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This section provides an inventory of federal program resources that states, districts, and schools can use to help end social promotion and improve academic achievement for all students.
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New Programs for 1999 Class Size Reduction. The 1999 budget provides $1.2 billion to hire approximately 30,000 new teachers. It is the first installment in the Administration's commitment to help school districts hire and train 100,000 new teachers. The initiative aims to help reduce class size in grades 1-3 to a nationwide average of 18. States are receiving funds to boost teacher quality through recruitment, hiring and training. For more information telephone Cathy Schagh at (202) 260-3858 or Connie Deshpande at (202) 401-0113. The Reading Excellence Act. To help all children learn to read well and independently by the end of third grade, this initiative focuses on strategies for creating extended learning opportunities, providing high-quality classroom instruction, strengthening parental involvement and investment in early childhood education, promoting greater public awareness about literacy, and supporting research and evaluation. The 1999 budget provides $260 million to support this initiative. Already, thousands of federal work-study and community volunteer tutors are helping children develop their reading skills. For further information, see the Web site at http://www.ed.gov/inits/americareads or telephone Joseph Conaty at (202) 401-0113. GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs). This new competitive-grant program provides $120 million in 1999 to support early intervention and college awareness activities at both the local and the state levels to help low-income middle-school children prepare for college. GEAR UP funding will be split between college-school-community partnership grants and state grants. To learn more about the program, telephone 1-800-USA-LEARN or visit the GEAR UP Web site at http://www.ed.gov/gearup. |
The Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program. This new program helps schools identify and adopt the high-quality, well-defined, and research-based comprehensive schoolwide reform models that show the most promise of preparing children to meet challenging state content and performance standards. In 1998, $145 million was made available to be distributed as formula grants to state education agencies that will use the funds to make competitive grants to local education agencies. In FY 1999, $120 million will be administered for this program under Title I and $25 million under the Fund for the Improvement of Education. For further information, telephone Bill Kincaid at (202) 205-4292 or see the Web site at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/compreform/.
Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Title I, the largest federal education program for prekindergarten through grade 12, has one overriding goal: to improve teaching and learning for low-achieving children so that they can meet challenging academic standards. Funds are provided to districts and schools in accordance with their numbers of poor children. Schools with poverty rates of 50 percent or higher may combine their Title I funds with state and local resources and most other federal education funds to upgrade their entire education program rather than targeting services only to identified children. Schools with poverty rates below 50 percent, or those that choose not to adopt a schoolwide program, may give services to those children identified as failing or most at risk of failing. For further information, telephone Mary Jean LeTendre at (202) 260-0826 or see the Web site at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/CEP/.
The Goals 2000: Educate America Act. Goals 2000 is based on the premise that higher expectations produce better performance, that academic standards should be raised, and that schools and teachers should be specific about what they expect children to learn. Goals 2000 challenges states and communities to develop and implement academic content standards, student performance standards and assessments, and plans for improving teacher training. Districts may apply for one of three types of grants: local reform, professional development, or preservice training. Goals 2000 also provides the authority to waive statutory and regulatory requirements of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act and of the following programs under the ESEA: Title I; Title II, Eisenhower Professional Development; Title IV, Safe and Drug-Free Schools; Title VI, Innovative Education Strategies; and Title VII, Part C, Emergency Immigrant Education. For further information, telephone Patricia Gore at (202) 401-0039 or see the Web site at http://www.ed.gov/G2K.
21st Century Community Learning Centers. This program is authorized under Title X, Part I, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The funds must be used to expand a school's capacity to address the educational needs of its community. The program's focus is on expanding learning opportunities for children in a safe, drug-free, and supervised environment and brings much-needed attention to supplementary learning activities that address adolescence and the problems of drug use, gang involvement, and violence. The program has established a priority for projects designed to assist students in meeting or exceeding state or local standards in core academic subjects. The program will award $160 million in new grants in 1999 to serve approximately 1,700 schools and 250,000 students. For further information, telephone Bob Stonehill at (202) 219-2088 or see the Web site at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/21stCCLC.
The Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Program. This program provides funds to help states, schools, and communities design, implement, and evaluate alcohol and drug education and prevention programs. State education agencies (SEAs) are required to distribute 91 percent of their program funds to local education agencies for prevention of drug use and violence. Activities authorized under the statute include: the development of instructional materials; counseling services; after-school programs; professional development programs for school personnel, students, law enforcement officials, judicial officials, or community leaders; conflict resolution, peer mediation, and mentoring programs; character education programs and community service projects; the establishment of safe zones of passage for students to and from school; and the acquisition and installation of metal detectors and the hiring of security personnel. The Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act also requires states to target a portion of resources to districts where they are most needed. The law increases accountability by requiring states to measure the success of their programs against clearly defined goals and objectives. For further information, telephone Bill Modzeleski at (202) 260-3954 or see the Web site at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSDFS.
Technology Literacy Challenge Fund. The Technology Literacy Challenge Fund provides funds to states, on a formula basis, to help local districts use technology to strengthen their educational programs. The goals of the Challenge Fund are to provide all teachers with the training and support they need to help students learn by using technology, provide all schools with modern computers, connect all classrooms to the information superhighway, and make effective software and on-line learning resources integral parts of the curriculum in schools. Ninety-five percent of the funds that a state receives must be awarded to school systems on a competitive basis. For further information, telephone Charles Lovett at (202) 401-0039 or visit the Web site at http://www.ed.gov/Technology/TOCedgrant.html.
The Public Charter Schools Program. The Charter Schools Program provides financial assistance for designing and implementing charter schools created by teachers, parents, and other community members. Grants are available on a competitive basis to state education agencies (SEAs) in states that allow charter schools; the SEAs make subgrants to authorized public chartering agencies in partnership with developers of charter schools. If an eligible SEA chooses not to participate or if its application for funding is not approved, the Department can make grants directly to eligible local partnerships. Charter schools are free from most education laws and regulations except civil rights and safety laws, but are accountable for results. In return for increased accountability, they gain autonomy in such areas as personnel, curriculum, budgets, scheduling, and other matters through a legal contract with a school board or other public chartering agency authorized by state law. Standards for performance are established in the contract. For further information, telephone John Fiegel at (202) 260-2671 or visit the Web site at http://www.uscharterschools.org.
The Partnership for Family Involvement in Education. The mission of the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education is to promote children's learning through the development and use of family-school-community-business partnerships that strengthen schools and improve student achievement. A growing grass-roots movement of over 4,000 schools, employers, and community and religious groups has emerged to support local and national efforts, including adopting family-friendly business practices; providing before- and after-school activities for children; giving parents the resources, training, and information they need to help children learn; and promoting family and community involvement in children's learning. For further information, visit the Web site at http://pfie.ed.gov/ or call 1-800-USA-LEARN.
School-to-Work Program. A growing understanding of the relationship between our educational performance and our competitiveness in the global economy has led to a new emphasis on the connections between school and work, and a new appreciation of the importance of vocational education and opportunities for lifelong learning. The 1994 School-to-Work Opportunities Act, administered jointly by the Department of Education and the Department of Labor, provides seed money to every state and to interested communities to develop and launch a comprehensive school-to-work system. These systems combine school-based and work-based learning with activities designed to prepare students for a first job. For more information, visit the Web site at http://www.stw.ed.gov.
Vocational Education. Perkins Act Vocational Education State grants provide funds to help pay for vocational training programs at both the secondary and postsecondary levels. Funds may be used in accordance with state-developed plans to support activities ranging from pre-vocational courses for secondary school students to retraining adults in response to changing technological and labor market conditions. Another area of significant federal support to assist states in preparing individuals for employment is Vocational Rehabilitation. The Department provides Vocational Rehabilitation state grants that assist one million adults with disabilities, most of them severe, in achieving successful employment outcomes and independent living. As a result of this program, about 200,000 individuals with disabilities are placed each year in jobs in the competitive labor market or become self-employed. About 80 percent of those individuals report that their own income, rather than public assistance or family income, is their primary source of support. For more information, visit the Web site at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OVAE.
Comprehensive Regional Assistance Centers. These 15 centers assist states, local education agencies (LEAs), American Indian tribes, schools, and other recipients of funds under the Improving America's Schools Act (IASA). Priority for services is given to high-poverty schools and districts, Bureau of Indian Affairs schools, and IASA recipients implementing schoolwide programs. The centers help recipients of IASA funds implement school reform programs; adopt, adapt, and implement proven practices for improving teaching and learning; coordinate school reform programs with other federal, state, and local education plans and activities; and administer IASA programs. They provide assistance by identifying and disseminating successful practices and appropriate research-based programs to schools, districts, SEAs, and other educational entities; creating mentoring relationships between low-performing and high-achieving schools; and providing high-quality professional development for state, school district, and school personnel to increase their capacities for supporting programs authorized by IASA. For further information on the centers in general, telephone Edith Harvey at (202) 260-1393 or see the Web site at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/. Contact information for individual centers as follows:
Region I Region II Region III Region IV Region V Region VI Region VII Region VIII |
Region IX Region X Region XI Region XII Region XIII Region XIV Region XV |
Regional Resource and Federal Center Program for Special Education. These centers promote communication among states and school districts about implementing systemwide reform with a particular focus on special education. They provide key technical assistance to state education agencies, school districts, and their partners, as well as link SEAs and school districts with providers of technical assistance.
The Federal Resource Centers for Education Northeast Regional Resource Center Mid-South Regional Resource Center Southeast Regional Resource Center |
Great Lakes Area Regional Resource Center Mountain Plains Regional Resource Center Western Regional Resource Center |
The Regional Educational Laboratories. The Regional Educational Laboratory program, the Department's largest research and development investment, provides a wealth of assistance that can help schools end social promotion. The 10 regional laboratories help anyone involved in improving education to gain access to the best available research and knowledge from practice. The laboratories are especially strong in helping schools identify needs, suggesting appropriate remedies, and adapting reform programs to schools' own needs. Laboratories can also help schools improve curriculum, assessment, and evaluation practices.
Western Region Central Region Midwestern Region Northwestern Region Pacific Region |
Northeastern Region Mid-Atlantic Region Southeastern Region Southwestern Region Appalachia Region |
Equity Assistance Centers (formerly Desegregation Assistance Centers). The U.S. Department of Education supports ten regional equity assistance centers under Title IV of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. They provide assistance in the areas of race, gender, and national origin equity to public school districts to promote equal educational opportunities. For links to and more information about these centers visit the Web site at http://www.ed.gov/EdRes/EdFed/equity.html.
Research & Development Centers. The Department's Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) supports 12 Research & Development Centers. These centers, which are located at major universities around the country, conduct research and development on topics such as reading, the education of at-risk children, early childhood development, postsecondary education, and education policy. These centers can be accessed through the Web at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/ResCtr.html.
The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC). ERIC offers many resources to parents, students, teachers, and administrators who are interested in improving achievement at their schools. ERIC is a national information system that provides ready access to an extensive body of education-related literature. It is the world's largest source of education information. The ERIC database contains nearly 1 million abstracts of documents and journal articles on education research and practice. All ERIC clearinghouses have toll-free phone numbers and Web sites. In addition, the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information & Technology hosts ASK ERIC, a service that responds within 48 hours to any question about education. You can ask questions directly from the AskEric Web site at http://www.askeric.org or e-mail askeric@askeric.org.
The Fund for the Improvement of Education. This fund supports nationally significant programs to improve the quality of education, help all students meet challenging state content standards, and contribute to the achievement of the National Education Goals. Grants and contracts may be awarded to state and local education agencies, institutions of higher education, and other public and private organizations and institutions. Recently, projects have been funded that might offer assistance to low-performing schools, including the development of state curriculum frameworks, content standards, and standards-based professional development projects. For more information, telephone Lois Weinberg at (202) 219-2147; e-mail: Lois.Weinberg@ed.gov; or fax: (202) 219-2053.
The Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science Education (ENC). ENC serves as a central dissemination point for information about curriculum materials and education reform. ENC promotes excellence in K-12 math and science education through a comprehensive collection of curriculum materials and nationwide dissemination of information and materials for all educators. ENC is located at Ohio State University, 1929 Kenny Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1079; or telephone (614) 292-8389 or (800) 621-5785; or visit the Web site at http://www.enc.org.
The Eisenhower Regional Consortia for Mathematics and Science Education. The Consortia work in conjunction with the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse to support professional development of K-12 teachers, including those located in low-performing schools. The Consortia of 10 grantees provides technical assistance and disseminates information to help states and individual educators implement math and science programs in accordance with new standards. Specific areas of assistance are teacher professional development, student assessment, and uses of technology. For further information, telephone Carolyn Warren at (202) 219-2206.
Blue Ribbon Schools Program. The Blue Ribbon Schools Program promotes school improvement by identifying and recognizing outstanding public and private schools, making research-based effectiveness criteria available to all schools so that they can assess themselves and plan improvements, and encouraging schools to share information about best practices. The program specifically celebrates those schools that have shown significant improvement over five years. For further information, see the Web site at www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/BlueRibbonSchools/overview.html.
The following documents are available by calling the U.S. Department of Education at 1-877-4ED-PUBS.
Additional publications are listed on the Department's Web site at http://www.ed.gov.
School Reform:
Reading Well and Independently by the End of Third Grade
Preparing Students Academically and Financially for College:
Mastering the Basic and Core Subjects to Meet High Standards:
Teacher Quality:
Technology:
Family and Community Involvement in Education:
Mentoring:
Extending Learning Time:
Safe and Drug-Free Schools:
The following documents are available by calling OERI's National Library of Education at
1-800-424-1616 or 1-877-4EDPUBS
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