A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

America Goes Back to School - August 1995

Need Financial Assistance? Your Schools May Qualify for Funding

Funds and other resources may be available to help make your America Goes Back to School program a success. The following provides information on how to get funding.

Helping children to learn the basics and core academic subjects:

Title I of the Improving America's Schools Act (the reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act) provides resources to schools impacted by poverty to strengthen programs in the basic and core academics. In addition to funding, Title I also encourages the creation of school-parent compacts in half of the nation's schools. In these compacts, schools and parents agree on learning goals for students and both state what each will do to help children reach these goals. (See the Sample Compact, Support The Family Involvement Partnership For Learning .) A new Eisenhower Professional Development Program for teachers is also part of the Improving America's Schools Act. This program provides high quality and sustained teacher training in all core subjects. The Eisenhower program is important because better teaching is often the key to successful school improvement efforts. For information about Title I, call 202-260-0826. For more information on school-parent compacts, call 202-260-0965. The Goals 2000: Educate America Act also encourages better teaching and learning and parental involvement. For information about Goals 2000, see "Raising Standards of Achievement and Discipline," below.

Creating safe and drug-free schools:

The Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act provides funding to help schools install metal detectors and hire security guards, develop violence prevention programs, and deal with drug abuse. The act offers schools districts the flexibility to design their own comprehensive school safety programs and coordinate them with community agencies. For information, call 202-260-3954.

Making college more accessible:

Preparing your child or grandchild for college includes both academic and financial preparation. The U. S. Department of Education supplies half of the financial aid to college students in the United States. Through Pell Grants, TRIO programs, new Direct Student Loans, and other programs, the Department helps millions of students, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to get a college education. The Department also offers helpful publications. Preparing Your Child for College helps families to select courses their children should take in high school to prepare for college. Parents also learn how to calculate the cost of various college options. The Student Guide offers information about the Department's financial aid programs, as well as information about the new AmeriCorps national service program, which allows students to earn college tuition for community work. For financial aid information, including facts about the Department's new Direct Student Loans, call 1-800-4-FEDAID. For publications, call 1-800-USA-LEARN.

Getting technology and computers into classrooms:

Challenge Grants for Technology in Education provide funding to communities to support the development and innovative use of technology to enhance learning. Challenge grants help communities to turn their schools into information age learning centers. Applications for grants must be developed by a consortium that includes at least one local educational agency with a high percentage or number of children living below the poverty line. Other members of the consortium can be state educational agencies, institutions of higher education, businesses, software designers, museums, libraries, or other appropriate organizations. The application must be submitted by a local educational agency. The first step is to submit a letter of intent to apply. Address letters to: Interagency Technology Task Force, U. S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, D. C. 20202-5544. For information, call 202-708-6001. The Star Schools Program is another effort that supports the work of telecommunications partnerships. Partnerships can acquire facilities and equipment and produce and distribute educational programming. For information, call 202-219-2186 or 202-219-2267.

Raising standards of achievement and discipline:

The Goals 2000: Educate America Act provides funding to help schools raise academic and occupational skill standards, lift student achievement, encourage greater parental involvement, put computers into classrooms, and improve classroom teaching and discipline. Goals 2000 helps prepare all students for success in the 21st century. It encourages communities to create their own locally developed school improvement plans. For information, call your state education department or 202-401-0039.

School-to-work opportunities:

Funds are available to help states and communities to develop school-to-work programs that prepare students for careers and further education after graduation from high school. School-to-work is particularly valuable for the 75% of all students who will not get four-year college degrees and who need to have marketable job skills right after high school. Students in these programs (apprenticeships, Tech Prep, and others) get a high-quality education in the classroom and spend part of their time in the workplace getting hands-on work experience. The School-to-Work Opportunities Act provides seed money to communities and states to develop these programs and encourages businesses and schools to form partnerships to offer these programs to students. For more information, call your state education department or the School-to-Work Opportunities Information Center at 202-260-7278.

Other resources that are available from the U. S. Department of Education include:


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