On April 1, the Senate Committee on Labor & Human Resources reported out its bill for reauthorizing the Higher Education Act (HEA). Unlike its counterpart, reported out by the House Committee on Education & the Workforce last month, the Senate bill does not include the President's High Hopes for College Initiative; however, Senators agreed to continue discussions on the initiative as the bill moves to the floor. For more information on High Hopes for College, please see: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/PPI/highhopes.html
The House Commmittee, in its version of the bill, voted to withdraw federal support from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Secretary Riley said it was "a tragic mistake," noting that "State leaders of both parties support the National Board." He pointed out that his predecessor, Lamar Alexander, who served as Secretary of Education under President Bush, recently called the NBPTS process "the best evaluation available now for teachers." The NBPTS is developing assessments that measure the skills & knowledge of teachers in more than 30 certificate areas. The Senate committee's companion bill did not include this provision. The bills are expected to be considered by the full House & Senate later this month. For more information on the reauthorization of the HEA, please see: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/PPI/Reauthor/ For the Secretary's press release regarding the NBPTS, see: http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/03-1998/teach.html For information on the NBPTS, see: http://www.nbpts.org
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Join Vice President Gore for "Making After-School Count," a live national teleconference featuring model after-school programs & local efforts that work. The teleconference will be broadcast live from New Orleans (LA) on Thursday, April 16, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Eastern time. Panelists will discuss ways to build community partnerships to support quality before- & after-school programs, identify private & public funding sources, increase access for families in middle-and low-income neighborhoods, & keep school buildings open longer to provide quality extended learning programs. For satellite coordinates, registration & other information, please call 1-800-USA-LEARN or visit: http://www.ed.gov/21stcclc/21centur.html
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On April 7, 1998, the Department is sponsoring a national teleconference & local town meeting from noon to 4:30 p.m. Eastern time, "Policy & Promise: Community Colleges & Technology." This special half-day event will examine local, state & national policies & initiatives that could enhance the role of community colleges as resources for improving community access to technology, providing technology competence & expertise, & strengthening local & regional economic development.
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Mark your calendars for the 5th annual Department-hosted "Regional Conferences on Improving America's Schools (IAS)," scheduled for 3 locations during fall 1998:
- The *Western* Region Conference will be held in Portland, OR, October 19-21 for AK, CA, HI, ID, OR, WA, American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Republic of the Marshall Islands, & Republic of Palau.
- The *Central* Region Conference will be in Denver, CO, November 18-20 for AZ, CO, IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NM, ND, NV, OK, SD, TX, UT, WI, & WY.
- The *Eastern* Region Conference will be in Nashville, TN, December 15-17 for AL, AR, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MS, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, Puerto Rico, RI, SC, TN, VT, VA, VI, & WV.
For information & a brochure (after May 1), please call 1-800-203-5494. To register, please call 1-800-522-0772, ext. 2248.
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Secretary Riley criticized the budget resolution passed by the Senate yesterday as an unfair proposal that fails to reflect the needed investments in education our children deserve. Compared to the President's fiscal year 1999 budget proposal, the Senate budget plan would deny millions of federal dollars for basic education programs, including $1.1 billion to reduce class size & nearly $22 billion in interest-free bonding authority to modernize school buildings. "With our balanced budget & prosperous economy, we can well afford to -- and must -- invest in our future, & that means our children's education," the Secretary said. He noted that the Senate budget plan "would deny crucial investments in improving the basics in reading & math, smaller classes, quality teachers, safe & modern schools, & resources to pay for college -- all of which are needed to provide America's children with the best possible opportunities for learning." For the Secretary's statement, please see: http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/index.html
For information on initiatives in the President's 1999 budget, please see:
http://www.ed.gov/updates/inits98/
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OUS/Budget99/BudgetSum/index.html
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During March, Secretary Riley testified before both the Senate & House Subcommittees on Labor-HHS-ED Appropriations regarding the President's 1999 budget request for the U.S. Department of Education. Topics of his testimony included class size, school construction, helping children master the basics, raising achievement in poor urban & rural schools, educational technology & helping students prepare & pay for college. For the text of his statements, please see:
http://www.ed.gov/Speeches/99senate.html
http://www.ed.gov/Speeches/99house.html
In addition, officials of the Education Department (ED) & of special institutions funded in the ED Appropriations Act appeared before the House Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-ED Appropriations to testify on the 1999 budget request regarding...
Elementary & Secondary Education, Bilingual & Immigrant Education, Howard University, Special Institutions for Persons with Disabilities, Vocational & Adult Education & School-to-Work Opportunities programs, Special Education & Rehabilitation Services & Disability Research, Education Research, Statistics & Improvement, the Office of Inspector General, Postsecondary Education Programs, & the Office for Civil Rights.
The full text of these statements can be found at: http://www.ed.gov/Speeches/99budtst.html
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If you do business with & receive funds from the Department, please note that the planned conversion of the Education Central Automated Processing System (EDCAPS) Grant Administration & Payment System (GAPS) has announced revised dates for conversion. In a March 26 letter to chief financial officers & grantee project directors, the new conversion dates are now May 11 & May 13. The letter, from the Department's chief financial & chief information officer, Don Rappaport, states that "In order to convert recipient data, both the new & old systems will be unavailable from April 24th to May 11th & 13th. Recipients will not be able to receive funds during this period, & should plan draw downs accordingly." To learn more about the new process, please see the GAPS training website, including the "Department of Education Payee's Guide": http://gapsweb.ed.gov/training For additional information, including the March 26 notification letter, see: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OCFO/int3.html
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Information for Financial Aid Professionals(IFAP), a new electronic library for financial aid professionals, offers publications, regulations & guidance for administering Title IV Federal Student Financial Aid Programs. It includes a searchable database of Dear Colleague letters, official electronic announcements & other reference materials. http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/Professionals/index.html
Fitting the Piecesis based on 12 studies of education reform conducted by the Department's Office of Educational Research & Improvement (OERI) between 1990 & 1995. http://www.ed.gov/pubs/SER/FTP/index.html
Directory of ERIC Resource Collectionslists 1,000+ organizations that provide individuals with access to the ERIC database & related resources. It's designed to help users quickly locate organizations that offer ERIC resources & related services within a geographically short distance. http://bcol02.ed.gov/Programs/EROD/eric_search.cfm
Pursuing Excellence: A Study of U.S. 12th Grade Mathematics & Science Achievement in International Context was featured in the February 27 "Scout Report," a weekly collection of "useful Internet sites for discerning Internauts."
http://scout.wisc.edu/report/sr/1998/scout-980227.html#1
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ED Initiatives...