareness about the opportunity for  multiple career pathways to marketable job skills and productive careers and promoting these opportunities.

In addition the Committee took up legislation focused on investing in higher education. The legislation requires that, in each fiscal year in which state revenues exceed the prior fiscal year’s revenues for the general fund, certain amounts of increased revenue be appropriated for public schools and higher education, and be appropriated or transferred to the new dedicated account. The bill would provide funding for institutions of higher education based on improvements in such areas as graduation and retention.

Obama Focuses on Higher Education in State of the Union

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Last night President Obama delivered his 2012 State of the Union address to Congress and the Country.

In his speech, the President emphasized college affordability and job-training as a central tenant in his plan to improve the economy, proposing that Congress penalize institutions for increasing tuition rates, stop student loan interest rates from doubling in July 2012 and extend education tax cuts.

The Presidents comments on higher education derive from the release of the President’s  “Blueprint for an America Built to Last“.

Obama states in the Blueprint that  “College costs are escalating at an unsustainable pace. Even after adjusting for inflationaverage published cost of tuition and fees at a four-year public university has increased by 136% in the last 20 years. This Administration has made college more affordable by continuing to increase the maximum Pell Grant award by more than $800 and creating the American Opportunity Tax Credit worth up to $10,000 over four years of college.”

To keep college affordable, Obama called on Congress to do the following:   

  • Keep tuition from spiraling too high: The President is proposing to shift some Federal aid away from colleges that don’t keep net tuition down and provide good value
  • Preventing student loan interest rates from doubling: The President called on Congress to stop the interest rate on subsidized Stafford student loans from doubling on July 1 of this year, so young people don’t have as much debt to repay.
  • Doubling the number of work-study jobs: The President wants to reward students who are willing to work hard by doubling over five years the number of work-study jobs for college students who agree to work their way through school.
  • Permanently extending tuition tax breaks that provide up to $10,000 for four years of college: The President is proposing to make the American Opportunity Tax Credit permanent, maintaining a tax cut that provides up to $10,000 for tuition over four years of college.

In addition, Obama’s Blueprint calls for a new competitive program that will challenge states and districts to work with their teachers and unions to comprehensively reform the teaching profession by:

  • Reforming colleges of education and making these schools more selective;
  • Creating new career ladders for teachers to become more effective, and ensuring that earnings are tied more closely to performance;
  • Establishing more leadership roles and responsibilities for teachers in running schools; improving professional development and time for collaboration among teachers; and providing greater individual and collective autonomy in the classroom in exchange for greater accountability;
  • Creating evaluation systems based on multiple measures, rather than just test scores;
  • Re-shaping tenure to raise the bar, protect good teachers, and promote accountability.

Higher Education Committees Move Bills Forward

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This week the Legislature is running at full force. After losing nearly half a week of business due to the weather the House and Senate are busy moving bills forward in the process as the first legislative deadlines approach next week.

Earlier this week the House and Senate Higher Education Committees held public hearings that included several bills, such as legislation to establish a new state level higher education entity and legislation focused on academic advising, that were heard last week to ensure that all stakeholders have a voice in the dialogue.

On Monday the House Higher Education Committee held a public hearing on legislation that would provide veterans at higher education institutions with priority registration. The Council of Presidents testified in support of the intention of the legislation to best serve veterans who attend higher education institutions in Washington and is working with the sponsor of the legislation (HB 2503) to provide for some changes to ensure equity for students and provide that students are not negatively impacted in efforts to graduate on time.

Today the House Higher Education Committee took up a wide variety of bills ranging from legislation to increase the inclusion of students in institutional decision-making to a bill that would provide greater regulatory flexibility for institutions of higher education in Washington.

In the Senate yesterday the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee met to hear several bills. Among the bills the Committee took up included legisaltion to establish a new state entity for higher education and a bill that would provide greater regulatory flexibility for institutions of higher education.

This afternoon the Senate Higher Education Committee will continue its work. The Committee will hold a public hearing on legislation that assists youth and alumni of foster care to move successfully through K-12 and higher education, incorporates students into institutional decisionmaking processes, and would eliminate the Washington Workforce Training and Education Board.

2012 Supplemental Session: Week 3

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The weather wreaked havoc on much of last week’s work at the Legislature. Though some committees met up to the bitter end, many were cancelled and will likely reschedule bills for this week.

The House must pass out all policy bills by January 31 and the Senate must move all policy bills no later than February 3.

The House Higher Education Committee took up several bills last week ranging from student advising to establishing a new state-level entity to coordinate education in Washington. The Senate took up similar legislation focusing both on a new entity as well as providing financial literacy to students who receive state financial aid.

This coming week committees, especially policy committees, will be moving several bills as deadlines loom in Week 4.

This week the focus of the appropriations committees (i.e. Senate Ways & Means ,  House Ways & Means, House Education Appropriations) will be to review the Governor’s 2012 supplemental capital budget and to consider several bills that would restructure aspects of the current budget process.

In addition, the higher education related committees (i.e. House Higher Education and  Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development) will continue to hold public hearings on several pieces of legislation introduced this session ranging from open courseware to student involvement on campus.

2012 Supplemental Session: Week 2

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Today marks the second week of a sixty day supplemental legislative session.

While committees continue to hold work sessions on various topics, the focus is changing to legislation and the process of hearing and moving bills forward. To learn more follow the links below.

This week the focus of the appropriations committees (i.e. Senate Ways & Means ,  House Ways & Means, House Education Appropriations) will be to review the Governor’s 2012 supplemental capital budget and to learn more, via work sessions, about the new proposed state-entity for coordinating higher education, financial aid, and the accountability and tuition rates at the public, baccalaureate institutions.

In addition, the higher education related committees (i.e. House Higher Education and  Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development) will begin to hear several pieces of legislation introduced this session ranging from a student academic portal to academic advising to three-year baccalaureate programs.

Governor Gregoire Addresses the State

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This morning Governor Gregoire delivered her annual State of the State address before the 63rd meeting of the Washington State Legislature.

“Each time Washington survived an economic crisis and rebuilt its future, it has not been about political party,” Gregoire said. “It has been about the future of Washington state. And now it’s time for us. This is our time, our time to build a better future for our children and grandchildren.”

In addition to addressing the state’s budget shortfall, Gregoire called on the Legislature to ask voters to approve a temporary, half-cent sales tax increase, enact a series of reforms to improve Washington’s education system, move forward with a major jobs and transportation package and pass legislation to ensure marriage equality.