A quick look at the news from last week, compiled by Penn Hill Group:

BUDGET

The House Budget Committee passed the FY2016 Budget Resolution. Chairman Tom Price (R-GA) made a statement highlighting the passage and said he plans to bring the budget to the Floor for full House consideration next week.  Ranking Member Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) released a statement in opposition to the Committee approved Resolution.

The Senate Budget Committee passed the Senate Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2016. Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) released a statement highlighting this as an important first step and stating he looks forward to this resolution being considered by the full Senate next week. Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT) issued a press release in response to the Committee passed resolution.

ADMINISTRATION

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) released a proposed priority for the Investing in Innovation Fund (i3) that implements language in the conference report accompanying the 2015 Omnibus Appropriations bill on high school reform and redesign.

ED announced six grant awards through the Charter Schools Program’s National Leadership Activities Program. The Department stated these grants, totaling $4.1 million, will strengthen charter schools and charter school authorizers while improving these schools’ capacity to serve English learners and students with disabilities.

ED’s National Center for Education Statistics released new data that indicates the graduation rates for black and Hispanic students increased by nearly four percentage points from 2011 to 2013, decreasing the gap in graduation rates between minority and white students.

Politico Pro reported that while on a panel at the National Lieutenant Governors Association’s 2015 federal-state relations meeting, Deputy Under Secretary of Education Jamienne Studley said the first full version of the federal college ratings system will be released by August 2015.