Thursday, April 24

7:30 am - 5:30 pm
Regency Foyer

Registration

Pre-Conference:  Comparative Indicators of State Performance on Adult Learning
Breakfast sponsored by the Council on Adult and Experiential Learning

The United States faces a significant shortfall in the number of citizens who have earned college degrees at a time when achieving higher levels of education attainment has become critical.  Educating working-aged adults is a key part of the solution to this problem.  This workshop focuses on new state-specific data that will provide attendees with a means to assess their state's needs and performance on various aspects of adult learning: high school diploma, GED attainment of adults and enrollment of adults in postsecondary learning programs.  There will be a discussion on policy options for meeting the needs of the adult learner.  There is no additional fee for this session and everyone is welcome to attend.  NCSL Education Program Contact:  Vincent Badolato

Speakers:  Peter Ewell, National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, Colorado
Patrick Kelly, National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, Colorado
Karen Steinberg, Council on Adult and Experiential Learning, Illinois
Pamela Tate, Council on Adult and Experiential Learning, Illinois
Judy Wertheim, Council on Adult and Experiential Learning, Illinois

Holding Higher Institutions Accountable
Co-Sponsored by the NCSL Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher Education

States are responsible for making sure that institutions of higher education are accountable, but the process by which that occurs is mysterious.  Legislators particularly often don't understand the accreditation process.  At this session, committee members can learn more about how the accreditation process works and get answers to their specific questions.  We'll also discuss a new effort (the Voluntary System of Accountability) being developed by 70 public colleges and universities to develop a more transparent accountability system.  NCSL Education Program Contacts:  Julie Davis Bell, David Shreve and Robert Strange

Presiding:  Shirley Iorio, North Carolina General Assembly
Staff Vice Chair, NCSL Standing Committee on Education

Speakers:  Vickie Schray, Office of the Under Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C.
Judith Eaton, Council for Higher Education Accreditation, Washington, D.C. 
John Hammang, American Association of State Colleges and Universities, Washington, D.C.

Closing the Achievement Gap

Co-sponsored by the National Caucus of Native American State Legislators, the National Black Caucus of State Legislators and the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators 

Over the last 30 years, achievement for all students has increased.  However, we find that the achievement gap between students of color and whites has not closed much at all, and in some cases it is increasing.  This session will highlight some of these educational disparities and their root causes, as well as offer some policy ideas to close the gap.  NCSL Education Program Contact:  Carlos Valverde

Presiding:  Jan Yamane, In-House Counsel, Hawaii
Staff Vice Chair, NCSL Standing Committee on Education

Speakers:  Representative John McCoy, Washington
Senator Patricia Torres Ray, Minnesota

General Session -- Federalism and the Senate Agenda

As a former governor, Senator Lamar Alexander, Chair of the Republican Senate Conference, has seen federalism issues from both the state and federal perspectives.  His concerns include REAL ID, Internet taxation, the Federal Consent Decrees Fairness Act, and flexibility in the No Child Left Behind Act.

Presiding:  Martha Carter, Nebraska Legislature
Representative Geanie Morrison, Texas

Speaker:  The Honorable Lamar Alexander, U.S. Senate, Tennessee

Steering Committee Meeting

Standing committee officers are encouraged to attend this meeting.  The committee will review plans for the Forum, preview any policies anticipated for debate, and make determinations regarding joint and re-referral of the policy resolutions, if necessary. 

Presiding:  Senator Mary Margaret Haugen, Washington
Nia Wilson, Health and Human Services Committee, Pennsylvania

Friday, April 25

7:00 am - 5:00 pm
Regency Foyer

Registration

General Breakfast Session

The subprime mortgage/foreclosure tsunami is inundating all segments of society including every level of government.  Will it lead to a recession?  In a global economy, can government regulation prevent such a crisis?  The chairman of the House Financial Services Committee will address the mortgage situation, the federal stimulus package, the government role in regulating financial services in the global economy, and the states' future role in insurance regulation. 

Presiding:  Representative David Clark, Utah
Chair, NCSL Standing Committees 
Laura DeVivo, Office of the House Speaker, North Carolina
Staff Chair, NCSL Standing Committees

Speaker:  The Honorable Barney Frank, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 

Federal Update and Business Meeting

This session will update committee members on federal education issues, including the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind and the Higher Education Act, the federal budget, proposed changes to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children.  Following the disussion, the committee will consider several proposed NCSL education policies.  NCSL Education Program Contacts:  David Shreve and Robert Strange

Presiding: Representative Rae Ann Kelsch, North Dakota
Chair, NCSL Standing Committee on Education 

Speakers:  Barmak Nassirian, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, Washington, D.C.
Thomas Hinton, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Virginia
David Shreve, National Conference of State Legislatures, Washington, D.C.

Preparing Effective Leaders to Transform Schools:  A Role for State Legislators
Lunch is sponsored by The Wallace Foundation

Panelists:  Phillip Rogers, Education Professional Standards Board, Kentucky
Wendy Robinson, Fort Wayne Community Schools, Indiana
Luis Torres, Bronx PS 55, New York

A Closer Look at Dropouts:  Going Beyond the Classroom
Co-Sponsored by the Human Services and Welfare Committee

New research has given us insight into key early indicators of school dropouts, and some states are crafting promising plans to more effectively foster school/community partnerships to provide timely interventions and support to help more young people succeed. With the ongoing emphasis on raising graduation standards, how do we help more students reach graduation?  How should these concerns be addressed in the current national discussion on our dropout problem?  NCSL Education Program Contact:  Sunny Deyé

Presiding:  Frances Ramirez-Maestas, New Mexico
Staff Chair, NCSL Standing Committee on Education

Speakers:  Louise Reaves, Communities In Schools, Virginia
Richard Wells, Americas Promise Alliance, Virginia
Noelle Ellerson, American Association of School Administrators, Virginia
Robert Balfanz, Center for Social Organization of Schools, John Hopkins University, Maryland

What's Driving College Costs?
Co-Sponsored by the NCSL Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher Education and the Budget and Revenue Committee 

Legislators are concerned about the high cost of college and  recent tuition increases.  Over the past decade tuition and fees at public four-year colleges have risen by at least 50 percent, and student financial aid has not kept pace.  In this session we'll hear about what is driving higher education expenses and how states are addressing the increases.  We'll also update committee members on recent federal efforts to force states to maintain higher education appropriation levels to help control tuition costs.  NCSL Education Program Contacts: Julie Davis Bell, David Shreve and Robert Strange

Presiding:  Representative Rae Ann Kelsch, North Dakota
Chair, NCSL Standing Committee on Education

Speakers:  Jane Wellman, Delta Project on Postsecondary Costs, Washington, D.C.
Richard Vedder, Center for College Affordability and Productivity, Washington, D.C.

Steering Committee Meeting

Members will review policies reported from the standing committees and determine the calendar for the Saturday business meeting.

Presiding: Senator Dorinda Conner, Delaware
Nelson Fox, Legislative Service Commission, Ohio

Reception at the German Ambassador's Residence
NCSL gratefully acknowledges Barr Pharmaceuticals for its support of this reception. 

Saturday, April 26

8:00 am - 11:00 am
Regency Foyer

Registration

General Breakfast Session

Presiding:  Martha Carter, Nebraska Legislature
Senator Mary Margaret Haugen, Washington

Speakers:  Ambassador John Bruton, European Union's Ambassador to the United States, Ireland
Councilmember Vincent Gray, Chairman of the Council, District of Columbia

NCSL Business Meeting:  Debate and Voting on Policy Statements and Resolutions

Forum delegates will debate and vote on NCSL's policy statements and resolutions passed out of the committees.  All Forum participants are invited to attend.

11:00 am 

11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Liaison Capitol Hill,
Hill Room

Meeting Adjourns 

Ensuring Latino Student Success:  Best Practices and Lessons Learned from ENLACE Programs
Sponsored by the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators

During the last decade, state policymakers have seen dramatic changes in the demographic make-up of their public schools.  Latinos now represent the fastest growing segment of the nation's school-age population.  Currently, numerous educational initiatives are occurring to narrow the achievement gap for Latino students.  This session will highlight the ENgaging LAtino Communities for Education (ENLACE) program that has seen tremendous success across the country by taking a comprehensive approach to addressing the educational needs of the Latino community.