Oral Testimony

 

Presented by

Steve Fleischman

Vice President, Education and Human Development, American Institutes for Research

 

Representing 

National Education Knowledge Industry Association (NEKIA)

1718 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 700  Washington, DC  20009  www.nekia.org

 

To

The Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,

Education, and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations

U.S. House of Representatives

March 28, 2007

2:00 PM

 

Good afternoon.  I am Steve Fleischman, Vice President, Education and Human Development at American Institutes for Research (AIR) in Washington, DC.  For more than 60 years AIR, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan social science research firms, has established a track record of providing the highest quality research and evidence-based technical assistance to support sustained school improvement.  

 

It is my pleasure and honor to present this testimony on behalf of the National Education Knowledge Industry Association (known as NEKIA), of which AIR is an active member. As a member of NEKIA’s Executive Committee, I would like you to know that my remarks represent the views of NEKIA’s leadership and Board of Directors.  We appreciate this opportunity to present to the Subcommittee our recommendations for FY 2008 funding for a number of programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education.   

 

NEKIA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan trade association dedicated to expanding the use of research-based knowledge in policy and practice in K-12 education.  We firmly believe that the effective use of research-based knowledge can significantly enhance and accelerate the nationwide efforts to improve academic performance and close achievement gaps in K-12 education.  

 

This testimony is offered at critical juncture in the evolution of education reform in this country.  As a nation, we have made a firm commitment to provide a world class education to every student that attends our schools. NEKIA believes that to reach this worthy goal we must intensify the focus on creating, translating, and applying research-based knowledge that helps turnaround  low-performing schools. We urge you to consider these three important facts regarding federal support for school improvement:

 

First, the number of schools in need of improvement under NCLB will escalate dramatically in the next several years — In 2005, more than 24,000 U.S. public schools were not making adequate yearly progress, and over 10,000 schools were designated as in need of improvement under the NCLB. Many more schools are likely to be identified in the future for their low performance. To fulfill the promise of NCLB, much greater attention needs to be directed to meeting the demand these schools have for research-based support and solutions.

 

Second, the existing school improvement system nationwide does not have the capacity to keep up with the exploding demand for knowledge-based solutions — A 2006 report by the nonpartisan Center on Education Policy (CEP) found that there is a growing capacity crisis at the state and local levels to support schools in need of improvement.  We agree with CEP’s assessment that “…the [U.S.] Department [of Education] and the Congress should (provide) more funding and … other types of support to help strengthen states’ and districts’ capacity to assist schools identified for improvement.  Many states and districts lack sufficient funds, staff, or expertise to help improve all identified schools…” 

 

Third, federal investment in education R&D is inadequate to meet current and future needs — NCLB requires educators to use instructional practices and innovations supported by research, but the Department of Education spends less than one percent of its budget on research, development and statistics, the smallest of any cabinet level agency.  This low level of investment means that schools and students will not gain the benefits that would be provided by an increased investment in developing, testing, and putting in place research-based practices.

 

Simply put we have a long way to go in fulfilling the promise of NCLB. And, we won’t get there without the types of investments that NEKIA has advocated in its written testimony.

 

NEKIA’s appropriations proposal for FY 2008 calls for greater federal investments in research-based school improvement programs that help states and districts respond to the rapidly increasing needs of low-performing schools.  We urge a stronger and more comprehensive federal effort to respond both to the greater demand for knowledge-based solutions and to the under-funded supply of well-tested practices and programs.

 

I have seen the benefits of the types of investments NEKIA is calling for today in my own work. In its three-year life, which ended last November, the Comprehensive School Reform Quality Center which I directed at AIR established a “Consumer Reports” like operation in the field of comprehensive school reform. It issued consumer guides that rated the evidence of effectiveness and quality of nearly 50 of the leading schoolwide reform models, such as Accelerated Schools, Edison Schools, KIPP Academies, Project GRAD, and Success for All. The report series did not create a list of endorsed programs. Rather, it provided education decision-makers with scientifically rigorous and consumer friendly reviews and other supports that helped them sort through improvement options to best meet locally defined needs.

 

I believe that these reports serve as an excellent example of the kind of information that will become especially important as the NCLB “restructuring” phase kicks in for thousands of schools in the coming years. NEKIA is committed to making sure that school boards, superintendents, principals, teachers and other education stakeholders have the best research-based resources available to help make every school an excellent one. NEKIA believes that our recommendations for FY 2008 funding will help to achieve this vision, and we thank you in advance for your consideration.