================================================================= ALAWON Volume 5, Number 72 ISSN 1069-7799 October 8, 1996 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: (152 lines) ELEMENTARY / SECONDARY EDUCATION FUNDING INCREASES IN FY97 INCREASES PROVIDE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCHOOL LIBRARIES SCHOOL LIBRARY PROGRAM DELETED LC ANNOUNCES THE NATIONAL DIGITAL LIBRARY COMPETITION ALA AND DEPT OF EDUCATION ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP FOR LITERACY _____________________________________________________________________________ ELEMENTARY / SECONDARY EDUCATION FUNDING INCREASES IN FY97 In the final days of the 104th Congress, after a year which saw two government shutdowns largely over funding for education, Congress saw the wisdom in this election year in funding education programs at or near the levels requested in President Clinton's FY97 budget. The resulting increases in various elementary and secondary education programs are detailed below: PROGRAM FY 1996 ADMIN. FY97 HSE. FY97 SEN. FY 1997 (in thousands) APPROP. REQ.FY97 PASSED COMMITTEE FINAL . Goals 2000 school reform $ 350,000 $ 491,000 0 $ 355,000 $ 491,000 Educ. for disadv. school children 6,730,348 7,165,000 6,751,348 6,730,348 7,194,099 Even start 101,997 102,000 101,997 101,997 101,997 Professional development 275,000 610,000 0 275,000 310,000 Program. innovation (ESEA VI, old Ch. 2) 275,000 0 606,517 275,000 310,000 Safe/drug-free schools 465,971 540,000 440,978 555,978 555,978 Inexpensive book distrib. (RIF) 10,265 9,000 9,000 10,265 10,265 Head start 3,569,329 3,981,000 3,600,000 3,600,000 3,981,000 Technology for educ. 48,000 325,000 48,000 48,000 266,965 Star schools 23,000 25,000 0 23,000 30,000 Ready to learn TV 6,440 7,000 0 6,440 7,000 Telecom demonstration for math 1,035 0 0 1,035 1,035 Conferees were concerned about large increases for educational technology programs and the Department of Education's ability to manage a 500% increase in the Educational Technology Program. The concern stemmed from House Subcommittee hearings in which the Department was unable to determine the total funding already committed to technology or identify specific, measurable improvements in student performance as a result of funding. Conferees, concurring with the President's request, asked for assurance from the Department that funding for the Education Technology Program lead to achieving measurable goals--goals which should enable all students to become technologically literate and develop critical communication, math, science and critical thinking skills needed in the 21st century. _____________________________________________________________________________ INCREASES PROVIDE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCHOOL LIBRARIES Increases in elementary and secondary education programs present many opportunities for school libraries to reap benefits of technology programs this year. It is critical that school librarians become very involved and central to the process of any grant proposals being developed by their school for these funds. It will be important to plan, to know what is needed, and to explain the need to school officials. The Department of Education--especially the Office of Educational Technology--will be under Congressional pressure to spend wisely. It is consistent with the legislative language in Goals 2000 to improve school library materials to support the national education goals. Many school libraries already get funding from the Title VI block grant. There is a large increase in Safe and Drug Free Schools dollars, an area that should be supported by library resource materials in each school. The professional development program is increased to $310 million. This title includes legislative language saying school librarians are included in training for technology. If this is not happening in your state, find out who is receiving training by contacting your state school library association. The Improving America's Schools Act title VI (program innovation, the former Chapter 2 block grant) receives a $35 million increase, to $310 million. The Department of Education estimates that 40 percent of these funds are currently spent on school library resources and instructional materials. If that percentage holds, it will mean $124 million for school library resources and instructional materials. It could be more or less next school year. School districts have discretion in how funds are used; school library resources is one of several eligible uses. Thanks in part to ALA's work on the Improving America's Schools Act, the current School Technology Resources program specifies providing training to school library media personnel and including them in the technology planning process. Two rounds of challenge grants have been awarded by this office, so there will be information about what school or school district received one. More challenge grants are expected to be awarded, but $200 million of the new funds are expected to be sent out to the states. State education departments then award competitive grants to local schools, based on need and other factors. If you do not know about the technology for education title, contact the Department of Education Learning Technology Office at 202-208-3882 to receive information about applying for the grants. More information about past programs and applications are available at the U.S. Department of Education Technology Initiatives web page . _____________________________________________________________________________ SCHOOL LIBRARY PROGRAM DELETED The final omnibus appropriations bill in which the Library Services and Technology Act was included--and through which education programs were funded--caused the sunset or deletion of numerous unfunded programs. Included in the repeal was the unfunded Improving America's Schools Act Title III-F--the school library media resources program enacted at the end of the previous Congress. Since the Administration never requested funds nor had Congress funded the program, it appeared on the deletion list. ALA worked hard to avoid this deletion, but in the end it appeared in the more than 3000 page omnibus bill to be repealed. House and Senate Committees reasoned that it was important to take all unfunded programs off the books. _____________________________________________________________________________ LC ANNOUNCES THE NATIONAL DIGITAL LIBRARY COMPETITION The Library of Congress is accepting applications for the 1996-97 National Digital Library Competition (see the Federal Register, Vol. 61, No. 190; September 30, 1996, pp.51130-31). The Library, with a gift from Ameritech, is sponsoring an open competition to enable United States public, research, and academic libraries, museums, historical societies and archival institutions (except Federal institutions) to create digital collections of primary resource material for distribution on the Internet. In the 1996-97 competition, applications will be limited to collections of textual and graphic materials that illuminate the period 1850-1920 and that complement and enhance the American Memory collections already mounted in the National Digital Library. Awards will range from $50,000 to $75,000 for projects that can be accomplished in twelve to eighteen months. Repositories in the United States with collections of primary resource material that are significant for education and research in United States history and culture are encouraged to apply. Applications must be postmarked by November 1, 1996. For more information contact Barbara A. Paulson at 202.707.2087; fax 202.707.6336 or e-mail bpau@loc.gov. The Library of Congress/Ameritech National Digital Library Competition home page is located at . _____________________________________________________________________________ ALA AND DEPT OF EDUCATION ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP FOR LITERACY ALA President Mary Somerville and Secretary of Education Richard Riley have announced a joint partnership between the American Library Association and the U.S. Department of Education. Details are still being worked out, but will include public and school library involvement in reading and literacy programs for children and families and promoting the use of information technology through libraries. ______________________________________________________________________________ ALAWON is a free, irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office. To subscribe, send the message "subscribe ala-wo [your_firstname] [your_lastname]" to . ALAWON archives gopher.ala.org; select ALA Washington Office Newsline. Visit our Web site at . ALA Washington Office 202.628.8410 (V) 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #403 202.628.8419 (F) Washington, DC 20004-1701 Lynne E. Bradley, Editor Contributors: Carol C. Henderson Mary C. Costabile Deirdre A. Herman All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. ===========================================