RE: [xmca] Obama's Learn Act

["Peg Griffin" <Peg.Griffin@att.net>]

The link to the proposed Senate bill as the draft now stands (sponsored by
Patti Murray, Al Franken, and Sherrod Brown. Sound bites are cute, reading
is fun-da-mental.
http://thomas.loc.gov/home/gpoxmlc111/s2740_is.xml 

I'll cut and paste two bits of this draft of the so-far-bill: First an
earlier part that seems relevant to the post and Second, the full part that
the post seems to be excerpted from. 

First, the earlier part that seems relevant:
(1) CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE LITERACY INSTRUCTION.-The term
"characteristics of effective literacy instruction" means-
(A) for children from birth through kindergarten entry-
(i) providing high quality professional development opportunities for early
learning providers, teachers, and school leaders in-
(I) literacy development;
(II) language development;
(III) English language acquisition (as appropriate); and
(IV) effective literacy instruction aligned to State standards;
(ii) reading aloud to children, discussing reading with children, and
modeling age and developmentally appropriate reading strategies;
(iii) encouraging children's early attempts at reading, writing, and
drawing, and talking about the meaning of the reading, writing, and drawing
with others;
(iv) creating conversation rich classrooms and using oral modeling
techniques to build oral language skills;
(v) multiplying opportunities for children to use language with peers and
adults;
(vi) providing strategic and explicit instruction in the identification of
speech sounds, letters, and letter-sound correspondence;
(vii) integrating oral and written language;
(viii) stimulating vocabulary development;
(ix) using differentiated instructional approaches, including-
(I) individual and small group instruction; and
(II) professional development, curriculum development, and classroom
instruction;
(x) applying the principles of universal design for learning;
(xi) using age appropriate screening assessments, diagnostic assessments,
formative assessments, and summative assessments to identify individual
child learning needs, to inform instruction, and to monitor student progress
and the effects of instruction over time;
(xii) coordinating the involvement of families, early childhood education
program staff, principals, other school leaders, and teachers in the reading
and writing achievement of children served under this Act;
(xiii) using a variety of age and developmentally appropriate, high quality
materials for reading and writing;
(xiv) encouraging family literacy experiences and practices, and educating
parents, teachers, and other caregivers about literacy development and child
literacy development; and
(xv) using strategies to enhance children's-
(I) motivation to read and write; and
(II) engagement in self-directed learning;


The second part is the whole form which the little pieces seems to have
come:
(e) Local uses of funds.-
(1) IN GENERAL.-An eligible entity that receives a subgrant under this
section shall use the subgrant funds consistent with the plan proposed in
subsection (c) to carry out the following activities:
(A) EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS.-Enhancing and improving early learning programs
to ensure that children in such programs are provided with high quality oral
language and literature- and print-rich environments in which to develop
early literacy skills.
(B) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.-Providing high quality professional
development.
(C) SCREENING ASSESSMENTS AND MEASURES.-Acquiring, providing training for,
and implementing screening assessments or other appropriate measures to
determine whether children from birth through kindergarten entry are
developing appropriate early language and literacy skills.
(D) MULTITIER SYSTEM OF SUPPORT.-Selecting, developing, and implementing a
multitier system of support.
(E) INTEGRATING.-Integrating research-based instructional materials,
activities, tools, and measures into the programs offered by the eligible
entity to improve development of early learning language and literacy
skills.
(F) TRAINING.-Training providers and personnel to support, develop, and
administer high quality early learning literacy initiatives that-
(i) utilize data-
(I) to inform instructional design; and
(II) to assess literacy needs; and
(ii) provide time and support for personnel to meet to plan literacy
instruction.
(G) FAMILY LITERACY SERVICES.-Providing for family literacy services, as
appropriate.
(H) DATA.-Annually collecting, summarizing, and reporting to the State
educational agency data-
(i) to document and monitor, for the purpose of improving or increasing
early literacy and language skills development pursuant to activities
carried out under this section;
(ii) to stimulate and accelerate improvement by identifying the programs
served by the eligible entity that produce significant gains in skills
development; and
(iii) for all subgroups of students and categories of students, including
students described in section 1111(b)(2)(C)(v)(II) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(2)(C)(v)(II)), in a
manner that-
(I) utilizes a variety of data; and
(II) is consistent across the State.
(2) CURRICULA AND ASSESSMENT MATERIALS LIMITATION.-Each eligible entity that
receives a subgrant under this section shall not use more than 10 percent of
the subgrant funds to purchase curricula and assessment materials.
(f) Prohibition.-The use of assessment items and data on any assessment
authorized under this section to provide rewards or sanctions for individual
children, early learning providers, teachers, program directors, or
principals is prohibited.


-----Original Message-----
From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [mailto:xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu] On
Behalf Of cconnery@ithaca.edu
Sent: Sunday, December 13, 2009 10:51 AM
To: ablunden@mira.net; eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
Subject: [xmca] Obama's Learn Act

Hi all,
In lieu of this thread, it might be interesting to see what Obama's
"secretary of education" has proposed for children birth-preK. The new
"LEARN" act has been described as Bush's educational policy on steroids.
Here is section 9 of the act:

SEC. 9. SUBGRANTS TO ELIGIBLE ENTITIES IN SUPPORT OF BIRTH THROUGH
KINDERGARTEN ENTRY LITERACY. 
(e) Local Uses of Funds-
(1) IN GENERAL- An eligible entity that receives a subgrant under this
section shall use the subgrant funds consistent with the plan proposed in
subsection (c) to carry out the following activities: 
(C) SCREENING ASSESSMENTS AND MEASURES- Acquiring, providing training for,
and implementing screening assessments or other appropriate measures to
determine whether children from birth through kindergarten entry are
developing appropriate early language and literacy skills. 

Cathrene


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