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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.

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.

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.

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 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.)

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.

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)

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)

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)

This Congressional report contains the remarks made at a special meeting of the United States Committee on Aging to celebrate senior citizen's service to their community and examine policies regarding federally funded senior service programs. The following are among the programs, agencies, and organizations represented: Senior Companion Program; Catholic Charities; Foster Grandparents Program; Retired and Seniors Volunteer Program; South Central Indiana Interfaith Community Council; Big Brothers Program; Corporation for National Service; National Senior Service Corps; Civic Ventures; American Association of Retired Persons; and Purdue University. A large part of the testimony focused on senior citizens' service in areas such as mentoring, literacy education, and companionship and assistance to help other senior citizens remain at home. Extensive attention was also paid to the need for and possibility of additional government funding for the following activities: (1) expansion of existing senior service programs that have proved effective; (2) establishment of financial incentives to increase volunteering by senior citizens; (3) provision of additional training for seniors in areas such as physical and mental health, nutrition, child psychology, identifying signs of child abuse, and provision of long-term care and educational services; and (4) additional research on senior service programs. (Contains 37 references.) (MN)

This publication documents a congressional hearing on the Agricultural Job Opportunity Benefits and Security Act of 1999, which focuses on these three major concerns: the United States (US) is the home of a large and growing number of undocumented agricultural workers; the current H-2A Program is administratively burdensome, does not work well for workers or employers and could be replaced by a registry; and the bill provides a route to legal residence for farm workers and enhances protections, wages, and labor conditions. An opening statement by Senator Spencer Abraham of Michigan is followed by testimony and/or statements from Representatives from the States of California and Georgia; Senators from the States of Idaho, Florida, and Oregon; and individuals representing the United Farmworkers of America, AFL-CIO; Lutheran Ministry to Farmworkers, Woodburn, Oregon; National Council of Agricultural Employers, Washington, DC; Office of Research, Advocacy, and Legislation, National Council of La Raza; and American Farm Bureau, Traverse City, Michigan. (YLB)

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)

A U.S. Senate committee hearing received testimony on the Indian School Construction Act, which would establish a bonding authority for leveraging existing tribal education funds through bonds to fund tribal school construction, maintenance, and repair. The testimony from U.S. senators and representatives of the Department of the Interior and American Indian organizations discussed the following: the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) school construction and repair backlog of over $1 billion; the terrible condition of school facilities on Indian reservations; the need to regard any bonding initiative as a supplement, not a replacement, to federal appropriations; the specific details of how tribes would issue bonds that would be secured by federal money in an escrow account and would have interest payments covered by federal tax credits; the question of federal loan guarantees; and the nature of the federal government's trust responsibility concerning educational assistance to tribes. The complete text of the Act is included. (SV)

A Senate committee hearing received testimony on proposed amendments to the Indian provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The proposals include amendments to the ESEA amendments of 1978 related to Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) schools and amendments to the Tribally Controlled Schools Act of 1988. Both sets of proposals stress local tribal flexibility in developing education programs and continue the trend toward increasing tribal contracting of federal services and programs. Testimony from U.S. Senators and representatives of Native educational associations addressed the role of Native school boards, the backlog of nearly a billion dollars in construction needs at BIA schools, the need for investment accounts for every BIA school to cover the costs of capital improvements, funding mechanisms, tribal educational standards and accountability, and local training and technical assistance needs. The question of whether a BIA grant school could also receive state charter-school funds was discussed. The appendix contains the Navajo Nation's recommendations for specific language to be used in the amendments. (SV)

At a hearing in Honolulu (Hawaii), the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations received testimony on health, education, and employment and training programs serving the Native people of Hawaii. In July 1999, a federal government brief filed in a U.S. Supreme Court case established the official legal position of the United States that Native Hawaiians have the same status as other Native people of the United States and that there is a federal trust responsibility for Native Hawaiians. Testimony from state-level administrators outlined the current status of health, housing, education, and job training for Native Hawaiians and proposed recommendations for pending federal legislation: the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Amendments of 1999, the Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act, and the Native Hawaiian Education Act. Other testimony described Native Hawaiian health care systems, the Native Hawaiian heart health initiative, the Native Hawaiian Cancer Awareness Research and Training Center, the Hawaii high schools health study, the Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program, the practice of naturopathic medicine with Native Hawaiians, the Native Hawaiian Higher Education Program and its outcomes and impacts, programs focused on Hawaiian language and cultural maintenance, family-based early childhood education programs, the Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence (to improve the health of indigenous Hawaiians), comprehensive school-based services, and the Native Hawaiian Special Education Project. (SV)

When the national forests were withdrawn from the public domain a century ago, they were established with the assurances that proceeds from the sustainable management of their natural resources would be shared with local governments. These proceeds partially refund the tax revenues lost by local governments and go toward funding rural schools, roads, and other services. Since 1990, controversies over federal forest management policies and reduced timber sales have decreased these payments dramatically, leaving many rural schools in difficult circumstances. A Senate subcommittee held hearings on proposed legislation that would establish a set amount to be paid to affected local governments and apply available receipts to meet these payments, with general treasury funds making up the difference. Only 75 percent of the payments would go to the traditional schools and roads program; 25 percent would be given to the counties for federal-land management projects developed locally. The bill aims to provide secure funding for rural schools while giving people a new incentive to work together at the local level. Testimony from U.S. Senators; county commissioners; and representatives of organizations advocating school, environmental, community, and timber industry interests discussed details of funding mechanisms, the balance between economic and ecological concerns, the composition and duties of local advisory committees, the risk of catastrophic wildfires, and issues related to community survival. (SV)

This transcript records testimony concerning Senate Bill 2490 which would bar federal aid from being used at colleges that directly or indirectly discriminate against off-campus businesses. The bill responds to difficulties small businesses have in competing with college campus bookstores due to the ability of colleges to channel student financial aid to college businesses and college bookstores. Following opening statements by Senators Lauch Faircloth and Olympia J. Snowe, the transcript presents the full testimonies of the following individuals: Graham Gillette, on behalf of Campus Bookstores, Inc.; William D. Gray, president of Gray's College Bookstore and national chairman of the Campus Area Small Business Alliance; Rob Karr, representing the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, and Anthony Samu, president of the United States Student Association. Also included are comments for the record from: John-Paul de Bernardo, of Campus Area Small Business Alliance; Daniel Lieberman, of Dynamic Student Services; David Longanecker, of the Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education; and Richard C. Yount, Loupots Bookstores of Houston, Inc. (DB)

This document highlights a congressional hearing on expanding the debate on education to involve small businesses as active participants. Opening statements of the following three United States (U.S.) senators are provided: Christopher S. Bond, John F. Kerry, and Olympia J. Snow. Testimony includes witness testimony, prepared statements, and other materials from individuals representing the American Management Association, New York, New York; Ball Publishing, Inc., Greenville, Ohio, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D.C.; Albert Seisler Machine Corporation, Mohnton, Pennsylvania, and the National Federation of Independent Business, Washington, D.C.; State Farm Insurance Companies, Bloomington, Indiana, and the National Alliance of Business, Washington, D.C.; Lexington/Rockbridge Chamber of Commerce, Lexington, Virginia; and Department of Education of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. (YLB)

This document records the oral and written testimony from a 1999 Senate Committee hearing on "the forgotten half"--young people who do not continue their education past high school and, in many cases, do not finish high school. Witnesses testified that there is a great need for persons with technical skills to fill existing and projected jobs in the United States, but that young people with the appropriate skills cannot be found. In response to this need, some witnesses suggested that more attention should be paid to high schools when Congress re-authorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Current legislation directs only 8 percent of the funds authorized by the act to high schools, although 28 percent of students are in high school. The witnesses asked for more funding for programs to improve high school teaching in technical areas and for minority and disadvantaged students, and to create innovative programs. Several witnesses profiled the programs in which they are involved, which have been successful in helping low-achieving students to acquire basic and technical skills and to advance to postsecondary education and to higher-wage employment. (KC)

This hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on examining legislation authorizing funds for the Elementary Secondary Education Act, focusing on educational technology programs, contains statements by: James M Jeffords, Chairman, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; Barbara Means, Assistant Director, Center for Technology in Learning, SRI International, Menlo Park, California; Phil Hyjek, School Information Technology Specialist, Vermont Institute for Science, Math, and Technology, Waterbury Center; Patty Murray, Senator from Washington State; Jeff Bingaman, Senator from New Mexico; Ervin Duggan, President, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), Alexandria, Virginia; Daniel Hogan, participant, PBS Mathline Program, Cincinnati, Ohio; Inabeth Miller, President, the Jason Foundation for Education, Waltham, Massachusetts, accompanied by Georgene Lytle, third grade teacher, Wooster, Ohio; Michael Pitroff, Project Director, Baltimore Learning Community, Baltimore, Maryland; and Carmen Gonzales, Director, Regional Educational Technology Assistance Project, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico. (MES)

The Hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the U.S. Senate, held February 11, 1999, contains opening statements by Senators Jeffords, Hutchinson, Hagel, Sessions, Kennedy, Dodd, and Murray; prepared statements by educators, school board personnel, and a state representative; and additional material on education budget proposals and federal funding for education. (DFR)

This booklet provides a transcript of the September 16, 1997 hearing before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the U.S. Senate. The hearing concerns tobacco advertising and children. The statements delivered before the committee as well as the prepared statements of several senators are included. These senators are: John McCain, Ron Wyden, Wendell H. Ford, Olympia J. Snowe, Richard H. Bryan, and Bill Frist. A letter from Margaret S. Plattner, Director of the Teen Tobacco Enforcement Program, Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control in Kentucky, is also provided. The testimony of several witnesses and their prepared statements are included. The witnesses are: Joseph R. DiFranza, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, on behalf of Stop Teenage Addiction to Tobacco; Shirley Igo, Vice President for Legislation, National Parent Teacher Association; Alfred Munzer, MD, past president, American Lung Association and Director of Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine, Washington Adventist Hospital in Maryland; Matthew L. Myers, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, National Center for Tobacco-Free Kids; and D. Scott Wise, Partner Davis, Polk, and Wardwell. An appendix provides the prepared statement of Senator Ernest F. Hollings. (MKA)

At an Espanola (New Mexico) hearing, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies of the Senate Committee on Appropriations heard testimony on heroin addiction and intervention efforts in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. An opening statement of Senator Pete Domenici outlined the problem of an epidemic of black tar heroin addiction afflicting the county, with accompanying crime and delinquency problems. A representative of the federal Office of Justice Programs (OJP) described relevant OJP initiatives, particularly Weed and Seed, which provides funding for community law enforcement, drug treatment programs, and after-school youth activities aimed at drug and delinquency prevention. Other federal officials discussed block grants and state incentive grants for drug prevention and treatment programs, the Starting Early Starting Smart program for children aged 0-7, physical and mental health problems related to drug abuse, the science of heroin addiction and treatment, and science-based drug education materials for grades 5-9. Representatives of state and local agencies discussed substance abuse-related detention costs; substance abuse, mental health, and related medical costs for local prisoners; the Rio Arriba Strategic Plan for Substance and Alcohol Abuse and Treatment; the rationale for a county-wide plan; current substance abuse reduction activities in the county; youth development as primary prevention; the high rates of drug-related death in New Mexico; the special problems of isolated rural communities; and a drug treatment program based on yoga, meditation, and nutrition. (SV)

This document presents the transcript of Congressional hearings held before the Committee on Labor and Human Resources on the scope and implications of illiteracy in the United States and on school and adult programs addressing literacy. After opening statements of the Hon. James M. Jeffords and the Hon. Christopher J. Dodd, the transcript for the hearing on the implications of illiteracy includes the texts of oral statements and prepared statements by the following individuals or organizations: Enrique Ramirez, Andy Hartman, Jean DeVard-Kemp, John P. Comings, and Richard C. Wade. Contains additional articles, "Understanding Health Literacy: New Estimates of the Costs of Inadequate Health Literacy" by Robert B. Friedland and Greg O'Neill, and a letter of Robert B. Friedland to the Hon. James M. Jeffords including a summary of research presented in the aforementioned article. (EF)

These hearing transcripts present testimony before the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the 105th Congress on early childhood education and related services. Participants provided different perspectives on early education, focusing on the academic achievement of American students, especially in comparison to students in other countries; the importance of early childhood longitudinal studies; the role of child care centers; and improving early childhood educators' qualifications. Speakers included Senators James Jeffords (Vermont), Tim Hutchinson (Arkansas), Susan Collins (Maine), and Jack Reed (Rhode Island). Providing expert testimony were the commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics and the executive director of the Child Care Action Campaign. Witnesses indicated that basic measures from the National Household Education Survey document tremendous variation in the skills children bring to kindergarten. Studies of child care in the United States report that the vast majority of centers provide poor to mediocre care. One participant compared U.S. child care programs to early education programs in France, noting differences in caregiver qualifications and compensation, as well as other programmatic differences. This witness also recommended accelerating the move toward universal prekindergarten programming and increasing accreditation efforts. A report on data needs for early childhood development and learning readiness is appended. (KB)

A Senate hearing considered five bills related to the national parks. Of interest to the education community is S. 2232, which would establish Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site in Arkansas as a unit of the National Park Service. In 1957 the school became a center of controversy over school desegregation when nine African American students attempted to enroll at Central High. Senator Dale Bumpers from Arkansas spoke of the importance of recognizing the site, already on the National Register of Historic Places as the location of the first real test of desegregation in the wake of the "Brown v. Board of Education" decision. Everett Tucker, III, President of the Central High Museum spoke in support of the measure, as did Ernest Green, one of the nine students who integrated the school with federal support. Both speakers noted that the nine students were an inspiration to America because of their poise in a crisis. Although the school would be designated as a National Parks site, it would continue to be a functioning school, administered by the Little Rock school district. The hearing report also contains testimony by witnesses related to the other bills and the prepared statements of all witnesses. (SLD)

A Senate hearing was held regarding the current condition of Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) schools. The BIA selection process for building and repairing these schools was resumed; and discussed innovative measures for financing BIA schools was discussed. This document includes testimony from the Director of the National Indian Education Association, the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, and the President of the Dakota Area Consortium of Treaty Schools, Inc., along with prepared statements from other interested parties. Among the information presented is the fact that there is a $1.5 billion backlog of needed repairs, renovations, and replacement for all federally owned and operated BIA schools. Half of BIA schools are over 30 years old, and one quarter of the schools are over 50 years old--all of which fail to meet current codes and standards. Overall, BIA schools are generally in poorer physical condition than even central city schools, have less technology than the average American school, and have funding that is at crisis levels. Numerous statements and attachments illustrating these observations conclude the report. (GR)