In the Know
K-12 and Higher Education

NEA higher ed members can use the reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act to build partnerships between their institutions and their K-12 colleagues.

While the reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) seems to offer more consequences than rewards for K-12 schools, the federal law does offer some opportunities for higher education.

In many ways, ESEA can help colleges and universities expand their partnerships with local school districts, says Hazel Loucks, an organizational specialist for NEA’s Affiliate Capacity Building department. The federal law funds school-college partnerships that focus on professional development for teachers, paraprofessionals, and principals.

"ESEA talks about improving the overall school climate,” says Loucks. “It talks about leadership, highly qualified teachers, and requirements for paraprofessionals. This is a good opportunity for higher education to offer its expertise.”

Four-year colleges and universities can lead the way in improving the overall educational climate by ensuring that teacher education programs produce teachers who meet the “highly qualified” standards of the federal law. Two-year colleges can design degree programs and offer professional development to help paraprofessionals meet new federal qualifications.

Some, like NEA-represented John A. Logan Community College in Illinois and Mercer County Community College in New Jersey, already offer relevant classes for paraprofessionals at sites in their local school districts.

As a side benefit, ESEA has improved the relationship between many two- and four-year colleges as well, Loucks says. Consequently, many schools have refined their partnerships so students can transfer more coursework from a community college to a four-year college or university.

Rather than contract with for-profit companies for expertise, school districts and state departments of education can benefit from the research and policy knowledge higher education institutions offer. “One thing schools don’t know how to do is interpret data,” says Loucks. “That’s where I can see higher education being a real partner.”

Four-year institutions can help schools analyze testing data for the various subgroups in their student populations and track how well they meet annual performance targets—tasks districts must perform under the federal law. In addition, higher education institutions can provide research on successful accountability systems, curricula, and even instructional practices.