Wednesday, April 5

7:30 am - 3:30 pm

Pre-Conference Events

Thursday, April 6

Site Visit to High-Tech High School (Bus departs from hotel at 8:00 am)

The NCSL Education Technology Partnership will sponsor a site visit to Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Maryland.  Blair is a comprehensive high school of over 3,000 students with a math, science, technology magnet.  Participants will have the opportunity to observe classrooms using technology to enhance learning and visit with school and district personnel about their implementation of technology.  Contact Heather Grinager at 303-856-1392 or heather.grinager@ncsl.org to reserve a spot on this tour. 

Education Committe Members Visit the Hill 

This is an opportunity for all committee members to meet with their Congressmen (and women) on a one-on-one basis to discuss education issues in their states, specifically NCLB reauthorization and the impact of IDEA implementation.  Contact David Shreve at 202-624-8187 or Diana Hinton Noel at 202-624-7779 in the Washington, D.C. office for more information.

Disproportionate Federal Funds:  Impact of Federally-owned Property on the Tax Base of Local School Districts

Public education relies heavily on state and local property tax revenues.  In western states however, federally-owned public lands are disproportionately distributed and these states cannot assess property tax on this land.  Come learn how this impacts the local tax base and local school districts and about possible steps to resolve this issue.

Presiding:  Representative RaeAnn Kelsch, North Dakota

Speakers:  Senator Thomas Hatch, Utah
Yvette Tetreault, Federal Funds Information for States, Washington, D.C. 

Federal Update on Education

Updates on the following:

• U.S. Department of Education FY07 Budget
• No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Reauthorization
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
  --Implementation in the States
  --Federal Funding
• The Development Relief Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act)
  --Unauthorized Long-term Immigrant Students
  --Eligibility for In-state Tuition Rates 

Presiding:  Senator Bob Plymale, West Virginia
Chair, Education Standing Committee

Speakers:  Josh Bernstein, National Immigration Law Center, California
David Shreve, National Conference of State Legislatures,
Washington, D.C.

U.S. Department of Education Briefing on No Child Left Behind (Transportation to be provided)

Education committee members will be briefed by senior U.S. Department of Education officials on implementation of NCLB and the availablility of new flexibilities for states.  Contact David Shreve at 202-624-8187 or Diana Hinton Noel at 202-624-7779 in the Washington, D.C. office for more information. 

Opening Plenary--The 2006 National Agenda

The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton, New York, Chair of the Senate Democratic Steering Committee, will outline the Senate Democratic perspective on the 2006 Congressional agenda.  National security issues have preoccupied the Senate and House so far this year.  Senator Clinton will discuss other issues that emerge in the coming weeks and months, and their potential effect on the states. 

Senator Clinton will be joined by the Honorable George Reid, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliment.  The Scottish Parliament is NCSL's newest international affiliate.  Presiding Officer Reid brings greetings from Scotland and will comment on the National Tartan Day celebrations in the United States.

The National Conference of State Legislatures gratefully acknowledges the sponsorship of AT&T. 

Friday, April 7

7:00 am - 6:00 pm
Regency Foyer

Registration

Plenary Breakfast:  The Administration's Domestic Priorities

Major changes made in the past few months to Medicaid, Medicare and welfare are of compelling interest to state legislatures.  The Honorable Michael Leavitt, Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services and the former governor of Utah, will provide an update on how the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is implementing these critical state-federal programs.

Education Committe Members Visit the Hill 

This is another opportunity for all committee members to meet with their Congressmen (and women) on a one-on-one basis to discuss education issues in their states, specifically NCLB reauthorization and the impact of IDEA implementation.  Contact David Shreve at 202-624-8187 or Diana Hinton Noel at 202-624-7779 in the Washington, D.C. office for more information.
  

Providing Students with 21st Century Skills

A recent study on global competitiveness has created a new emphasis on math and science education--and other skills for the 21st century.  Join us for a discussion about what it means to design an education system that supports these skills.  Learn about proposed changes in the federal education budget to spur more students into rigorous math and science study and to increase recruitment of teachers for these subjects.  Hear about innovative state policy that supports these goals.

Presiding:  Senator Bob Plymale, West Virginia
Chair, Education Standing Committee

Speakers:  Barbara Stein, National Education Association, Washington, D.C.
David Byer, Apple, Washington, D.C.
Steve Paine, State Superintendent of Schools, West Virginia
Carol Lynch, Council of Graduate Schools, Washington, D.C.
Don Langenberg, University of Maryland

Education Committee Business Meeting:  Federal Funding for Special Education

The federal government committed to pay the excess costs of education special needs students, estimated in 1975 as 40 percent above the average per pupil expenditure.  They are currently providing half that amount which according to cost studies is less than half of what states actually spend.  The committee will discuss NCSL policy on IDEA funding and consider endorsing a renewed federal commitment. 

Presiding:  Senator Bob Plymale, West Virginia
Chair, Education Standing Committee

Speakers:  Bruce Hunter, American Association of School Administrators, Virginia
Paul Kong, Office of Senator Chuck Hagel, Nebraska
 

Teacher Incentive Fund to Provide Federal Dollars for Compensation Reform---A Roundtable Discussion

Congress has approved for FY2006, $100 million for a new program called the Teacher Incentive Fund.  This fund provides assistance to districts and states to implement innovative ways to provide financial incentives for teachers and principals who raise student achievement.  During this roundtable discussion, a representative from the U.S. Department of Education will provide information about this funding source and the application process.  The moderator will lead a lively discussion about how states might leverage these funds to redesign teacher compensation. 

Moderator:  John Myers, Augenblick, Palaich and Associates, Colorado

Speaker:  M. René Islas, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C.

Money in the Classroom:  The 65 Percent Solution and Other Options 

A growing number of states are considering measures to allocate at least 65 percent of school dollars directly to students and classrooms.  This session examines some of the issues surrounding this discussion, such as what states currently allocate, what research suggests is the appropriate allocation level, and how states are grappling with these issues in light of school finance litigation decisions.

Presiding:  Senator John Vratil, Kansas
Vice Chair, Education Standing Committee

Speakers:  Ed Muir, American Federation of Teachers,
Washington, D.C.
Representative from First Class Education, Washington, D.C.

The Future of Higher Education

State legislatures are seriously examining whether their states are providing affordable, accessible, and quality higher education for a changing student population.  This session will examine some key trends in higher education policy, brief committee members on the work of NCSL's Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher Education, and update members on the work of the Secretary of Education's Commisson on the Future of Higher Education.

Presiding:  Senator Bob Plymale, West Virginia
Chair, Education Standing Committee

Speakers:  Representative Denise Merrill, Connecticut, Co-chair, NCSL's Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher Education 
Representative Rob Kreibich, Wisconsin, Co-chair, NCSL's Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher Education 
Terry Hartle, American Council on Education, Washington, D.C.
Paul Lingenfelter, State Higher Education Executive Officers,
Colorado 
 

Graduation Rates and Dropout Recovery 

All state governors have signed on to implement a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate to better track both graduation and dropout data.  What are the details of this tracking approach and what does it mean for your state?  Issues in high school reform and approaches to dropout recovery will also be discussed.

Presiding:  Senator Ed Olson, South Dakota

Speakers:  Bridget Curran, National Governors Association, Washington, D.C.
Delegate Ana Sol Gutierrez, Maryland
Nancy Martin, American Youth Policy Forum,
Washington, D.C.

Reception at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall (Transportation will be provided.  Badges must be worn).

Fifteen years in the making, the museum opened in 2004 as the first national museum dedicated exclusively to Native Americans.  NCSL expresses its gratitude to the sponsors of this splendid event, the National Caucus of Native American State Legislators, W. K. Kellogg Foundation and the NCSL State-Tribal Relations Project.  Former U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell will be master of ceremonies.  The sponsors of the reception will announce a new collaboration planned with the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators and the National Asian-Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus.

Saturday, April 8

8:00 am - 1:00 pm
Regency Foyer

Registration

8:30 am - 10:30 am 

Special Briefings:

• The States and Global Climate Change
  Columbia B
• Avian Flu and Public Health Preparedness 
  Columbia A

Policy Forum:  Debate and Voting on Official Policy Statements and Resolutions

At this time, Forum delegates will debate and vote on NCSL's policy statements and resolutions passed out of committees.  Legislators are strongly encouraged to attend.

Presiding:  Senator Don Balfour, Georgia
Chair, NCSL Standing Committees
 

Closing Plenary Lunch:  America's Fiscal Future

Decisions made day by day in Washington determine the country's long-term future, and have a direct effect on the integrity of state budgets.  David Walker, Comptroller-General of the United States and director of the U.S. Government Accountability Officer, will discuss the growing imbalance between expected federal tax revenues and spending.

Committee Officers: