Table Of ContentH.R. 3130, THE IMPROVING AMERICA'S SCHOOLS
ACT OF 1993: THE IMPLICATIONS FOR URBAN
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DISTRICTS
Y 4.G JAR: AM 3/1
H.R. 3130, The Icproving Anerica's Schools Act of
1993: The Iiplications for Urban Districts,nOctuoberiAKlNG
BEFORE THE
HUMAN RESOURCES AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL
RELATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON
GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED THIRD CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
OCTOBER 19, 1993
Printed for the use of the Committee on Government Operations
GOVERNMENT
DO
|
eposTtory
8/98
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
49-424 WASHINGTON : 1998
ForsalebytheU.S.GovernmentPrintingOffice
SuperintendentofDocuments,CongressionalSalesOffice.Washington,DC 20402
ISBN 0-16-057165-0
'5
THE IMPROVING AMERICA'S SCHOOLS
H.R. 3130,
ACT OF 1993: THE IMPLICATIONS FOR URBAN
DISTRICTS
AM
Y4.G 74/7: 3/1
HI 3130, The Improving Aierica's Schools Act of
1993: The Inplications for Urban Oistricts,rOctoiberUAKlNG
BEFORE THE
HUMAN RESOURCES AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL
RELATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON
GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED THIRD CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
OCTOBER 19, 1993
Printed for the use of the Committee on Government Operations
GOVERNMENT
BPL
EPOS1TORY
8/98
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
49-424 WASHINGTON : 1998
ForsalebytheU.S.GovernmentPrintingOffice
SuperintendentofDocuments,CongressionalSalesOffice,Washington,DC 20402
ISBN 0-16-057165-0
COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
JOHN CONYERS, Jr., Michigan, Chairman
CARDISS COLLINS, Illinois WILLIAM F. CLINGER, Jr., Pennsylvania
GLENN ENGLISH, Oklahoma AL McCANDLESS, California
HENRYA. WAXMAN, California J. DENNIS HASTERT, Illinois
MIKE SYNAR, Oklahoma JON L. KYL, Arizona
STEPHEN L. NEAL, North Carolina CHRISTOPHER SHAYS, Connecticut
TOM LANTOS, California STEVEN SCHIFF, New Mexico
MAJOR R. OWENS, New York CHRISTOPHER COX, California
EDOLPHUS TOWNS, New York CRAIG THOMAS, Wyoming
JOHN M. SPRATT, Jr., South Carolina ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida
GARYA. CONDIT, California DICK ZIMMER, New Jersey
COLLIN C. PETERSON, Minnesota WILLIAM H. ZELIFF, Jr., New Hampshire
KAREN L. THURMAN, Florida JOHN M. McHUGH, New York
BOBBY L. RUSH, Illinois STEPHEN HORN, California
CAROLYN B. MALONEY, New York DEBORAH PRYCE, Ohio
THOMAS M. BARRETT, Wisconsin JOHN L. MICA, Florida
DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey ROB PORTMAN, Ohio
FLOYD H. FLAKE, New York
JAMES A HAYES, Louisiana
CRAIG A. WASHINGTON, Texas BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont
BARBARA-ROSE COLLINS, Michigan (Independent)
CORRINE BROWN, Florida
MARJORIE MARGOLIES-MEZVINSKY,
Pennsylvania
LYNN C. WOOLSEY, California
GENE GREEN, Texas
BART STUPAK, Michigan
Julian Epstein, StaffDirector
Matthew R. Fletcher, Minority StaffDirector
Human Resources and Intergovernmental Relations Subcommittee
EDOLPHUS TOWNS, New York, Chairman
HENRYA. WAXMAN, California STEVEN SCHIFF, New Mexico
THOMAS M. BARRETT, Wisconsin STEPHEN HORN, California
DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey JOHN L. MICA, Florida
CRAIGA. WASHINGTON, Texas
BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont (Ind.)
Ex Officio
JOHN CONYERS, Jr., Michigan WILLIAM F. CLINGER, Jr., Pennsylvania
Ronald A. Stroman, StaffDirector
Allegra Pacheco, Professional StaffMember
Martine M. DiCroce, Clerk
Martha Morgan, Minority Counsel
(II)
CONTENTS
Page
Hearingheld on October 19, 1993 1
Statementof:
Payzant, Thomas, Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary
Education, U.S. DepartmentofEducation; and LutherWilliams, Assist-
ant Director for Education and Human Resources, National Science
Foundation 8
Simering, Jeff, Washington representative, Chicago Board of Education;
Robert E. Slavin, Center for Research on Effective Schooling for Dis-
advantaged Students, Johns Hopkins University; and Kati Haycock,
Director of Education Trust, American Association for Higher Edu-
cation 34
Simmons, Sharon Edwards, supervisor of Early Childhood Education,
New York City Public Schools; Gerard G. Leeds, cochairperson of the
Institute forCommunityDevelopment; and DoctorLavinia Dickerson ... 89
Letters, statements, etc., submitted forthe recordby:
Fernandez, Joe, president, Council ofGreat City Schools, prepared state-
mentof 37
Haycock, Kati, Director of Education Trust, American Association for
HigherEducation, prepared statementof 72
Leeds, Gerard G., cochairperson ofthe Institute for Community Develop-
ment, prepared statementof 101
Payzant, Thomas, Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary
Education, U.S. DepartmentofEducation, prepared statementof 11
Simmons, Sharon Edwards, supervisor of Early Childhood Education,
NewYork CityPublic Schools, prepared statementof 92
Slavin, Robert E., Center for Research on Effective Schooling for Dis-
advantaged Students, Johns Hopkins University, prepared statement
of 53
Towns, Hon. Edolphus, a Representative in Congress from the State
ofNewYork, prepared statementof 3
Williams, Luther, Assistant Director for Education and Human Re-
sources, National ScienceFoundation, prepared statementof 24
(III)
H.R. 3130, THE IMPROVING AMERICA'S
SCHOOLS ACT OF THE IMPLICATIONS
1993:
FOR URBAN DISTRICTS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1993
House of Representatives
Subcommittee on Human Resources and
Intergovernmental Relations,
Committee on Government Operations,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 1 p.m., in room
2247, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Edolphus Towns (chair-
man ofthe subcommittee) presiding.
Present: Representatives Towns and Mica.
StaffPresent: Ronald A. Stroman, staffdirector; Allegra Pacheco,
professional staff member; Martine M. DiCroce, clerk; and Martha
Morgan, minority counsel.
Mr. Towns. The hearing on H.R. 3130, "The Improving America's
Schools Act of 1993" and the implications for urban districts will
now come to order. —
This begins the subcommittee's hearing on H.R. 3130 "The Im-
proving America's Schools Act of 1993" and the implications for
urban districts. Today we are focusing on t—he administration's re-
targeting proposal and title II of H.R. 3130 professional develop-
ment.
Over one-fifth of the children in our Nation live in poverty: that
amounts to nearly 11.5 million children. Of these, 39.8 percent are
African-American and 32 percent are Hispanic, many ofwhom live
in our inner cities. With such a high concentration ofimpoverished
children living in urban centers, the purpose of this hearing is to
draw attention to the impact the administration's bill will have on
the education ofpoor children in these areas.
It has become far too accepted that minority and low-income chil-
dren do not perform educationally as well as other children. Most
uninformed people attribute the discrepancy in scores or achieve-
ment rates to the children themselves, their parents or even the
culture from where these children come from. These excuses serve
only to perpetuate the cycle of low-achievement as many educators
become accustomed to expecting less from these children and give
less in return.
Educators from all over the country, and some we are honored
to have here today, have already demonstrated outstanding meth-
ods and approaches to use in educating poor and minority children.
(1)
The administration's bill now attempts on a nationwide level to en-
courage successful teaching methods in all schools.
Additionally, H.R. 3130 attempts to further target chapter 1
money to the most needy school districts in our Nation. The pro-
posed improvements would result in the highest poverty counties
receiving a 15-percent increase in chapter 1 funding and the lowest
poverty counties losing 34 percent oftheir chapter 1 funds. I know
that the 625,000 impoverished children in the great State of New
York will benefit greatly from this shift offunds and I applaud the
administration for recognizing the importance of high standards
and increased funding for schools with the highest concentration of
poverty children.
I support H.R. 3130, but as Chair ofthis subcommittee I am con-
cerned about some parts ofthe proposal. My specific concerns deal
with the allocation of the majority of Federal funds to schools and
allowing them to commingle this money with other Federal discre-
tionary funds without a specific, focused, and enforceable monitor-
ing and assessment process to oversee the application of this fund-
ing. I am also concerned about the absence of a coordinated effort
to establish consistent professional development guidelines on both
the Federal and State level. I agree with the administration that
professional development is essential to any school reform program,
but the standards by which we embark on training our teachers
must be consistent all the way through. The purpose of this hear-
ing will be to focus on these concerns and gather comments and
recommendations from experts in the field, people that are out
there making the difference day in and day out.
da.AsWeyouwilclanapspeleyftrhoem5t-hmeinwuittenersuslel.istW,ewehahvaevea alinghatmbtihterieoutshaatgewne-
put on, and, of course, it starts out green, and then it switches to
red, and when it becomes red that means that your 5 minutes are
up, just in case you lose yourselfin your testimony. And, I ask for
everyone to please cooperate in this, which will allow us to raise
some questions and cover the entire subject matter.
Before we hear from our witnesses, I would like to yield at this
time to a member ofthe subcommittee from the great State ofFlor-
ida, Congressman Mica, for any remarks that he might like to
make at this time.
[The prepared statement ofHon. Edolphus Towns follows:]
OPENING STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE EDOLPHUS TOWNS,
CHAIRMAN
SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES AND
INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS
HEARINGON:"H.R.3130-THEIMPROVINGAMERICA'SSCHOOLACT
OF 1993: THE IMPLICATIONS FOR URBAN DISTRICTS"
WILL THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES AND
INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS OFTHE HOUSECOMMITTEEON
GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS PLEASE COMETO ORDER.
THIS BEGINS THE SUBCOMMITTEE'S HEARING ON H.R. 3130 -
THE IMPROVING AMERICA'S SCHOOL ACT OF 1993" AND THE
IMPLICATIONS FOR URBAN DISTRICTS. TODAYWEARE FOCUSING
ONTHEADMINISTRATION'S RE-TARGETINGPROPOSALANDTITLE
II
OF H.R. 3130 - PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
OVER ONE-FIFTH OF THE CHILDREN IN OUR NATION LIVE IN
POVERTY: THATAMOUNTS TO NEARLY 11.5 MILLION CHILDREN.
OFTHESE,39.8%AREAFRICAN-AMERICANAND32%AREHISPANIC,
MANY OF WHOM LIVE IN OUR INNER CITIES. WITH SUCH A HIGH
CONCENTRATION OF IMPOVERISHED CHILDREN LIVING IN URBAN
CENTERS,THEPURPOSEOFTHISHEARINGISTODRAWATTENTION
TO THE IMPACT THE ADMINISTRATION'S BILL WILL HAVE ON THE
EDUCATION OF POVERTYCHILDREN IN THESEAREAS.
ITHASBECOMEFARTOOACCEPTEDTHATMINORITYANDLOW-
INCOMECHILDRENDONOTPERFORMEDUCATIONALLYASWELLAS
OTHER CHILDREN. MOST UNINFORMED PEOPLE ATTRIBUTE THE
DISCREPANCY IN SCORES OR ACHIEVEMENT RATES TO THE
CHILDREN THEMSELVES, THEIR PARENTS OR EVEN THE CULTURE
FROM WHERE THESE CHILDREN COME FROM. THESE EXCUSES
SERVEONLYTOPERPETUATETHECYCLEOFLOW-ACHIEVEMENTAS
MANY EDUCATORS BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO EXPECTING LESS
FROM THESE CHILDREN AND GIVE LESS IN RETURN.
THEIMPROVINGAMERICA'SSCHOOLACTOF1993-H.R.3130-
- COUNTERS THIS TREND. ITATTEMPTS TO HAVE STATES IMPOSE
HIGH STANDARDSFOR ALL.CHILDREN IN HIGH-POVERTYSCHOOLS
