Committee on Education and the Workforce summary of accomplishments of the 105th Congress, 1999?

Committee on Education and the Workforce U.S. House of Representatives Bill Goodling, Chairman * sH * * * Accomplishments of the 105th Congress Education: 0 National Testing (H.R. 2846): The purpose of this legislation is to prohibit any new Federal testing without specific and explicit congressional authority. These quickly planned tests have not been validated, a process that takes years to accomplish. The fast-track nature of the White House-initiated national testing proposal has alarmed many educators and policy makers. Local control is the hallmark and strength of American education. 0 Dollars to the Classroom ffl.R. 3248): The purpose of this legislation is to consolidate 31 top- down, Washington-based Federal education programs into a single grant to states and to give state and local decision-makers authority in how to distribute the money within each state. Under the bill, at least 95 percent of a state’s grant must be spent on classroom activities and services. 0 Higher Education Amendments of 1998 (H.R. 6): The purpose of this legislation is to reauthorize the Higher Education Act of 1965. The lion’s share of Federal funding for higher education, in excess of $40 billion this year, is authorized under the Higher Education Act. This Act, first authorized in 1965, was designed to ensure that students from low- and middle-income families have access to postsecondary education. At the heart of the Act is Title IV, which authorizes three primary types of student aid: Pell Grants, student loans, and work-study. In addition, the Act provides funding for struggling institutions, graduate and international programs, and early intervention and outreach programs. 0 Community Services Block Grant (CSBGVLow-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (ЫНЕАР) (S. 2206): CSBG grants assists states and local communities in revitalizing high-poverty neighborhoods and empowering low-income individuals and communities to become self- sufficient. New initiatives allow funds to be used for literacy, youth development, fatherhood, and community policing. The bill extends the authorization of LIHEAP for five years. 0 Reading Excellence Act (H.R. 2614): This legislation, developed in response to the President’s “America Reads” proposal to use volunteers to improve the reading skills of children, would reform the way reading is taught in our nation’s schools. H.R. 2614, focuses on reforming the teaching of reading in our nation’s neediest schools to ensure it is based on scientifically based reading research, particularly research involving phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and reading comprehension. Additional support is provided to students through the use of Tutorial Assistance Grants, where parents choose providers to provide reading assistance to their children. 0 The English Fluency Act (H.R. 3892): This legislation is directed at reforming the current bilingual education act to provide funds to states to address the needs of English language learners and ensure that they learn English as soon as possible. It provides local grantees with the flexibility to choose the method of instruction to be used to teach English to English language learners as long as it is