Bipartisan NEED Act Seeks To Help Schools, Colleges Advance in Learning
AACTE is one of nearly 70 organizations that supports a bill seeking to make advancements in teaching and learning.
U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the New Essential Education Discoveries (NEED) Act to create a national center that advances high-risk, high-reward education research projects, similar to the model employed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
“As a former school superintendent, I know our teachers are doing everything they can to overcome today’s educational challenges – especially as COVID, social media, and nationwide mental health crisis have made their jobs more difficult than ever. They need new tools to overcome these obstacles and educate the next generation of Americans, and Congress can help by investing in cutting-edge education research,” said Bennet. “This bipartisan bill will help schools, educators, and policy makers meet today’s education challenges and make necessary, data-based adjustments in the future.”
“With the opportunities and challenges of technology like artificial intelligence, we have a responsibility to develop and disseminate cutting-edge practices to bridge gaps in students’ academic readiness,” said Cornyn. “This legislation invests in education, STEM instruction, and innovative learning methods to help equip our future workforce with the resources and skills necessary to maintain America’s preeminence in the world.”
The NEED Act would create a National Center for Advanced Development in Education (NCADE) dedicated to developing and disseminating cutting-edge practices and tools – such as voice recognition software to assess emerging readiness gaps and dyslexia, and digital learning platforms – to help students recover lost learning time from the pandemic.
Specifically, the legislation would do the following:
- Make robust investments to establish, staff, and operate NCADE;
- Require the Advanced Development Commissioner to appoint an advisory panel to guide the development and implementation of NCADE projects; and
- Conduct and disseminate the results of periodic evaluations of the effectiveness of NCADE in achieving its mission of expanding education R&D and improving teaching and learning.
The NEED Act would also improve Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) and help states better track students’ progress through K-12 and into the workforce while protecting the privacy of students’ education records. This data will help policymakers understand and address opportunity and achievement gaps across the country.
“Too many students across Colorado, particularly those from under-served communities, are falling behind. We need to invest in cutting-edge research to identify innovative solutions to serve these students. We also need stronger state data infrastructure so that we can measure outcomes and invest in programs that work,” said Katie Zaback, Vice President of Policy, Colorado Succeeds. “The NEED Act will address both of these needs. A new National Center for Advanced Development in Education can unlock new insights, and modernized statewide longitudinal data systems will strengthen the infrastructure that serves as the backbone for effective research and ongoing improvement.”
“Relative to many other countries, the United States spends too little on educational research and development. If we want educational policymakers and leaders to make decisions based on evidence, we need much more research on the kinds of innovations that make a difference in all children’s outcomes. Senator Bennet’s New Essential Education Discoveries (NEED) Act will provide the resources needed to accelerate innovation in teaching and learning and help close opportunity gaps,” said William Penuel, Distinguished Professor, School of Education at the University of Colorado Boulder and Director, National Center for Research in Policy and Practice.
“The NEED Act would develop and enhance our education data infrastructure, providing a roadmap for decision-makers on how to give underserved students the high-quality education they need and deserve. This is especially urgent as the pandemic intensified the already pervasive racial and socio-economic disparities embedded in our nation’s schools,” said Denise Forte, President and CEO, The Education Trust. “The bill also invests in promising education research and development to put data in action to make our school systems more equitable. We urge Congress to pass this important piece of legislation.”
“Our nation’s model of schooling looks much the same today as it did a century ago, which makes it impossible to help each student reach their full potential,” said Joel Rose, Co-Founder and CEO, New Classrooms. “The NEED Act will provide a much needed federal investment in education to develop high-reward transformative solutions and bold innovative learning models that produce dramatic breakthroughs for students and teachers.”
Tags: advocacy, federal issues, State issues
