================================================================= ALAWON Volume 7, Number 67 ISSN 1069-7799 June 12, 1998 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: (155 lines) - ATTENTION SCHOOL AND PUBLIC LIBRARIANS: ELEMENTARY/SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT TO BE REAUTHORIZED IN 1999 - AMERICA READS TRAINING CONFERENCES ANNOUNCED _________________________________________________________________ ATTENTION SCHOOL AND PUBLIC LIBRARIANS: ELEMENTARY/SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT TO BE REAUTHORIZED IN 1999 Authorization for Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) programs expires September 30, 1999. Information gathering by the U.S. Department of Education is the first step in the legislative process, a process which will also involve Congressional requests for information and hearings. In the June 2 Federal Register [v.63, no. 105, pp. 30055-30062], the Department's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education published a request for public comment on the reauthorization of ESEA. Comments must be received by the Department on or before Friday, July 17, 1998. Respondents are requested to address specific questions listed in the Federal Register, identify each response by number, and include possible legislative language for improvement. The categories are: (1) Federal support for State and local school reform including questions addressing implementing standards in the classroom through professional development, technology to support teaching and learning, and targeting resources; (2) Strategies for addressing the needs of children most at risk of failing to meet State standards; and (3) School environments conducive for learning including questions addressing Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities, parental involvement, extending learning opportunities before and after school, and school facilities. The full text of the notice can be accessed electronically at http://ocfo.ed.gov/gophroot/4fedreg/5other/060298a.txt. Written comments should be addressed to Judith Johnson, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Ave., S.W. (Portals Building, Room 4000), Washington, D.C. 20202-6132. Electronic responses may be sent to Frances_Shadburn@ed.gov. For further information contact: Frances Shadburn at the address above or call (202) 401-0113. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339. The Department will also hold a series of regional meetings July 8-15 for comments. Locations of the meetings are: July 8 at the Hotel Inter-Continental in Los Angeles; July 10 at the Radisson Hotel in Chicago; July 13 at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston; and July 15 at the Terrace Garden Hotel in Atlanta. Consult the Federal Register (pg. 30061) for specific details. The ALA Washington Office would appreciate receiving copies of any comments members forward to the U.S. Department of Education (Please send your comments Attn: Mary Costabile, Asst. Director, ALA Washington Office, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW #403, Washington, D.C. 20004 or e-mail: mrc@alawash.org). Mary Costabile will be discussing ESEA reauthorization at ALA annual conference at the AASL/ALSC/YALSA joint executive meeting on Thursday, June 26 from 7-9pm in Room 13 of the Washington Convention Center. All ALA members are welcome to attend. _________________________________________________________________ AMERICA READS TRAINING CONFERENCES ANNOUNCED The U.S. Department of Education, in partnership with nine regional education laboratories, is planning 16 America Reads training conferences from July through September 1998. The America Reads Challenge (http://www.ed.gov/inits/americareads/) calls on all Americans to support teachers and help ensure that every American child can read well and independently by the end of 3rd grade. The Department is encouraging states and communities to develop literacy partnerships among Federal Work-Study programs in colleges and universities, schools and libraries, businesses and public and private agencies and community organizations. Priority registration will be given to teams of trainers and coordinators from partnerships involved with or planning a tutoring program. If you are interested in participating in one of the conferences, contact the nearest regional coordinator below: (1) NORTHEAST AND ISLANDS REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL LABORATORY AT BROWN UNIVERSITY -- New York, NY from July 27-28; Boston, MA from July 30-31. Contact: Elizabeth Macdonald (401) 274-9548, ext. 322, Elizabeth_Macdonald@brown.edu (2) MID-ATLANTIC LABORATORY FOR STUDENT SUCCESS -- Washington, D.C. from August 31-September 1. Contact: Evelyn Klein (215) 204-3000, eklein@astro.ocis.temple.edu (3) APPALACHIA EDUCATIONAL LABORATORY -- Nashville, TN from July 31-August 1. Contact: Lois Haid (703) 558-2245, haidl@ael.org (4) SOUTHEASTERN REGIONAL VISION FOR EDUCATION -- Chapel Hill, NC from July 30-31; Atlanta, GA from August 27-28; Orlando, FL from September 10-11. Contact: Beth Garriss (336) 574-3892, bgserve@aol.com (5) NORTH CENTRAL REGIONAL LABORATORY -- Detroit, MI from July 23-24; Minneapolis, MN from August 6-7, Chicago, IL from August 13-14. Contact: Gaye Zarazinski (630) 571-4700, gzarazin@ncrel.org (6) SOUTHWEST EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LABORATORY -- San Antonio, TX from August 12-13. Contact: Dr. Stephen Marble (512)476-6861, smarble@sedl.org (7) MID-CONTINENT REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL LABORATORY -- Denver, CO from August 13-14. Contact: Michael Arnold (303) 632-5501, marnold@mcrel.org (8) WESTED -- Phoenix, AZ from August 27-28; San Francisco, CA from August 31-September 1; Los Angeles, CA from September 9-10. Contact: Beverly Farr (415) 565-3009, bfarr@wested.org (9) NORTHWEST REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL LABORATORY -- Seattle, WA from September 9-10. Contact: Jana Potter (503) 275-0120, potterj@nwrel.org _________________________________________________________________ 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: Mary Costabile All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. =================================================================