| April 16, 1996 |
After a two-week recess, Congress reconvened this week. House-Senate conferees are expected to resume discussion of the "omnibus" appropriations bill (H.R. 3019) to finalize budgets for the Department of Education and selected other federal departments for the remainder of fiscal year 1996 (which ends September 30). Decisions must be made and a bill sent to the President before the current continuing resolution expires April 24 to avoid still another short-term continuing resolution. By next week, we hope to be able to report details of Congressional agreement on the Department of Education's budget.In the meantime, Assistant Secretaries from the Department of Education appear this week before the House Labor-HHS-ED Appropriations Subcommittee to testify on the President's request for the next fiscal year (FY 97).
House and Senate Budget Committees begin marking up their respective fiscal year 1997 budget resolutions next week. Eventually, both Houses must pass one budget resolution (though it does not require the signature of the President). This resolution will set forth Congress's priorities for Appropriations Committees -- and the general framework for Congress's annual budgets -- from FY 1997 through FY 2002.
Wisconsin, which last week became the 40th state to receive 2nd-year Goals 2000 funding, used 1st-year funds to make 26 grants helping more than 94 school districts. The biggest award went to three districts developing lifelong learning and academic standards. The grant is being used by the districts -- Ashwaubenon, Green Bay, and Howard- Suamico -- to add nearly two dozen additional school districts to their partnership, and to support new management approaches in schools. Another 1st-year grant is helping Lake Country and a consortium of five other districts offer professional development for teachers in technology and school-to-work. Performance-based assessments and cross- district/cross-grade portfolios are also being developed with this grant.
On Friday, April 12, Secretary Riley announced 12 winners of the Secretary's 1995 Award for Outstanding Vocational-Technical Education Programs. The 12 programs provide instruction in a range of fields, including mechanical engineering technology, automotive technology, and health occupations. They were selected from local vocational-technical education programs, services, and activities supported under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act.Descriptions and contacts for the 12 programs, as well as the process and criteria used in selecting them, are available in an April 12 press release at: http://www.ed.gov/news.html#pr or gopher.ed.gov -> Bulletins, Announcements, and Press Releases.
How can communities across the U.S. use the information superhighway and new technologies to improve teaching and learning, and enhance economic competitiveness? Last week in the Federal Register (April 11), the Challenge Grants for Technology in Education program issued a notice inviting consortia of local education agencies (LEAs) and others to answer that question. To be eligible, consortia must include at least one LEA with a high percentage or number of children living below the poverty line. Consortia may also include other LEAs, state education agencies, institutions of higher education, businesses, academic content experts, software designers, museums, libraries, and others. A participating LEA must submit the application on behalf of the consortium. June 21 is the deadline.About $23 million is expected to be available for supporting an estimated 23 awards. (These funds would come from the Department's final fiscal year 1996 appropriation. As of this writing, under the current continuing resolution, no funds are provided for the program.)
Additional information -- including two Federal Register notices and the application package -- are available online at:
- http://web.fie.com/htdoc/fed/ito/any/any/menu/any/tlcin dex.htm
- http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/1996-2/041196b.html
- http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/1996-2/041196c.html
- http://www.ed.gov/Technology/challenge/
"Improving Results for All Students Through a Unified System of Education" is the focus of the Office of Special Education's Spring Leadership Conference April l5-l9 at the Capitol Holiday Inn, SW. Participants include state directors of special education, parents, researchers, Members of Congress, and ED staff.The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of l996 await Floor action in the Senate. The Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources had approved them unanimously, as amended, on March 2l. The House draft bill is being revised for Subcommittee markup, which is scheduled for April 24. Full Committee markup is currently expected the week of April 29.
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Last Updated -- April 9, 1996, (pjk)
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