In the education arena, if 2015 had label, it would arguably be titled “The Year of the Policy Reforms.� It has been a big year for education policy. With the respective reauthorizations of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Higher Education Act and the introduction of America’s College Promise, Congress has been pretty busy. Let’s unpack the policy suitcase and review the journey that our nation’s leaders and education institutions have taken, establishing new education policies that will have ripple effects for years to come.
We end the year with a big win for K-12 advocates – the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act. Congress has spent the better part of the past twelve months working on a bill overhauling its predecessor, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. NCLB received criticism for being too prescriptive and constraining for states, districts and schools. So where NCLB failed, ESSA will take its place as it devolves the responsibility and accountability of managing teacher training, student learning and educational outcomes to the states, districts and schools.
Next up – the Higher Education Act (HEA). The HEA, now under review by Congress as the Higher Education Opportunity Act, is pending reauthorization. Post-secondary education advocates are pushing for its passage before the end of 2015, as we close out the 50th anniversary of its ratification. Issues of efficiency, effectiveness, equity and access have been at the forefront of congressional debates where HEA is concerned- how to provide the most rigorous college education to heterogeneous students that enter these institutions of higher education.
Which leads to the college promise “gong� that was heard around the country. President Obama kicked off the year with a proposal – The American College Promise (ACP). If enacted, ACP will usher in a new era of college-free education for students enrolled at community colleges, reminiscent of the roll-out of free K-12 education many years ago. A congressional bill is still pending passage, but over the year, states and community colleges have acted independently in response to this proposal. North Carolina’s House Committee on Education/Universities proposed a bill that would allow high school students with a GPA of 3.5 to enroll in community college programs tuition free.
These policies represent new ideals, goals, responsibilities and challenges for the federal government, states and education providers. However, I am reminded that sometimes with great risk, comes great reward. The education landscape has gotten a fair shake-up this year, and one could argue, a much needed one. But the exciting thing about this shake up is the systemic domino effect of these policies. Cumulatively they highlight and make strides towards addressing gaps in the K-20 education system, which is a rousing way to end the calendar year.
