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A joint Senate committee hearing received testimony on the unique circumstances and needs of American Indian Head Start programs. There are currently about 120 Indian Head Start programs providing services to 181 American Indian and Alaska Native tribes. The Associate Commissioner of the Head Start Bureau described the ongoing federal initiative aimed at improving and expanding Head Start by making additional financial and technical assistance available to Head Start grantees. U.S. Senators, tribal leaders, Indian parents, and representatives of the National Indian Head Start Directors Association, the National Head Start Association, the National Indian Education Association, and individual Indian Head Start programs discussed the following issues: (1) potential weakening of the federal-tribal nation-to-nation relationship by proposed decentralization of federal administrative functions for serving Indian children; (2) eligibility requirements that exclude educationally disadvantaged children whose family income is marginally above the maximum; (3) restrictions that prevent a tribal program from serving Indians of other tribes or its own members living off-reservation; (4) need for pre-natal services and services for infants and toddlers; (5) obstacles to construction and renovation of Head Start facilities by Indian grantees; (6) funding difficulties and additional program costs related to the remoteness of many Indian communities; (7) insufficient funds to address the training needs of staff, parents, and volunteers; and (8) need for Head Start services in unserved Indian communities. Appended materials include legislative recommendations, numerical data on Head Start programs, and descriptions of individual tribal programs. (SV)

This report was prepared by the Chairman's Staff of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee setting forth the findings of an investigation into marketing practices in the Federal Family Education Loan program ("FFEL"). Evidence uncovered by the Chairman's investigation demonstrates that many FFEL lenders routinely engage in marketing practices that violate the letter and spirit of the inducement prohibition of the Higher Education Act. Given the breadth of the evidence presented in this report it is clear that the problem is systemic and cannot be isolated to a few "problem" lenders or schools. The report addresses a discrete set of marketing practices including: (1) Some FFEL lenders provided compensation to schools with the expectation, and in some cases an explicit agreement, that the school will give the lenders preferential treatment, including placement on the school's preferred lender list; (2) Other FFEL lenders spent large sums on travel and accommodation expenses for meetings of Advisory Boards comprised of school officials, and often expected these benefits to yield increased loan volume, or other preferential treatment, at Board members' schools; (3) School officials held financial interests, including stock and options to purchase stock, in FFEL lenders which are on the preferred lender list or are otherwise recommended to students; and (4) School officials received payments for consulting and other services from FFEL lenders which are on the preferred lender list or are otherwise recommended to students. (Contains 52 notes and 118 exhibits.)

Statements were presented by: Honorable Tom Harkin, Chairman, U.S. Senator from Iowa, Chairman, Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; Honorable Robert B. Casey, Jr., U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania; Honorable Saxby Chambliss, U.S. Senator from Georgia; Honorable Richard G. Lugar; Honorable Ken Salazar, U.S. Senator from Colorado; Kelly Brownell, Founder and Director, Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Mary Lou Hennrich, Executive Director, Community Health Partnership, Portland, Oregon; Teresa Nece, Director, Food and Nutrition, Des Moines Public Schools, Des Moines, Iowa; Susan K. Neely, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Beverage Association, Washington, DC; and Janey Thornton, Child Nutrition Director, Hardin County School District, Elizabethtown, Kentucky. The following are appended: (1) Prepared Statements; and (2) Documents Submitted for the Record.

The purpose of this hearing was to examine the education system of New Orleans. Statements were presented by: Honorable Lamar Alexander, Chairman, Subcommittee on Education and Early Childhood Development; Honorable Mary L. Landrieu, U.S. Senator from Louisiana; Honorable Richard Burr, U.S. Senator from North Carolina; Linda Johnson, President, Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education; Sarah Ottinger, Parent, Audubon Charter School; Father William F. Maestri, Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Archdiocese of New Orleans; Carole Butler-Wallin, Deputy Superintendent, Louisiana Department of Education; Robin Jarvis, Ph.D., Acting Superintendent, Recovery School District; Greg Richmond, President, National Association of Charter School Authorizers; Brian Riedlinger, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Algiers Charter Schools Association; Phyllis Landrieu, President, Orleans Parish School Board; Senator J. Chris Ullo, Chairman, Louisiana State Senate Education Committee. Additional material includes letter from Gordon Alexander Cole; prepared statement of Scott S. Cowen, and responses to questions of Senator Alexander and Senator Landrieu.

A joint report by members of two Congressional Committees examined the proposed bill to carry out the National Sea Grant College Program Act and recommended that the bill be passed. The Sea Grant College Program Act authorizes appropriations for the National Sea Grant Program, which provides grants to support university-based marine research, education, and advisory services, and repeals the Strategic Marine Research Program. The committees supported a 5-year reauthorization at levels that would permit the continuation of the existing network without reduction. The committees reviewed the legislative history of this reauthorization and authorized levels of funding for 5 years with cost estimates from the Congressional Budget Office. An examination of the regulatory impact of the bill found that as the bill reauthorizes an existing program, no additional regulatory, economic, paperwork, or personal privacy burdens would be imposed on individuals or businesses. However, because the Strategic Marine Research Program component of the National Sea Grant Program duplicated another program, it was repealed. The report analyzes the bill section by section and indicates changes and omissions from the original bill. (JB)

Career and technical education is a critical component of a number of Federal education and training initiatives that are designed to help support the development of a 21st Century workforce. Career and technical education is unique in that it fuses challenging academic curricula with relevant skill training in order to prepare secondary and postsecondary students for the workplace. The central goal of Federally supported career and technical education programs is to provide students with strong academic and technical preparation, so that students can successfully enter the workforce or pursue additional education. The purpose of S. 250, the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2005, is to reauthorize and improve the federally supported career and technical education programs last reauthorized by the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Amendments Act of 1998.

The purpose of this hearing was to review the implementation of Titles I through III of Public Law 106-393, "The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000." Statements were presented by: Honorable Jeff Bingaman, U.S. Senator from New Mexico; Honorable Maria Cantwell, U.S. Senator from Washington; Honorable Larry E. Craig, U.S. Senator from Idaho; Dr. Timothy Creal, Superintendent, Custer School District, Custer, South Dakota; James B. French, Trinity County Superintendent of Schools, Weaverville, California; Reta Griffith, Commissioner, Pocahontas County, West Virginia; Honorable Tim Johnson, U.S. Senator from South Dakota; Sherry Krulitz, Commissioner, Shoshone County, Idaho on Behalf of the National Association of Counties and the Idaho Association of Counties; Tim Lillebo, Conservation Policy Advocate, Oregon Natural Resources Council, Bend, Oregon; Mark Rey, Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Agriculture; Honorable Ken Salazar, U.S. Senator from Colorado; Ed Shepard, Assistant Director, Renewable Resources and Planning, Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior; Ed Wehrheim, Chairman, Catron County Commission, Catron County, New Mexico; Honorable Ron Wyden, U.S. Senator from Oregon.

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was referred the bill (S. 136) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide supplemental funding and other services that are necessary to assist certain local school districts in the State of California in providing educational services for students attending schools located within Yosemite National Park, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to adjust the boundaries of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and for other purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with amendments and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass.

The purpose of this countable was to discuss the requirements of No Child Left Behind that about 200,000 teachers--special education teachers who teach children in special education classes or who are severely disabled and who teach multiple subjects in middle school and in high school--be "highly qualified," and what exactly that means. In his opening statement, Honorable Lamar Alexander stated that one witness, himself a teacher, posed three questions that seemed to best represent the point of the hearing: (1) What exactly do I have to do by the end of the next school year to demonstrate that I am highly qualified using the House option? (2) Will I have sufficient time to meet the requirements? and (3) What will the consequences be to me if I do not prove myself to be highly qualified? This roundtable set out to determine whether Congress has created barriers for special education teachers and to learn what Congress can do to achieve the objectives set out in the No Child Left Behind and the IDEA legislation. Testimony was presented by: Lamar Alexander (R-TN); Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA); Jeff Sessions (R-AL); John H. Hagar, Assistant Secretary, Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education; Accompanied by Carolyn Snowbarger, Director, Teacher-To-Teacher Initiative, and Special Assistant for Teacher Quality, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education; Rene Islas, Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education; Jeffrey Langham, Superintendent of Education, Elmore County School System, Wetumpka, Alabama; James McLeskey, Professor and Chair, Department of Special Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Carol Ann Baglin, Assistant State Superintendent, Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services, Maryland State Department of Education, Baltimore, Maryland; William Connolly, Teacher, Quirk Middle School, Hartford, Connecticut; Lana C. Seivers, Commissioner of Education, Tennessee; and Mary Senne, Parent and Disability Community Advocate, Orlando, Florida.

The purpose of this hearing was to look for answers to the following questions about the workforce of tomorrow: How will tomorrow's workforce differ from today's? What kind of jobs will tomorrow's employers be looking to fill? What skills will tomorrow's workers need to fill those jobs? And, most importantly, what can be done now to be sure that we are ready when tomorrow arrives at our national doorstep? During the meeting, committee members looked to their witnesses to help navigate them through the lessons of the past, current trends, and projected changes in a wide range of employment factors. Statements during this hearing were provided by: Honorable Michael B. Enzi, Chairman, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; Gary Garczynski, Past President, Home Builders Institute, National Associating of Home Builders; Tamara J. Erickson, Executive Officer, and Member, Board of Directors, the Concours Group, Watertown, MA; Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Director, Center for Employment Policy, the Hudson Institute, Washington, DC; and Jared Bernstein, Director, Living Standards Program, Economic Policy Institute, Washington, DC; and Edward M. Kennedy, a U.S. Senator from the State of Massachusetts. Additional material was presented by Johnny Isakson, a U.S. Senator from the State of Georgia.

This hearing was convened to examine issues relating to higher education and corporate leaders, focusing on defining the roles industry and institutions of higher education will have to ensure that the United States has the skilled and diverse workforce it will need to succeed today and in the future. The Committee heard statements by: Michael B. Enzi, chairman, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA); Patty Murray (D-WA); Johnny Isakson (R-GA); Louis Caldera, president, University of New Mexico; Edward Hoff, vice president, Learning for IBM; Patricia McGuire, president, Trinity University; James Mullen, president and CEO, Biogen; Edison O. Jackson, president, Medgar Evers College; Patrick Sweeney, president and CEO, Odin Technologies; Robert Craves, founder, Costco Corporation, currently CEO and president, Washington Education Foundation; Walter Nolte, president, Casper College; Charles Reed, chancellor, California State University; and Laura Palmer-Noone, president, University of Phoenix.

This is traditionally an annual hearing of the Committee with school nutrition managers who travel to Washington, DC. Their representatives testify to the Committee regarding the practical benefits of the nutrition policies under the legislative review of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee. Testimony was presented by Senators Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Chairman, Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; Tom Harkin (D-IA), Ranking Member, Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; Patrick Leahy (D-VT); and Elizabeth Dole (R-NC). Testimony was also presented by panel members Annette Bomar Hopgood, Director, School and Community Nutrition Program, Georgia Department of Education, Atlanta, Georgia; Karen Johnson, School Nutrition Association President, Director of Child Nutrition Programs, Yuma, Arizona; Ruth Jonen, Nutrition Association President-Elect, Director of Food Service, Hoffman Estates, Palatine, Illinois; and Dora Rivas, Chair, School Nutrition Association Public Policy and Legislative Committee, Director, Food and Child Nutrition Services, Dallas Independent School District, Dallas, Texas. An appendix provides prepared statements from: Honorable Elizabeth Dole; Annette Bomar Hopgood; and Karen Johnson.

During this hearing, the Committee heard testimony on the issue of juvenile violence. Juvenile violence is a problem nationally of epidemic proportion, a very, very serious problem in the city of Philadelphia and in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In the first five months of this year there has been an enormous increase in juvenile violence with some 63 deaths recorded among those 24 years of age and younger, compared to 41 for the first five months of last year, an increase of more than 50 percent. Statements and submissions for the record in this hearing were presented by: Joseph R. Biden (D-DEL); Dianne Feinstein (D-CA); Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT); Ileana Arias, Acting Director, National Center for Injury Prevention, Centers for Disease Control, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C.; J. Robert Flores, Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquent Prevention, Office of Justice Program, Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.; Sarah Hart, Director, National Institute of Justice, Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.; Sylvester Johnson, Commissioner, Philadelphia Police Department, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; James Kane, Executive Director, Delaware Criminal Justice Council, Wilmington, Delaware; Regina McDonald, Assistant Chief, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Patrick Meehan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Rick Santorum (R-PA); and Paul Vallas, Superintendent, School District of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Committee convened a hearing to examine access and accountability relating to providing quality postsecondary education, focusing on the federal government's role in making postsecondary education financially available for Americans. Statements were presented by: Michael B. Enzi, Chairman, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT); Lamar Alexander (R-TN); Kati Haycock, director, Education Trust; Trinity Thorpe, student, Pepperdine University; Brian Bothworth, president, FutureWorks; Robert M. Shireman, director, the Institute for College Access & Success, Inc.; and Phillip F. Van Horn, chairman of the board and president, Wyoming Student Loan Corporation, and president and CEO, Western States Learning Corporation. Additional material consisted of: Response to questions of Senator Enzi by Kati Haycock; Response to questions of Senator Enzi by Trinity Thorpe; Response to questions of Senator Enzi by Brian Bosworth; Response to questions of Senator Enzi and Senator Murray by Robert Shireman; and Response to questions of Senator Enzi by Phillip F. Van Horn.

The purpose of this hearing was to examine the federal role in improving the effectiveness and coordination of sixty-nine Federal programs that are designed to help parents help their young children with child care and early education. Opening statements were delivered by Subcommittee Chairman Senator Lamar Alexander, Tennessee; Ranking Member Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts; Committee Chairman Senator Michael B. Enzi, Wyoming ;and Senator Christopher Dodd, Connecticut. Witness testimonies were heard from: Wade F. Horn, Assistant Secretary for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C.; Raymond Simon, Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C.; and Kate Coler, Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a hearing on the nomination of Margaret Spellings to be Secretary of Education. Statements were presented by: Michael B. Enzi, Chairman, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; Edward M. Kennedy, a U.S. Senator from the State of Massachusetts; Kay Bailey Hutchison, a U.S. Senator from the State of Texas; John Cornyn, a U.S. Senator from the State of Texas; Margaret Spellings, of Texas, nominated to be Secretary, U.S. Department of Education; Judd Gregg, a U.S. Senator from the State of New Hampshire, Lamar Alexander, a U.S. Senator from the State of Tennessee; Orrin Hatch, a U.S. Senator from the State of Utah; and Barbara Mikulski, a U.S. Senator from the State of Maryland. Margaret Spellings presented responses to questions of Senators Enzi, Hatch, Roberts, Kennedy, Dodd, Harkin, Mikulski, Murray, Reed, and Clinton.

In his opening statement, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), chairman, Subcommittee on Education and Early Childhood Development, stated that one responsibility of Congress is to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent for the purposes intended and for the children intended. Between January 2003 and the first months of this year, there were numerous accounts from communities across the country of serious financial abuses or irregularities by individuals or entities entrusted with Head Start dollars. That is why the House and Senate Education Committee leaders asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to look into allegations of financial abuse and irregularities by the local agencies or individuals entrusted with Head Start funds. The purpose of this hearing was to consider the findings of the GAO report as well as its recommendations for how the Department of Health and Human Services can do a better job of overseeing the spending of Head Start money. Among those testifying were witnesses, representatives of the writers of the GAO report and of the Federal managers of the Head Start money as well as representatives from the community agencies that actually administer and use the Head Start money. Testifying before the Subcommittee were: Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Chairman, Subcommittee on Education and Early Childhood Development; Michael B. Enzi, Chairman, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA); Wade Horn, Assistant Secretary for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Marnie S. Shaul, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office; Christopher Dodd (D-CT); Jim Caccamo, Director, Metropolitan Council on Early Learning, Kansas City, MO; A.C. Wharton, Mayor, Shelby County, TN; Yvonne Gates, Director for Marketing and Community Relations, Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach, Clark County, NV; Olivia A. Golden, Senior Fellow, Urban Institute; and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY). Additional material (statements, articles, publications, letters, etc.) were submitted by: Wade F. Horn (in response to questions of Senator Enzi); Wade F. Horn (in response to questions of Senator Ensign); Government Accountability Office (in response to questions of Senator Alexander); Mayor A.C. Wharton (in response to question of Senator Alexander); and Olivia A. Golden (in response to questions of Senator Enzi). (Contains 4 figures.)

These hearings addressed three measures introduced to the Senate: the Excellence in Teaching Act, S. 1675; the National Teacher Act of 1989, S. 1676; and the Teacher's Professional Development Act, S. 498. The key provisions of the bills focus on: (1) addressing the teacher shortage through a revitalized Teacher Corps Program providing scholarships to college and graduate students who agree to teach for 5 years after graduation; (2) placing special emphasis on training teachers in areas of urgent need, such as math, science, bilingual education, special education, and early childhood education; (3) encouraging minority recruitment through magnet schools, residential summer institutes for disadvantaged high school students, education programs at historically black colleges and universities, and improved coordination between two- and four-year institutions; and (4) providing inservice training through professional development academies and offering a range of incentives for teachers to continue in the profession. (JD)

The focus of this hearing was on funding for abstinence education. Following an opening statement by Subcommittee Chairman Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, witness testimonies were heard from: Dr. Wade F. Horn, Ph.D., Assistant Secretary for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C.; Rev. Kenneth Page, Pastor, Great Island Presbyterian Church, Lock Haven, Pennsylvania; Dominique Urrutia, Program Coordinator, Abstinence is BEST Program, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Joe Fay, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Coalition to Prevent Teen Pregnancy; Kelly Lesh, Abstinence Education Special Initiative Coordinator, Heartbeat Community Service, Millerstown, Pennsylvania; Ronald Evans, Director, Bridge Youth Services, Pennsylvania; Tyler Barth, Performer, Abstinence Group Choice Initiative, Central Mountain High School, Mill Hall, Pennsylvania; Miranda Shipley, Volunteer, Peer Education, Reel Commitment Program, Fairfield, Pennsylvania; Nelly Torres, Peer Educator, Impact Group, Millersville University, Millersville, Pennsylvania; Sierra Leiphart, Volunteer, Human Life Services, York County, Pennsylvania; Jennifer Bruno, Board Member, Youth as Resources Program, Lehigh Valley High School, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; and Jesse Walton, Staff Member, Boys to Men Program, Mercy Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The purpose of these hearings was to explore the problems that unaccredited, substandard colleges and universities, often referred to as diploma mills, pose to the Federal Government and to private-sector employers. The schools examined during these hearings practice a sophisticated form of deception and they charge students accordingly. All of the schools we investigated gave credit for prior work or life experience, even for advanced degrees, which is very rare among accredited institutions. One institution's list of life experiences that could qualify for academic credit included horseback riding, playing golf, pressing flowers, serving on a jury, and planning a trip. The schools examined also required their students to do some modicum of work, either tests or papers or both, and they at least give the impression that the school includes professors with suitable academic credentials who actually play a role in the school's academic programs. The danger of these more sophisticated diploma mills is that they can attract a far broader range of students. The schools investigated take pains to try to convince prospective students that they are legitimate and that students have to earn their degrees. That is why a healthy dose of credit for work and life experience becomes such a critical component of their business model. That is what permits these more sophisticated diploma mills to assume an air of legitimacy while minimizing the actual amount of work required. During the two days of these hearings, the focus was on the challenges posed by diploma mills to the Federal Government. Opening statements at the hearings were provided by: Senators Collins; Akaka; Lautenberg; Carper; Durbin; Lieberman; and Pryor. Witnesses provided testimonies and prepared statements on both days of the hearings. An appendix presents: (1) memorandum dated April 15, 2004; and (2) questions and responses for the record from various participants. (Contains 31 exhibits.)

The focus of this hearing was on the issues of education of Palestinian young people, funding by the U.S. Government for the Palestinian Authority, and the implications on the Mid-East peace process. Opening statements were presented by Subcommittee Chairman Senator Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania; and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, New York. Witness testimonies and prepared statements were presented from: Itamar Marcus, Director, Palestinian Media Watch; the Honorable Mr. David Satterfield, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs; James Kunder, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia and Near Eastern Affairs and Director of Afghan Relief and Reconstruction, USAID; Richard Solomon, President, U.S. Institute of Peace (accompanied by Steven Riskin, Program Officer, Grant Program, U.S. Institute of Peace); Dr. Hassan Abdel Rahman, Chief Representative, PLO Mission; Ziad Asali, President, American Task Force on Palestine; and Dr. Morton Klein, President, Zionist Organization of America. An additional submitted statement from The American Jewish Committee is also included as part of the hearing record. (Contains 8 footnotes.)

The Subcommittee conducted an oversight hearing on Section 529 College Savings Plans, State-sponsored investments that are designed to encourage families to save money for their children's college education. Section 529 refers to the Internal Revenue Code section that authorizes and confers special tax treatment on these entities. Section 529 College Savings Plans are instrumentalities of the various State Governments. The States usually organize the plans as trusts which, in turn, typically invest the plan assets in mutual funds managed by third party asset managers. This oversight hearing built on two previous hearings in which this Subcommittee examined mutual fund management and governance, mutual fund fees, and the adequacy of fee disclosures. Testimony was presented by: Senator Peter G. Fitzgerald (R-IL); Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ); Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR); Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii); Steven T. Miller, Commissioner, Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division, Internal Revenue Service; Mary L. Schapiro, Vice Chairman and President, Regulatory Policy and Oversight, NASD; Ernesto A. Lanza, Senior Associate General Counsel, Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board; Michael A. Ablowich, Treasurer, State of New Hampshire, on behalf of the National Association of State Treasurers; Jacqueline T. Williams, Executive Director, College Advantage Savings Plan, Ohio Tuition Trust Authority, on behalf of the College Savings Plan Network; Martin M. Noven, Deputy Chief of Staff, on behalf of Judy Baar Topinka, State Treasurer, State of Illinois; Richard O. Davis, Deputy Executive Director for Finance and Administration, Utah Higher Education Assistance Authority; Daniel McNeela, CFA, Senior Analyst, Morningstar, Inc.; and Mercer E. Bullard, President and Founder, Fund Democracy, Inc. Appendices includes a chart entitled "Value of a $10,000 investment after 10 years"; a chart entitled "Value of a $10,000 investment after 18 years"; a chart entitled "Growth in Section 529 Plans 1996-2004"; The "529 Plan Information" chart from the Morningstar website; Barbara Hafer, Treasurer, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, prepared statement with an attachment; Tim Berry, Indiana State Treasurer and NAST President, National Association of State Treasurers; and Questions and Responses to Senator Lautenberg from Mr. Miller, Mr. Lanza, Ms. Schapiro, Mr. McNeela, and Mr. Bullard.

The purpose of this hearing was to gather information and hear testimony on three issues: (1) the expansion of the Cancer Research Center in Hawaii; (2) the recently granted legislative authority for Hawaii 3R's to utilize monies in the Native Hawaiian Education funds to repair those public schools to 25 percent or more Native Hawaiian children; and (3) the need to expand certified apprenticeship and journeymen training programs to ensure that we have qualified, homegrown tradesmen and women to meet the demand that will come as a result of the privatization of military housing. Statements were presented by: Senator Daniel K. Inouye; Senator Daniel K. Akaka; Dr. Evan S. Dobelle, president, University of Hawaii; Dr. Carl Vogel, director, Cancer Research Center of Hawaii; Ms. Dew-Anne Langcoan, vice president, Hawaii Pacific Health; Dr. Okamoto, president and CEO, the Queen's Health Systems; Dr. Jonathan K. Cho, a practicing community oncologist; Honorable Ed Case, U.S. Representative from Hawaii; Patricia Hamamoto, superintendent, State of Hawaii Department of Education; Bruce A. Coppa, Chair, Hawaii 3R's Program; Dennis Manalili, principal, Kaimuki High School; Neil Abercrombie, U.S. Representative from Hawaii; Linda Lingle, Governor, State of Hawaii; Donna Kim, vice president, Hawaii State Senate; and Sylvia J. Luke, vice speaker, Hawaii State House of Representatives; Dr. Clyde M. Sakamoto, chancellor, Maui Community College; Ramsey R. Pedersen, chancellor, Honolulu Community College; Lance Inouye, past president, General Contractors Association of Hawaii; Randy Lau, past president, Building Industry Association; Ron Taketa, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, Local 745; Lynn Kinney, Painters, Decorators, Paperhangers and Allied Traders, Local 1791; Glaziers Architectural and Glass Metal Workers Local 1889, AFL-CIO; Hawaii Building and Construction Trades Council; Laborers' Union, Local 368; and Hawaii Operating Engineers J.A.C. Further prepared statements were submitted by: International Association of Heat & Frost Insulators & Asbestos Workers Local 132, Hawaii; Bricklayers & Ceramic Tile Setters Local 1 and Plasterers' & Cement Masons' Local 630; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1186, Hawaii; Boilermakers, Iron Shipbuilders Union, Local 204; Roofers, Waterproofers & Allied Workers United Union of Roofers, Local 221; United Association of Plumbers and Fitters Local 675; Scott Y. Nishimoto, State of Hawaii Representative, District 21; Pacific Resource Partnership; Americas Promise Hawaii; Joint Venture Education Forum; Drywall Tapers and Finishers Local 1944, AFL-CIO; Carpet Linoleum and Soft Tile Local 1926, AFL-CIO; CRTC, Inc; Iron Workers Local 625 and Iron Workers Shopmen Local 803; John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii; University of Hawaii at Manoa; Joseph Kane, Jr.; and Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 293.

Statements by the following individuals were given at this hearing and are presented in this document: Hon. Lamar Alexander; David McCullough; Hon. Robert Byrd; Bruce Cole; Eugene W. Hickok; James H. Billington; Diane Ravitch; Hon. Christopher J. Dodd; and Russell Berg accompanied by Peter Sullivan and Blanche Deaderick. Additional material including statements, articles, publications, and letters relating to this hearing are appended. (MA)

This document includes statements given at this hearing by the following: William Y. Brown; John Cheek, Jennifer Chock; Rita Coosewon; David Dinwoodie; William Demmert, Jr.; Joycelyn DesRosier; Mary Hermes; Carla Herrera; Leanne Hinton; Holo Ho'opai; Hon. Daniel K. Inouye; Lawrence D. Kaplan; Keiki Kawaiaea; Rosalyn, LaPier; Lisa LaRonge; Vina Leno; Geneva Navarro; Travis Pecos; Namaka Rawlins; Mary Eunice Romero; Kalena Silva; Christine Sims; William Wilson; and Rosita Worl. Numerous prepared statements are appended as is additional material submitted for the record by Patricia C. Albers (letter); Blackfeet Nation (resolution); From Ocean Icons To Prime Suspects, Blaine Harden, "Washington Post" article; and Sealaska Heritage Institute (proposed amendments). (MA)

This hearing considers the budget request by the Department of Education for fiscal year 2004 for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program. The request by the Department is for $600 million, a sharp reduction of last year's appropriation, which was $993 million. This is a program that serves approximately 1,300,000 students in 1,400 communities throughout the United States. It provides a wide variety of educational experiences and has generally been regarded to be a highly effective program until the Department of Education this year has cited what they conclude to be "disappointing initial findings from a rigorous evaluation." In light of this conclusion, albeit preliminary, the subcommittee concluded that it would be important to have a hearing and go into this issue in some detail. Statements in this hearing are given by: Senator Arlen Specter; Hon. William D. Hansen; Senator Barbara Boxer; Arnold Schwarzenegger; Hon. John DeStefano, Jr.; Harvey Sprafka; Steven Kinlock; and Madison White. (Author/MA)

A Senate committee hearing received testimony on the problems of Native American youth and programs addressing those problems. Speakers included representatives of the American Academy of Pediatrics, United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY), Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Oral and written comments and materials focused on Native youth problems with substance abuse, poverty, hopelessness, lack of economic and employment opportunities on reservations, health disparities and unmet health needs, high rates of obesity and diabetes, high rates of motor vehicle injuries and suicide, and high dropout rates. Current programs and initiatives addressing such problems are described, including targeted advertising and public communications strategies to spread the anti-drug message; the BIA's Family and Child Education (FACE) program, which promotes family and parent involvement in children's education from birth to first grade; UNITY programs related to leadership training, youth empowerment, physical fitness, and substance abuse prevention; Native Vision's focus on youth involvement in sports and healthy family lifestyles; and the comprehensive programs of Boys and Girls Clubs and their program involving gang members and "wannabe" gangs. Some private foundations funding such programs are described. Recommendations for further action and federal funding are offered. (SV)

The Senate's Environmental and Public Works Committee conducted a hearing in October 2002 to assess green school initiatives: environmental standards for schools, school siting in relation to toxic waste sites, and "green" building codes. The committee reviewed activities undertaken by the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Office of Children's Environmental Health and the Office of Indoor Air Quality, as well as those taken by the Department of Energy concerning environmental and energy issues relevant to school properties. This document contains statements from that hearing. Statements were submitted by: (1) Sen. James Jeffords; (2) Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton; (3) Ramona Trovato, EPA; (4) Claire Barnett, Healthy Schools Network; (5) Alex Wilson, U.S. Green Buildings Council; (6) Lois Gibbs, Center for Health, Environment and Justice; (7) Veronika Carella; (8) Geri Unger, Funders' Forum on Environment and Education; (9) Daniel Schwartz, Children's Environmental Health Network; (10) Christine Gustafson; (11) Philip J. Landrigan, Mount Sinai School of Medicine; (12) Rochelle Davis, Illinois Healthy Schools Campaign; (13) Tolle Graham, Massachusetts Healthy Schools Campaign; (14) Suzanne Miller, Vermont Public Interest Research Group; (15) Derek Shendell, University of California Los Angeles School of Public Health; (16) Jenna Orkin, 9/11 Environmental Action; (17) Joellen Lawson; and (18) Katie Acton. (EV)

A Senate committee hearing received testimony on the implementation of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 in American Indian and Alaska Native tribal communities. The act provided authority for tribal governments to administer welfare programs formerly administered by the states but did not provide funds to develop the infrastructure to administer welfare programs. A panel of researchers from the General Accounting Office and elsewhere reported on an ongoing study of tribal welfare programs, focusing on economic conditions on Indian reservations; changes in the numbers of Indian welfare recipients since the law was enacted; how the law's flexibility has allowed recipients to engage in traditional subsistence activities and self-employment and pursue education and job training; and tribes' lack of administrative experience and necessary infrastructure, such as automated data systems. Written statements and testimony from Senators and representatives of various tribes, American Indian and Alaska Native organizations, and federal and state agencies discussed poverty and unemployment in Indian country, needs of tribal governments for administrator training and technical assistance, the need for financial assistance to develop small businesses, policy and governance problems in relationships between state and tribal programs, the need for "rural/frontier status" for isolated areas, inadequate funding to meet education and job training needs, needs for child care assistance, and descriptions of tribal welfare services. Many witnesses supported a proposed "American Indian Welfare Reform Act." (SV)

Noting the significant increase since 1990 in food-borne illnesses affecting school children, these hearings transcripts provide testimony on the safety of federal school lunches. Statements by Senator Richard Durbin and Representatives Stephen Horn, Janice Schakowsky, and Carolyn Maloney emphasized the array of federal agencies with various food safety responsibilities, food safety agencies' inability to mandate food recalls, and the need for better cooperation and communication between the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Representative Rosa DeLauro discussed findings of unsanitary conditions and unsafe food handling practices in Chicago area schools, recordkeeping flaws preventing officials from tracing food contamination to its source, the need to consolidate and streamline the number of federal agencies/committees responsible for protecting food, and the need to give the USDA and FDA authority to conduct mandatory recalls. General Accounting Office testimony recommended making schools aware of federal inspection and compliance records of potential food suppliers and described USDA and FDA measures to protect the food supply from deliberate contamination. Officials from the FDA and USDA described their respective roles in ensuring food safety and procedures for responding to illness outbreaks. An official of the Center for Science in the Public Interest discussed gaps in the food safety system and urged passage of the Durbin-DeLauro Safe Food Act. Two parents from a food safety advocacy group testified about their childrens food-borne illnesses, urged trace-back capability and accountability, advocated a single food safety agency, and maintained that overemphasizing consumer education misdirects responsibility for food safety from producers to consumers. Counsel for the National Food Processors Association asserted that mandatory recall is unnecessary because of industry cooperation with federal recall requests and maintained that a single food safety agency is not likely to provide the kinds of benefits proposed. Questions for witnesses related to interagency cooperation and communication, bioterrorism possibilities, specific incidents of foodborne illnesses and the followup investigations, USDA guidance to districts regarding procurement procedures, and concerns about due process. Appended to the transcripts are prepared statements, letters, and charts illustrating the school lunch supply chain and food safety oversight responsibilities. (KB)

A Senate committee hearing received testimony on the educational needs of Native Hawaiian families and young children and on existing programs that serve them. Oral and written statements were presented by Senators, parents, teachers, school and program administrators, and organizations concerned with Native education and culture. These statements discussed the need to improve the school readiness of Native Hawaiian children, the role of parents and extended families in teaching young children, the importance of maintaining Hawaiian culture and revitalizing the Hawaiian language, the need for culturally sensitive teachers with training in Hawaiian Studies, preschool programs that require parent participation and provide parent training, programs that immerse young children and their parents in Hawaiian, experiences with special needs children and welfare reform, community play groups, the need for outreach programs that provide health education, a mentoring program that pairs elementary students with young adults trained in Hawaiian culture, the role of business-community partnerships, a model for aligning culturally relevant early childhood education with state goals and standards, and needs for federal aid. (SV)

A hearing was held to explore the problem of binge drinking on campus and to consider possible responses to this problem. Following an opening statement by Senator Joseph Lieberman, a panel of witness who have done research and work in the field gave testimony. These witnesses commented on the problem of binge drinking: (1) Raynard S. Kingston, Acting Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health; (2) Ralph W. Hingson, Professor and Associate Dean for Research, Boston University School of Public Health; and (3) Mark S. Goldman, Director, Alcohol and Substance Abuse Research Institute, University of South Florida. A second panel of witnesses spoke of real-life impacts of binge drinking. They included: (1) Daniel P. Reardon, parent of a student who died of alcohol poisoning; (2) John D. Welty, President, California State University, Fresno; (3) Robert F. Nolan, Chief of Police, Hamden, Connecticut; and (4) Drew Hunter, Executive Director, the BACCHUS and GAMMA Peer Education Network. An appendix contains some prepared statements from C.D. Mote, Jr., president of the University of Maryland and Catherine Bach, program director of Security on Campus. Prepared statements of the witnesses are also included. (SLD)

This hearing before the Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Human Services, Education and Related Agencies is about what will be done in the 21st century to improve the learning skills for children from the earliest age through all their education. Senator Tom Harkin (Iowa) presided. Opening statements were given by Senator Harkin and Senator Arlen Spector (Pennsylvania). The opening statements are followed by the statement of Dr. Margaret Honey, Vice President and Director, Education Development Center, Center for Children and Technology, with highlights including: the benefits of educational technology, effective software design, and the role of the Federal Government. The statement of Cheryl Williams, President, International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is then given, followed by the statement of Thomas Gann, Director, Strategic Alliances for Global Education Research, Sun Microsystems, Incorporated, with highlights including: the need for networking, progress in e-learning, the Federal role, and recommendations. The last statement is given by Dr. David H. Rose, Ed.D., Co-Executive Director, CAST, with highlights including: assistive technologies and the present, the power of digital content for students with disabilities, and the universal design of learning technologies. A discussion follows. (AEF)

This Congressional hearing before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary presents testimony on the Technology Education and Copyright Harmonization Act, or the TEACH Act, introduced by Senator Orin Hatch (Utah) and Senator Patrick Leahy (Vermont). This legislation updates the education and distance learning provisions of the copyright law for the 21st century, allowing students and teachers to benefit from the deployment of advanced digital transmission technologies like the Internet in education. Opening statements of Senator Hatch and Senator Leahy are given. Statements from two other committee members are included: Senator Edward Kennedy (Massachusetts) and Senator Maria Cantwell (Washington) (submission for the record). The following witnesses provide statements: Allan Robert Adler, Vice President for Legal and Governmental Affairs, Association of American Publishers; Gary Carpentier, Adjunct Professor of Law, Washington College of Law, American University; Gerald A. Heeger, President, University of Maryland University College; Paul LeBlanc, President, Marlboro College, Vermont; Marybeth Peters, Register of Copyrights; and Richard M. Siddoway, Principal, Utah Electronic High School. In a session of questions and answers, responses are provided by Allan Robert Adler, Gary Carpentier, Gerald A. Heeger, Richard M. Siddoway, and Marybeth Peters. (AEF)

A Senate committe hearing received testimony on the proposed "Native American Commercial Driving Training and Technical Assistance Act" (Senate Bill 1344). The Act cites the high unemployment and economic distress among Native Americans, the federal government's obligation to assist Indian tribes with economic development, the high demand and expected increase in demand for commercial truck drivers, and the benefits of a career in commercial vehicle driving. Four grants to provide commercial driver training and certification would be awarded competitively, with the competition restricted to tribally controlled community colleges or universities. Two of these--Fort Peck Community College (Montana) and D-Q University (California)--currently offer commercial vehicle driving programs. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell and speakers representing the American Trucking Association, an American Indian-owned trucking firm, and Fort Peck Community College offered comments and recommendations related to the Act's passage and implementation, and discussed the role of tribally controlled colleges and universities in Native American job training and economic development; the funding needs of tribally controlled colleges; descriptions of current commercial driving programs and certification requirements; and career benefits. (SV)

This document presents witness testimonies addressing faith-based charities that offer critically needed social services through publicly funded and professionally managed programs. Specifically, the hearing discusses the possibility of extensive expansion of government involvement in faith-based charities, and some of the legal and policy concerns that have been raised about proposed expansions of charitable choice by religious leaders, civil rights leaders, and American citizens. Following opening statements from Senators Orrin G. Hatch, Patrick J. Leahy, and Arlen Specter, witnesses present testimonies on their experiences, thoughts, and concerns regarding the charitable choice approach to government funding of social services. The panelists included Rev. Charles Adams, Hartford Memorial Baptist Church; John L. Avery, National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors; Nathan J. Diament, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America; Carl H. Esbeck, Department of Justice; Rev. W. Wilson Goode, Amachi Program; Wade Henderson, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights; Douglas Laycock, University of Texas; Edward Morgan, Christian Herald Association; Hon. Rick Santorum, U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania; Hon. Robert Scott, U.S. Representative from Virginia; Rev. Eliezer Valentin-Castanon, United Methodist Church; and Rabbi David Zwiebel, Agudath Israel of America. (GCP)

Senator Edward Kennedy, from the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, submitted this report in accompaniment to United States Senate Bill 2969 (S. 2969), which was introduced by Senator Kennedy and Senator Gregg on September 19, 2002. S. 2969 provides for an office within the Department of Education to conduct high quality research using a variety of scientifically valid methods, to evaluate Federal Education Programs as well as research conducted outside the Department, develop products, and to disseminate information that will improve the quality of education for all students. S. 2969 provides a new structure to that office, to be known as the U.S. Institute for Education Sciences. The Committee believes that the goal of providing every individual with a high quality education requires the continued pursuit of knowledge about education through research, development, data collection, synthesis, technical assistance and information dissemination. The contents of this report are as follows: (1) Introduction; (2) Purpose and Summary; (3) Background and Need for Legislation; (4) Legislative History and Committee Action; (5) Explanation of Bill and Committee Views; (6) Cost Estimate; (7) Regulatory Impact Statement; (8) Application of Law to the Legislative Branch; (9) Section-by-Section Analysis; and (10) Changes in Existing Law. (Contains 2 tables.)

This document presents witness testimonies addressing the growing problem of Ecstasy use among American youth. All accounts point to the fact that youth are increasingly experimenting with the drug and experiencing seizures and other adverse affects at an alarming rate. Opening statements from Senators Lieberman, Bunning, and Akaka related the problem of drugs in their states. Testimony was presented from two teenage residents of Phoenix House Drug Rehabilitation Center, who are recovering from Ecstasy addiction. Other witnesses include Dr. Donald R. Vereen, Jr., Deputy Director of National Drug Control Policy; Alan I. Leshner, Director of National Institute on Drug Abuse; John C. Varrone, Assistant Commissioner of Customs; Joseph D. Keefe, Chief of Operations for Drug Enforcement Administration; John M. Bailey, Connecticut Chief State's Attorney; and Roy Rutland, Narcotics Detective for Miami-Dade Police Department. The hearing attempted to determine if the government was doing enough to stop the continued spread of this drug. It was hoped that the hearing gave a better understanding of the problem and provided some insight into what must be done. The appendix contains the prepared statements of the witnesses. (JDM)

A Senate committee hearing received testimony to showcase Native American program initiatives at the college and university level. Program representatives presented information on the characteristics and accomplishments of their programs. The Institute of Tribal Government at Portland State University (Oregon) provides intensive 3-day training programs designed specifically for elected tribal officials and is planning a Tribal Leadership Archive of tribal leaders' oral histories. The Harvard University Native American Program includes a predoctoral scholars program focused on Native issues, financial and social support for Native students, numerous Native Studies courses, research on real-world problems submitted by tribes, outreach to tribes, and nation building through inservice education for tribal leaders and professionals. The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development entails the comparative study of social and economic development on American Indian reservations and application of findings in service to tribes and tribal organizations. The Native Nations Institute for Leadership, Management, and Policy at the University of Arizona provides comprehensive professional training and development for tribal policymakers and managers. The University of Arizona also offers a Master of Laws program in Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy; faculty, courses, setting, and admissions criteria are described. The Northwest Indian Applied Research Institute at Evergreen State College (Washington) addresses Native community concerns. (SV)

In this report of a congressional hearing, testimony includes statements and prepared statements of these four senators: John Breaux, Larry Craig, Debbie Stabenow, and Herbert Kohl. Panel I is presented by the Acting Assistant Attorney General, United States (U.S.) Department of Justice. Panel II consists of individuals representing the National Center on Elder Abuse, National Association of State Units on Aging; a victim of elder abuse; Director of Geriatrics, University of California, Irvine, California; Elder Abuse Prosecution Unit, San Diego, California; and the National Association of Adult Protective Services Administrators. Appendixes include a statement by the National Indian Council on Aging; testimony by the Social Services Block Grant Coalition; and a letter from the American Bar Association and its recommended guidelines for state courts handling cases involving elder abuse. (YLB)

This is the report of a congressional hearing on the new National Family Caregiver Support Program. First, it looks at this new program before it is fully implemented in the states and assesses how the states are setting up their programs. Second, it examines whether the States are receiving the clear and effective guidance they need from the Federal Administration on Aging regarding the program's implementation. Testimony includes statements and prepared statements of five senators and three panels. Panel I consists of the Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aging, Administration on Aging, United States Department of Health and Human Services. Panel II is composed of statements of a member of the board of directors of the Jim "Catfish" Hunter ALS Foundation in Hartford, North Carolina, and a family caregiver in Boise, Idaho. Panel III consists of statements of the president of the National Family Caregivers Association, Kensington, Maryland; executive director of Older Women's League, Washington, DC; and executive director of Cenla Area Agency on Aging, Inc., Alexandria, Louisiana. Appendixes include the statements of the National Association on State Units on Aging and of Generations United. (YLB)

The federally funded National Writing Project has 167 sites in 49 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Of the eight sites in Mississippi, the Live Oak Writing Project is the newest, based at the Gulf Coast campus of the University of Southern Mississippi in Long Beach. A Congressional Committee on Appropriations special hearing was held to review the success and importance of federally funded teacher training programs, specifically the National Writing Project and the Live Oak Writing Project. This booklet contains the minutes of the hearing. The booklet is divided into the following sections: Opening Statement of Senator Thad Cochran; Statement of Dr. Richard Sterling, executive director, National Writing Project; Prepared Statement; Statement of Dr. Sherry Swain, director, Mississippi Writing and Thinking Project, Starkville, MS; Prepared Statement; Statement of Dr. Huntley Biggs, executive director, Mississippi Power Foundation; Prepared Statement; Statement of Kim Myrick Stasny, Ph.D., superintendent, Bay St. Louis-Waveland School District; Prepared Statement; Statement of Stacey Gorum, teacher, North Bay Elementary School; Statement of Sharon McKenna Ladner, curriculum instruction specialist, Pascagoula School District; Statement of Lisa Eveleigh, parent, North Elementary, Bay St. Louis, MS; Prepared Statement; National Writing Project Evaluation, Student Writing Achievement, Year One Results; National Writing Project Annual Report 2000; Letter from Amy Tuck, Lieutenant Governor, State of Mississippi, to Senator Thad Cochran; Prepared Statement of State Senator Alice V. Harden; Prepared Statement of Kim Patterson, co-director, Mississippi State University Writing/Thinking Project; Prepared Statement of Linda Buchanan; Prepared Statement of Jeanne R. Ezell; Prepared Statement of John W. Dorroh; and Prepared Statement of Katherine Dale Pohl, parent. (NKA)

These hearings transcripts present testimony before a congressional committee comparing early childhood education and care in the United States with that of other industrialized countries, focusing on all arrangements for children under compulsory school age. The opening statement from the committee chair, Senator James Jeffords, notes the linkage between participation in preschool and numerous positive outcomes as well as the evidence that preschool participation benefits low-income children more than children from more economically advantaged families. Jefford's statement notes that: American children are not entering school ready to learn, especially children from inner cities; the child care workforce is undertrained and paid low wages; and some local and state governments have accepted a view of early education and care adopted in other industrialized nations and have devised a variety of ways to finance programs for 3- and 4-year-olds. Providing testimony regarding the early education and care systems of industrialized nations are representatives of the Institute for Child and Family Policy at Columbia University, the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, the Bristol (Vermont) Family Center, the Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children, and the director of educational programs of the French-American Foundation. The testimony focused on the models of early childhood education and care programs in the United States and elsewhere, and discussed their eligibility, coverage, financing mechanisms, staffing and compensation, and outcomes and impacts. Prepared statements also included information on selected findings from a 15-nation study of early childhood care and education programs, the French day care system, and the experiences of one family center in Vermont. (KB)

A hearing was held on the role of prevention in the comprehensive drug control policy of the United States. The hearing demonstrated a strengthening of the commitment to reduce the demand for drugs. It also showed bi-partisan support to remain vigilant in defense of the borders and in punishing those who sell or manufacture drugs. It states that the time has come to increase resources towards prevention. Following opening statements from Senators Orrin G. Hatch, Patrick J. Leahy, Mike Dewine, Richard J. Durbin, Maria Cantwell, Russell D. Feingold, and Srom Thurmond, expert witnesses presented testimony about what works in drug prevention. The panelists included Dr. Robert DuPont, president of Institute for Behavior and Health, Inc.; Edyie Hewitt, former director of Vermont Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health; Alan I. Leshner, National Institute on Drug Abuse; Donnie R. Marshall, Drug Enforcement Administration; Carroll O'Connor, actor and advocate for prevention; Debra Walcott, recovering drug addicted youth; James A. Walton, Jr., commissioner for the Department of Public Safety in Vermont; and Paul M. Warner, United States Attorney for the district of Utah. Statements were also submitted for the record from Joseph A. Califano, Jr., President of National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Columbia University and Dr. Jan K. Carney, Commissioner of Health, State of Vermont. (JDM)

A U.S. Senate committee hearing received testimony on proposed amendments to the Education Amendments of 1978 and the Tribally Controlled Schools Act of 1988. The amendments deal with accreditation and academic standards for Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) schools, facilities standards for BIA school dormitories, geographical attendance area boundaries for BIA schools, instructions to the General Accounting Office to conduct a national survey of the physical condition of all BIA-funded school facilities, facilities construction priorities and funding, federal funding formulas for BIA schools, administrative cost grants, establishment of a Division of Budget Analysis within the BIA's Office of Indian Education Programs (OIEP), the system of uniform direct funding and support for BIA schools, policy for Indian control of Indian education, school board training, hiring and qualifications of Indian education personnel, discharge and conditions of employment of educators, compensation or salaries for teachers and counselors, early childhood development programs, tribal departments of education, grants to tribally controlled schools, and eligibility for such grants. Statements and testimony were received from U.S. senators, the director of OIEP, and representatives of national and tribal organizations concerned with Indian education. Additional materials include details of educational facilities needs, estimated construction costs, and photographs of facilities on the Tohono O'odham Nation. (SV)

This hearing reviewed the Title I Grants to LEAs [local education agencies] (Title I) Program of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Title I is the largest federal education program for elementary and secondary schools. Since 1965, it has made nearly $133 billion available to states and school districts to improve the opportunity for a good education among disadvantaged students. This hearing provided the United States Senate with information on how the Title I Program works in Mississippi. The hearing included statements by Dr. Richard Thompson, State Superintendent of Education, Mississippi Department of Education; Dr. Lynn House, Bureau Director, Office of Innovative Support, Mississippi Department of Education; Joyce B. McNair, Superintendent, Humphreys County School District; Dr. Therrell Myers, Superintendent, Columbus Municipal School District; and Dr. Daniel Watkins, Superintendent, Yazoo City Municipal School District. The hearing also included a prepared statement by the Office of Research and Statistics, Mississippi Department of Education. (SM)

This report documents the proceedings of a two-day hearing held in Utah to begin a public dialogue on how professionals can work together to combat the dangers of substance abuse problems among adolescents. The introductory comments by the presiding chairman, Senator Orin Hatch, spell out the present problem in Utah. The senator points out how youth and their families are aware of the dangers of cocaine, LSD, heroin, and marijuana but they may not be aware of a new class of drugs known as "club drugs." These drugs, such as methamphetamine, an addictive stimulant; ecstasy, a synthetic mind-altering drug; GHB and other central nervous system stimulants, are sweeping across the country and leaving youth unprepared for their dangerous side effects. On the first day, panelists shed light on the growing problem of club drug use in Utah. Representatives from drug enforcement administration, the state attorney general's office, and police departments served as witnesses. The second day proceedings focused on ways the community of professionals can work together to combat the dangers of substance abuse. Representatives from the regional PTA, Immigration and Naturalization Service, the District Attorney's office, and private citizens spoke before the committee. (JDM)

These hearing transcripts recount testimony before Congress on proposals to work with recipient governments and communities to establish a preschool and school feeding program in developing countries. Of particular focus in the hearing was the infrastructure needed to implement the program effectively and the roles of government agencies, nongovernmental agencies, voluntary agencies, the agricultural community, and the private commercial sector. Oral or written testimony was offered by Ambassador George McGovern; Senators Lugar, Cochran, Harkin, Leahy, Durbin, Daschle, Johnson, and Dole; and Representative James McGovern, as well as by the executive director of the World Food Program, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and directors/chairs of private voluntary relief organizations. It was asserted that international lunch programs have the potential benefit of helping to achieve several foreign policy goals: reducing hunger, increasing and enhancing education in developing countries, increasing education for girls, reducing child labor, increasing opportunities for orphans of war or disease, decreasing population, and decreasing pressure on food resources and on the environment. Testimony by representatives of private voluntary organizations pointed out: (1) the need to involve private voluntary organizations in implementing a school feeding program; (2) the importance of improving educational quality to enhance the school feeding impact; (3) the need for a multifaceted, multiyear approach; (4) the need for involving the private commercial sector; and (5) concerns about the real impact of a school feeding program on childrens nutrition. Appended are prepared statements submitted by congressmen and a concept paper by Food for Education and Economic Development. (KB)

This Congressional report contains the testimony and documents presented for the record of a hearing to gather input regarding the Strengthening Working Families Act of 2001, which was drafted to provide the assistance needed by former welfare recipients and other poor working parents to remain employed and advance in the labor market. The following are among the agencies and organizations represented at the hearing: Goodwill of Acadiana (Opelousas, Louisiana); Center for Fathers, Families, and Workforce Development (Baltimore, Maryland); Welfare to Work Partnership (Washington, DC); Catholic Charities (Alexandria, Virginia); United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); Child Welfare League of America; M.A.R.C.H, Inc. (Mediation Achieving Results for Children); and Center for Law and Social Policy. The following are among the topics discussed by witnesses: changes in employment levels and poverty levels since passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunities Reconciliation Act; the need to make sure that working poor families are better off financially than before they started on welfare; the problems that former welfare recipients and other poor workers with families face with regard to affording housing, food, transportation, child care, and health care; the effectiveness of block grants; and the role of work supports and education in boosting job retention and worker advancement. (MN)