****Begin File******************Begin File*******************Begin File**** *************************************************************************** ISSN 1069-7799 ALAWON ALA Washington Office Newsline An electronic publication of the American Library Association Washington Office Volume 3, Number 10 March 3, 1994 In this issue: (182 lines) SCHOOL LIBRARY ASSISTANCE INCLUDED IN ESEA REAUTHORIZATION *************************************************************************** SCHOOL LIBRARY ASSISTANCE INCLUDED IN ESEA REAUTHORIZATION HR 6, the bill to extend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act for another five years, was approved by the House Education and Labor Committee on February 16. Floor action on HR 6 began February 23 and a final vote was expected on March 1. Republican members on the Committee, led by Rep. Bill Goodling (R-PA), expressed their concerns in the committee report about the many new programs created in the bill. Rep. Boehner (R-OH) has offered amendments to strip the new portions of the bill. A quick review of the 901-page bill and its 734-page report (H. Rept. 103-425) provides the following highlights: * The bill includes dedicated assistance for school library media resources as Title II, Part C, Library Media Program. In order for a state to receive an allocation of funds, a state plan must be developed, which would take into consideration the "relative need of the students, school media specialists, and teachers to be served." The report language details the sad state of school library media collections, with average copyright dates of 1965, and concludes: "Good libraries help students develop important research and analytical skills that are essential to reaching the National Educational Goals." The authorization level for FY95 would be set at $200,000,000, with "such sums as may be necessary" for FY96-99. This section of HR 6 incorporates the earmarked funds for school library media resources provision of HR 1151, the Elementary and Secondary School Library Media Act introduced by Rep. Jack Reed (D-RI). * Title II, Improving Teaching and Learning, includes under Part A, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Professional Development Program, which has as its purpose to "ensure that teachers, other staff, and administrators have access to sustained and intensive high- quality professional development that is aligned to challenging State content and performance standards in the core academic subjects..." The Secretary of Education is authorized to support "efforts to train teachers in the innovative uses and applications of technology to enhance student learning." From an authorized level of $800,000,000 for FY95 and such sums for FY96- 99, the Secretary would be authorized to use 5 percent for federal activities and 95 percent for state and local activities. Each local educational agency would be required to provide at least one-third of the cost of any program. Allowable activities include "professional development of teachers, principals, and other instructional staff who work directly with children." * Title II-B, Technology Education Assistance, states as its purpose: "to support a comprehensive system for the acquisition and use by elementary and secondary schools in the United States of technology and technology-enhanced curricula, instruction, and administrative support resources and services to improve the delivery of educational services." Formula-based allotments to each state would be distributed as follows: 70 percent to local educational agencies, 20 percent to institutions of higher education, and 10 percent to state library agencies to support literacy and library programs. State library administrative agencies are to use the greater percentage of these funds to "support collaborative activity among libraries, literacy programs, and local educational agencies." State library agencies may use 10 percent for costs incurred in evaluation of the programs and administrative costs. Libraries are to use funds in this section for "(A) developing programs that help libraries, local educational agencies, and literacy programs use technology to share services and resources and develop collaborative activities that improve their performance and that of the students in academic and work skill areas; and (B) professional development for library, literacy, and other appropriate personnel to improve their skills in the use of educational technology and telecommunications." The authorization level for this part would be $300,000,000 for FY95 and "such sums as may be necessary" for FY96-99. * Subpart 2 of Part B, Research, Development, and Demonstration of Educational Technology, would establish an Office of Educational Technology in the Department of Education, and provide authority for that office to develop pilot projects in uses of technology in "pre-school education, elementary and secondary education, training and lifelong learning, and professional development of educational personnel," as well as development and evaluation of software and other products including television that incorporate advances in technology and help achieve the National Education Goals and challenging State standards. The authorized level for this subpart would be such sums as may be necessary for FY95-99. * Subpart 3 of Part B, Star Schools Program, would reauthorize the Star Schools program and promote the use of distance learning strategies to improve both teaching and learning. * Subpart 4 of Part B, Development of Educational Technology Products, includes establishment of a venture capital fund to support the development of innovative educational software and other technology-based learning resources by partnerships between private industry and educational agencies. The authorized level would be $50,000,000 for FY95 and "such sums as may be necessary" for FY96-99. * The current Chapter I would become Title I, Improved Education for Disadvantaged Children, and would include reauthorization of the Even Start Program, education of migratory children, prevention and intervention services for delinquent youth and youth at risk, and federal evaluation projects. The bill, in Title I, does not reauthorize the program for children with disabilities under the current Chapter 1 program. Title III-A of the bill would amend the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to ensure that the programs funded under the Chapter 1 program will be supported under IDEA. * The Chapter 2 School Block Grant would appear in a new form as Title II, Part E, Education Program Strategies, which cites as its purpose: to support local education reform efforts consistent with statewide reform efforts under Goals 2000; support for state and local efforts to accomplish the National Education Goals; provision of funding to enable state and local educational agencies to implement promising educational reform programs; provision of a continuing source of "innovation, educational improvement, and support for library services and instructional materials, including media materials" and to meet the special educational needs of at risk and high cost students. Authorization levels would be $435,000,000 for FY95 and "such sums as may be necessary" for FY96-99. * Subpart 4 of Part E, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, lists 13 eligible uses of funds, including "expanded library service hours to serve community needs." Local educational agencies may choose to develop programs working with local governmental agencies, businesses, vocational education programs, community colleges, universities, cultural, recreational, and other community and human service entities. The legislation describes Community Learning Centers as being "primarily in rural and inner city areas." Authorization levels are those which occur in Title II, Part E, Education Program Strategies. Numerous other elementary/secondary education programs would be amended and reauthorized in HR 6, including programs for the Inexpensive Book Distribution Program, Magnet Schools Assistance, the Women's Educational Equity Act, Impact Aid, School Facilities Improvement, and the National Center for Education Statistics. The total authorization for the bill as estimated by the Congressional Budget Office and listed in the committee report is $12,386,000,000. ACTION NEEDED: The final vote on HR 6 is expected any day now. Contact House members to urge their rejection of the Boehner amendment, and any other which would strip the library provisions from the bill. *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is an irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office, 110 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC 20002-5675. 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