Lex Frieden, Chairperson
February 2006

The Bulletin, which is free of charge and at NCD’s award-winning Web site (www.ncd.gov), brings you the latest issues and news affecting people with disabilities. To subscribe to the NCD listserv, go to http://listserv.access.gpo.gov, click on Online mailing list archives, select NCD-NEWS-L, click on Join or leave the list, then complete the short subscription form. Please send your editorial comments to Bulletin editor Mark S. Quigley (mquigley@ncd.gov).

NCD Research Opportunities

On February 28, NCD published a research opportunity for an Educational Outcomes for Students with Disabilities study (http://www.ncd.gov/research_opportunity/outcomes.htm).

NCD is seeking researchers to conduct a formal evaluation of the implementation of both the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Thanks to IDEA and its push for increased access to education for students with disabilities, and NCLBA, with its push for improved student outcomes, educators across the United States are reexamining their practices to find ways to close the achievement gaps between groups of students. Students with disabilities are a focus of this attention, as schools and states labor to improve the academic outcomes of these children. Policymakers are studying both the reauthorization of IDEA and the ongoing implementation of NCLBA to determine the most effective means for serving students with disabilities. Ample time has passed since the passage of NCLBA and the reauthorization of IDEA for this research to be undertaken.

The closing date for full proposals is May 1, 2006.

If you have difficulty accessing this announcement electronically, please contact Martin Gould, Ed.D., at 202-272-2112 or mgould@ncd.gov.

NCLB Commission Announced

On February 14, former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson and former Georgia Governor Roy E. Barnes unveiled the bipartisan independent Commission on No Child Left Behind. Congress is scheduled to begin reauthorization of NCLBA in 2007. Over the next 12 to 18 months the Commission will conduct a high-level, independent, and bipartisan analysis of NCLB.

The Commission will use several means to gather information and public input for its recommendations. These include hosting five national hearings focusing on teachers, assessments, accountability, and sanctions and incentives. Another key element in the Commission’s efforts will be its Web site, www.nclbcommission.org. This Web site provides the general public, educators, policymakers, and researchers with background information on NCLBA; updates on Commission activities such as future hearings and reports; and state by state academic achievement data. A special feature of this Web site is its interactivity, which allows users to submit their concerns, ideas, and thoughts about NCLB directly to the Commission. Last, the Commission staff will issue a series of white papers that highlight key NCLB policy issues. These papers will be available on the Commission Web site.

Katrina Follow-up

On February 23, the President’s Homeland Security Council released its report to the President, titled The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned (http://www.whitehouse.gov/reports/katrina-lessons-learned/index.html). The report identifies deficiencies in the Federal Government’s response, makes recommendations, and provides the best solutions to address the problems.

Legislative Update

On February 7, H.R. 4704, the Emergency Preparedness and Response for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2006, was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. This legislation addresses the needs of individuals with disabilities in emergency planning requirements and relief efforts in the event of a major disaster. The bill also increases the accessibility of replacement housing built with federal funds after Hurricane Katrina and other major disasters.

The bill was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and to the Committee on Small Business. The Speaker of the House will determine which of the two committees will handle the various provisions of the bill.

On February 8, the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 became law. It included the Money-Follows-the-Person Demonstration Project. The act authorizes demonstration projects under which the Federal Government will award competitive grants to states to provide long-term care services in the home or community for Medicaid recipients who used to be in nursing homes. The grants would pay a higher share of costs than under current law (78 percent versus 57 percent, on average) for the first 12 months. The grants provide a total of $1.8 billion in funding over five years and take effect on January 1, 2007.

Disability and Health Congressional Briefing

On March 16, the Association of University Centers on Disabilities will brief the House Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus on the rate of disabilities from state to state and the differences in health status of people with disabilities. The briefing will be held in 121 Cannon House Office Building in Washington, DC, from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. For more information, please contact Kim Musheno at kmusheno@aucd.org or by at 301-588-8252.