================================================================= ALAWON Volume 6, Number 65 ISSN 1069-7799 July 30, 1997 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: ( lines) APPROPRIATIONS BILLS: EL/SEC EDUCATION & READING PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS _________________________________________________________________ APPROPRIATIONS BILLS: EL/SEC EDUCATION & READING PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Both House and Senate Appropriations Committees have issued their bills (H.R. 2264 and S. 1061) and reports (H. Rept. 105-205 and S. Rept. 105-58) on the FY98 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations. A previous ALAWON discussed details of the Library Services and Technology Act funding. This issue highlights elementary and secondary education programs of particular interest to school library media specialists, as well as reading programs of interest to both school and public librarians. Both bills must be passed by their respective chambers; a House- Senate conference process will resolve differences after the congressional August recess. Programs highlighted below had provisions or commentary of special interest. Future ALAWON issues will cover details on other programs of interest in these bills. AMERICA READS CHALLENGE. The Appropriations Committees say very little about this as-yet unauthorized program, referring to it only as a "literacy initiative" or "child literacy initiative." Both bills include $260 million, the amount requested, in anticipation of the passage of "child literacy initiatives consistent with the goals and the concepts of the President's America Reads Program." Funds reserved for this purpose would depend on enactment of legislation by April 1, 1988, and would not be available until fiscal year 1999. Under the House bill, the funds revert to special education programs if these conditions are not met. ESEA VI. For state grants under the Innovative Education Program Strategies, the House bill would increase funding to $350 million. The Senate bill would provide $310 million, the same as current funding. The President requested no funds for this program, the former Chapter 2 block grant under which many schools use funds to acquire school library materials. According to H. Rept. 105-205: "The Committee strongly supports this program which provides funding, without bureaucratic strings, to state and local educational agencies..." In another section discussing the Goals 2000 program, the report states: "The Committee generally supports the use of broad funding sources to provide maximum discretion for local districts in the use of Federal funding and believes that reform efforts can be carried out better and with fewer Federal strings in the title VI program." S. Rept. 105-58 specifically notes that "funds may be used for acquisition of instructional materials such as library books, curricular materials, and computer software and hardware; ...combating illiteracy among children and adults; ...and reform activities consistent with Goals 2000." 21ST CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTERS. The House bill would provide $50 million for this program, but the Senate bill only $1 million. This is a new program, begun this year with $1 million; the Administration proposed $50 million for after school learning centers. The House Appropriations Committee description of the program and the Committee's intent have such potential for school library media centers and public libraries that several paragraphs from H. Rept. 105-205 are quoted below: The President has proposed to vastly expand this program: essentially to create new demonstration grant program to stimulate and expand significant after- school learning programs available to young people. The request would support a grant competition for 200-300 new learning centers. These after-school learning centers would help rural and inner-city public schools to stay open after school hours and serve as safe, neighborhood learning centers where students can do their homework and obtain tutoring and mentoring services. The centers would provide learning activities in safe and constructive environments, under adult supervision. While the Committee supports the development of these programs, it is concerned about the ability of the Committee to sustain funding in future years for this new initiative in light of growing elementary and secondary enrollments, which may generate additional funding requirements for core education programs like compensatory education for the disadvantaged and education for children with disabilities. It is in the intent of the Committee to discontinue funding after fiscal year 1999 in the absence of a new authorization specifically addressing after-school learning centers. The Committee believes that this program could best achieve its goals if schools are given the freedom to develop consortia with public libraries. Accordingly, the Committee encourages the Secretary to give favorable consideration to consortia that involve the innovative programs of libraries. In addition, the Committee believes that applicants that propose to use community learning centers as a place where extra reading and literacy help can be provided to children who are at risk of falling behind in their reading skills should have a high priority for funding, consistent with the goals of the President's reading initiative. While the Committee recognizes that consistent with the authorization of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers, it is the intention of the Department to award grants to rural and inner-city public schools, the Committee urges the Secretary to consider, in addition, applicants from non-rural or inner city schools that will use these funds to serve at-risk communities. TECHNOLOGY LITERACY CHALLENGE FUND. The House bill would provide $460 million for this el/sec education technology program, an increase over current funding of $260 million and $35 million above the Administration's request. The Senate bill would provide the budget request of $425 million. Both Appropriations Committees, in their reports, note that funds are used to enhance students' critical thinking skills, support training for teachers (and school library media specialists), connect classrooms to the information superhighway, and purchase computers and software. They also urge the Secretary of Education to give consideration in making these awards to school districts around the country that exemplify high concentrations of at-risk youth, empowerment zones, and enhanced enterprise communities. Separately, the House bill would provide $75 million, and the Senate bill $116 million, for educational technology innovative challenge grants. This program provides support for partnerships among educators, business and industry, and other organizations in the community (such as libraries) to develop innovative new applications of technology and community plans for fully integrating technology into schools. SCHOOL FACILITIES. The Senate bill, but not the House bill, would provide $40 million for "Federal grant funding for the repair, renovation, alteration, and construction of public elementary and secondary school libraries, media centers, and facilities used for academic or vocational instruction," with priority to the neediest. _________________________________________________________________ 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 listproc @ala.org. To unsubscribe, send the message: unsubscribe ala-wo to listproc@ala.org. ALAWON archives at http://www.ala.org/ washoff/alawon. Visit our Web site at http://www.alawash.org. ALA Washington Office 202.628.8410 (V) 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #403 202.628.8419 (F) Washington, DC 20004-1701 800.941.8478 (V) Lynne E. Bradley, Editor Deirdre Herman, Managing Editor Contributors: Carol C. Henderson Claudette W. 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