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PRESIDENT BUSH’S KERRY-EDWARDS
PROPOSALS PROPOSALS NOTES
FEDERAL FUNDING
The President’s proposed budget for FY2005 increases National Education Trust Fund of $200 OMB projections for FY2006 show a reduction
education funding by $1.68 billion. This three percent billion in the budget for the Department of Education.
increase is the smallest percentage increase for • Automatically fund, by law, any new education
education since FY1996, but is the largest dollar program Congress authorizes. The Kerry-Edwards Trust Fund would add about
increase for any domestic agency in FY2005. $10 billion per year for NCLB
• Require an increase in the annual investment in
education to meet the full commitment of NCLB.
• Assure that the federal government meets its full
commitment for special education funding.
• Provide $25 billion to stop cuts and layoffs in
education due to state budget problems.
• Provide $30 billion over 10 years for teacher
quality:
• Great Teachers Fund. States or districts will be
eligible for a share of $15 billion in grants based
on the number and percentage of high-need
children, for teacher recruitment, retention, and
parental involvement efforts.
• Great Expectations Fund. School districts will
be eligible for a share of $9 billion in grants based
on the number and percentage of high-need
children to offer pay to teachers based on skills,
knowledge, and student achievement.
• Great Strides Fund. States will be eligible for a
share of $5 billion in grants based on the number
and percentage of high-need children and the
number of schools not progressing properly to
support schools for state-identified activities that
improve performance.
• Additional Federal Activities. An additional $1
billion for a new teacher corps, new accountability
for schools of education, and better data
collection.
Washington Partners, LLC September 3, 2004
PRESIDENT BUSH’S KERRY-EDWARDS
PROPOSALS PROPOSALS NOTES
ACCOUNTABILITY
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
President Bush’s major proposal for elementary and Senator Kerry supports the goals of NCLB, but
secondary education is the No Child Left Behind Act. believes that the act has not been sufficiently
Major components include: funded. He would revise NCLB by:
• Requiring states to set clear standards for what every • Requiring an increase in the annual federal
child should learn—and taking steps to help each child investment in education from its current level of
learn. $23.8 billion to about $35 billion by 2008 to meet
• Holding schools accountable for student progress by the full commitment of NCLB.
regularly testing in the fundamental subjects of reading • Altering accountability standards to include
and math. ways of assessing student performance in addition
• Reporting results to parents and ensuring they have to testing. States would construct a set of leading
better options when schools are not performing. indicators, such as teacher attendance, parental
• Providing more funding—a 49 percent increase in satisfaction, and student attendance, which will
federal support for elementary and secondary education comprise part of the school’s assessment in the
since 2001. NCLB accountability framework.
• Requiring uniform and accurate data on
graduation rates from all schools and districts and
requiring disaggregation of graduation data to
show how all groups are achieving.
• Reward states and districts that implement
higher standards.
• Give states flexibility to target assistance to
schools with the most extensive academic
difficulties.
• Ensure that the federal government provides
funding for the professional development
requirements of the law.
• Require that every single group or program that
receives NCLB funds fully complies with federal
civil rights laws.
• Close loopholes in the law’s definition of a
highly qualified teacher.
Requiring NAEP at Twelfth Grade Raise graduation rates and turn one million The Bush proposal requiring state assessments
The plan would include twelfth graders in the National potential dropouts into graduates over the next 5 for grades 3-11 was announced on Sept 2. It is
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP is years by expanding mentoring and tutoring, unclear at this time if it is meant to replace the
one of the few national assessments that tracks student breaking up large schools and holding schools NAEP 12th grade proposal
achievement over time. The tests are administered accountable for graduating students.
Washington Partners, LLC September 3, 2004 2
PRESIDENT BUSH’S KERRY-EDWARDS
PROPOSALS PROPOSALS NOTES
every other year to a national sample of students in
reading and mathematics. Extending this requirement
to twelfth grade would provide data to assess whether
high schools are adequately preparing our high school
students. It will also help to identify areas where high
schools are not meeting the needs of students and
strengthen curricula to ensure improvement.
$250 million for states to give assessments
to students in grades 3-11
$200 million fund for states to encourage New Bush proposal announced Sept 2
schools to develop performance plans for
high school students
No Comparable Initiative Driver’s License Program
Supports those states that deny driver’s licenses to
young people who drop out of high school.
READING AND M ATH
Striving Readers Initiative Adolescent Literacy Program Bush increased proposed funding to $200 million
• $200 million intended to promote adolescent literacy Proposes an adolescent literacy program that on Sept 2
and effective reading interventions for struggling would provide support for middle and high school
secondary students. students who lack the basic reading and writing $100 m in funding approved for Bush initiative
• Makes competitive grants available to develop, skills needed to be successful in high school, by House Appropriations committee for FY 2005
implement, and evaluate effective reading instruction college, and life. Would provide $50 million a
for secondary students reading significantly below year for tutors and teacher training programs.
grade level.
• Provides money to 50 to 100 school districts to
implement demonstration programs that have proved
effective in raising students’ reading achievement.
Presidential Math & Science Scholars Fully fund “Tech Talent” challenge
Fund grant program and increase support for
Would establish a new public-private partnership to math/science programs at colleges serving
provide $100 million in grants to low-income students disadvantaged students, especially HSIs and
who study math or science. 20,000 low-income HBCUs
students would receive up to $5,000 each to study math
Washington Partners, LLC September 3, 2004 3
PRESIDENT BUSH’S KERRY-EDWARDS
PROPOSALS PROPOSALS NOTES
or science in college. Provide $300 million in innovation
Students would have to be eligible for Pell Grants to grants to encourage 1 million girls and
participate, although the new fund would be run
separately from the Pell program. The $50 million cost
minorities to pursue science and math
would be offset by limiting the number of years Pell education
students have to complete college work (eight years for Initiative would include all girls math/science
a four-year degree and four years for a two-year schools, afterschool programs and internships with
degree). local businesses. The program would serve up to
500,000 in 3-year programs, reaching 1 million
every 4-year cycle.
Secondary Education Mathematics No Comparable Initiative The House Appropriations Committee has gone
Initiative with the recommendation and provided an
This initiative would be part of the Math and Science additional $120 million to the program.
Partnership program and provide $120 million to However, making the awards competitive grants
accelerate the mathematics learning of secondary would require an amendment to NCLB.
students, especially those who are in danger of
dropping out of school. The initiative would fund 100–
140 competitive grants to help ensure that secondary
school mathematics teachers are highly qualified and
states and districts provide professional development
for math teachers.
No Comparable Initiative Offer Summer Institutes and mentors
to 50,000 k-12 math and science
teachers
No Comparable Initiative Double the NSF Graduate Scholarships
for Math and Science
EARLY E DUCATION
Continue to improve early ed through Expand Preschool Opportunities
Good Start/Grow Smart program and Kerry -Edwards will work to provide affordable
changes to Head Start early education for every child.
TEACHERS AND P RINCIPALS
Financial Incentives Financial Incentives: New Bargain for
Currently, teachers who teach for five years in America’s Children and Teachers
Washington Partners, LLC September 3, 2004 4
PRESIDENT BUSH’S KERRY-EDWARDS
PROPOSALS PROPOSALS NOTES
qualified low-income schools are eligible for up to • Educators would receive a $10,000 tax
$5,000 in student loan forgiveness. The president deduction for teaching in low-performing schools;
would substantially increase the amount of they would be eligible for the tax deduction for
forgiveness—up to $17,500—for highly qualified five years after the school is no longer considered
math, science, and special education teachers who low performing.
teach in low-income schools (the estimated cost is • Offer at least a $5,000 raise to teachers in high
$105 million over five years). needs schools, with a bonus for National Board
certified teachers or other proven high performers.
• Offer at least a $5,000 annual bonus to teachers
who fill shortages in subjects such as math and
science.
• Rewards for teachers who excel at improving
student achievement.
No Comparable Initiative Recruitment and Retention
• Recruit or retain 500,000 high-quality teachers
over the next four years.
• Establish high quality, multi-year teacher
mentoring programs.
• Establish effective career ladders for educators.
• Use technology to connect parents and teachers
and support involvement initiatives like parental
responsibility contracts and parent-teacher
coordinators.
• Improve preparation at colleges of education by
reporting key measures of their graduates’
performances in teaching, developing standards
for rating the performance of schools of education
in teaching and training successful teachers, and
withholding funds from schools that do not meet
the minimum standards.
No Comparable Initiative Higher Teacher Pay for Higher
Standards
• Teachers will get paid more in exchange for
higher standards and based on their knowledge,
skills, demonstrated ability, and measurable
results in improving students' achievement.
Washington Partners, LLC September 3, 2004 5
PRESIDENT BUSH’S KERRY-EDWARDS
PROPOSALS PROPOSALS NOTES
• In order to qualify for funding, school districts
will have to submit a plan that includes: (a) a
strong professional development plan for the
district’s teachers; (b) an aggressive plan to ensure
that every teacher is qualified in his/her subject
area; and (c) a plan for increasing the number of
master teachers and teacher mentors in schools.
No Comparable Initiative Recruit and Train School Principals
This initiative would provide $120 million
annually for the School Leadership Program to
recruit and train principals in every low
performing or high-needs school across the
country.
Adjunct Teachers Corps Initiative Teacher Corps
$40 million would support approximately sixty to one This initiative would create a national teacher
hundred awards to partnerships of school districts and corps of young people who excel in school. In
public or private institutions to create and implement return for spending at least four year’s teaching at
arrangements for utilizing well-qualified individuals a high-need school, each corps member would be
from business, technology, industry, and other offered scholarships or loan forgiveness sufficient
professions as teachers in secondary schools on an to pay tuition at a pubic university. Similar
adjunct basis. incentives would be available for mid career
professionals who join the corps.
COLLEGE P REPARATION,
OPPORTUNITY & FINANCING
Increase the number of AmeriCorps “Compact with the Next Generation”
members National Service Plan
(College tuition in exchange for
national service)
Building on AmeriCorps program, this initiative
would bring a total of 500,000 Americans in
national service each year, within the next decade.
Requires $13 billion in new resources over 10
years and is paid for by eliminating subsidies.
• “Service for College” 200,000 young
Washington Partners, LLC September 3, 2004 6
PRESIDENT BUSH’S KERRY-EDWARDS
PROPOSALS PROPOSALS NOTES
Americans would serve two years full-time
community service, and receive four years of
college tuition at a public institution in return.
75,000 would serve as full-time teachers, tutors, or
mentors both inside the classroom and in rural and
urban communities. 25,000 would improve
homeland security in Police Corps, and 100,000
would serve critical needs, such as building
affordable housing, helping seniors, and keeping
parks and water clean.
• 300,000 would serve part-time service as tutors
and mentors for toddlers, reading programs, at-
risk children and adolescents, in return for tuition
assistance, up to $2,000 per year.
No Comparable Initiative College Opportunity Tax Credit
Proposes up to $4,000 of tuition for four years of
college available to families having problems with
the costs of college. Efforts will be made to
provide the benefits of the credit at the beginning
of each school year, when it is needed most.
This effort was included as part of the FY2004
omnibus bill and is currently be studied.
Increase Student Financial Aid by increasing
recipients of grants, loans and work-study assistance.
Reduce interest rates for student loans, increase student
loan limits and expand repayment options.
Require Colleges to report and share with parents
and students annual data on the number of low-
income, middle-income and minority students
enrolled and graduating.
No Comparable Initiative College Completion Fund Create a $100
million fund to reward colleges based on
increasing the number of Pell grant students they
graduate
No Comparable Initiative $10 Billion in Fiscal Relief for States to
fund higher education provided they hold tuition
increases to no greater than the rate of inflation
Washington Partners, LLC September 3, 2004 7
PRESIDENT BUSH’S KERRY-EDWARDS
PROPOSALS PROPOSALS NOTES
State Scholars Program Rigorous High School Curriculum
Would provide $12 million to expand the State Initiative
Scholars Program nationally and would require Proposes a national initiative to align the
participating students to take a rigorous course of academic standards (not specific content) in high
study. schools with the knowledge and skills required for
college and work, as well as provide incentives for
states to ensure that their curricula meets these
broad standards.
Secondary and Technical Education YouthBuild Program SecTech is not included in the current
Program (SecTech) Would expand the YouthBuild program, which Congressional plans for reauthorization of
Would redirect $1 billion in annual funding from the helps undereducated and underpaid youth. Perkins
Perkins Vocational Education program into a new Students learn construction skills while building
Secondary and Technical Education program. houses for low-income families and attending a
Requires that schools participating in the program offer YouthBuild alternative school to achieve their
four years of English, three years of math and science, GED or diploma.
and three years of social studies as part of their
vocational education curriculum.
Jobs for the 21st Century strengthens the role of Lifelong Learning Initiatives
community colleges and worker training with $250 Change financial aid rules to benefit working
million in new competitive community-based job adults taking online courses
training grants to be used for training in community Partner with community colleges to develop state-
and technical colleges. of-the-art online courses
Community College Access Grants Fund would NSF Advanced Technological
provide $125 million to improve services provided by Bush proposed the Community College Access
Education program expands to create new Grants Fund on Sept 2
community colleges and to encourage high school onsite training opportunities at businesses to help
students to continue onto college workers move up to higher-skilled positions, and
increase apprenticeship program in key fields
Enhanced Pell Grants “Super Pell Grants” House Appropriations committee did not fund
Would provide $33 million to increase Pell Grants (up These grants would provide additional assistance this initiative for FY2005
to $1,000 per eligible student) for those students who for students who graduate in the top 10 percent of
take a rigorous course of study as prescribed by the their high school class.
State Scholars program. This new grant would be in
addition to a student’s need-based Pell Grant award.
Washington Partners, LLC September 3, 2004 8
PRESIDENT BUSH’S KERRY-EDWARDS
PROPOSALS PROPOSALS NOTES
Advanced Placement (AP) Program “Ready for College” Initiative House appropriations committee recommended
A total of $51 million (an increase of $28 million over Would provide early intervention to reduce the $30 million for FY2005, an increase of $6.4
FY 2004) would almost double the funding for the AP large number of college-age students who drop million over FY2004.
program. The increase would be used to help ensure out of college or need remedial courses. Reforms
that teachers are well trained to teach AP and include: encouraging more states to allow eleventh
International Baccalaureate (IB) courses at schools that or twelfth graders to take college courses;
serve large populations of low-income students and to ensuring that AP programs are available in all
increase the rigor of the high school curriculum. schools; strengthening math, science, and writing
instruction; and expanding early intervention
efforts like GEAR UP and TRIO for students who
are at risk of dropping out of school.
SCHOOL E NVIRONMENT
AND FACILITIES
Smaller Learning Communities Small High School Initiative House Appropriations committee provided $5
President Bush’s proposed FY2005 budget calls for Proposes an increase of $150 million over the million in current funding and $96.6 in forward
eliminating funding to the Smaller Learning FY2004 ($174 million) funding level to build funding for Smaller Learning Communities
Communities program. smaller schools, break up large troubled high
schools into component parts, and make schools
places where students feel at home.
No Comparable Initiative School Construction
Would allow the federal government to issue
$24.8 billion in school modernization bonds in
order to help states and school districts repair and
build modern schools.
No Comparable Initiative Ensuring School Discipline and
Creating “Second-Chance Programs”
All chronically disruptive or violent students
should be removed from classrooms and placed in
alternative learning environments —“second-
chance schools”— where they can receive the
intensive help and service needed to excel.
Washington Partners, LLC September 3, 2004 9
PRESIDENT BUSH’S KERRY-EDWARDS
PROPOSALS PROPOSALS NOTES
AFTERSCHOOL
No Comparable Initiative Afterschool Tax Credit
Offer a new afterschool tax credit to help parents
afford afterschool programs.
No Comparable Initiative School’s Open ‘Til Six
Kerry -Edwards would fully fund the 21st Century
Community Learning Center program to $2.5
billion in FY2007 for it to provide programs to 3.5
million children. The plan would include
programs open until 6 p.m. and also offer safe
transportation options.
Washington Partners, LLC September 3, 2004 10
Presidential Candidates’ Positions on Science Issues
From the American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Science Policy News,
Number 134: October 6, 2004
While science and technology issues have not been raised in the presidential and vice-
presidential debates thus far, there are a number of web sites featuring the positions of
President George Bush and Senator John Kerry on science policy. These include articles
in two magazines published by the American Institute of Physics, in Science, Science
Express, and Nature. Last week, the American Association for the Advancement of
Science held a well-attended candidates' forum at which spokesmen for President Bush
and Senator Kerry presented the two candidates' views on science policy and funding
questions. An audio archive is available of this forum.
Also of note is an effort by the American Physical Society and other science and
technology interests to arrange a first-ever electronic (web cast) town hall meeting at
which Kerry and Bush would be given an opportunity to make an opening statement and
then take questions. Invitations were mailed to each candidates' campaign on August 16,
2004. The organizers have not received a firm response from either campaign. Further
information and updates on these meetings can be found at www.hitechtownhall.org/.
Resources:
Physics Today: October 2004
www.physicstoday.org
"Presidential Candidates Speak Out on Science Policies"
Issues: missile defense, climate change, science investment, nuclear weapons, nuclear
proliferation, energy policy, nuclear power/radioactive waste, national labs, and space
policy.
The Industrial Physicist: October-November 2004:
www.aip.org/tip/
"Democrats & Republicans: What's the record on physical science?"
Issues: funding trends for the physical sciences, specific program funding, and visa
policy.
AAAS Science Express: September 17, 2004
www.sciencemag.org/cgi/rapidpdf/1104420v1.pdf
"Presidential Forum: Bush and Kerry Offer Their Views on Science"
Issues: top science priorities, climate change, stem cell research, public health, space
policy, visa/security policy, environmental stewardship, creationism, ITER, energy
policy, and managing science.
Science: October 1, 2004
www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/306/5693/46
"2004 Presidential Forum: Bush and Kerry Offer Their Views on
Science"
Issues: Top science priorities, climate change, stem cell research, cloning, restrictions on
abortion/birth control funding, obesity program, space policy, classified research, ocean
policy, Endangered Species Act, ITER, visa policy, energy R&D, NSF funding, NIH
funding, creationism, financial conflict of interest, foreign students, and earmarking.
Nature: September 16, 2004
http://www.nature.com/news/specials/uselection/index.html
"Head to Head: Bush vs. Kerry"
Issues: visa policy, scientific panel bias, weapons of mass destruction, new nuclear
weapons, missile defense, ITER, space program, science funding,
environment/consumption, Endangered Species Act, genetic modification of food,
climate change, drug approval process, mad cow disease, and stem cell research.
American Association for the Advancement of Science: September 30,
2004
www.aaas.org/election/
U.S. Presidential Election 2004: The Candidates Views on Science
A 90-minute audio cast of a candidate forum on science issues with representatives from
the two campaigns.
