ANNUAL REPORT TO THE PRESIDENT AND THE CONGRESS/1973 NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ON THE EDUCATION OF DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN 425 Thirteenth Street NW./Suite 1012/Washington, D.C. 20004 NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ON THE EDUCATION OF DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN Washington, D.C. March 31, 1973 Dear Sirs: I am pleased to submit to you the 1973 Annual Report of the National Advisory Council on the Education of Disadvantaged Children. The Council has been able to undertake a more active schedule this year due to the unparalleled cooperation and participation of the U.S. Office of Education, Office of Committee Management, under the specific direction of Assistant Secretary, Dr. Sidney Marland; the Deputy Commissioner for School Systems, Mr. Duane Mattheis; the Associate Commissioner for Elementary and Secondary Education, Mr. Robert Wheeler; the Director of the Division of Compensatory Education, Mr. Richard Fairley, and the Deputy Director of General Services Administration, Mr. Harold Barber. Our staff and budget were increased to workable, though not fully requested levels, and as a direct consequence, word has reached us that our usefulness to you has been improved. Constituent groups also feel that our Council is responsive and helpful. The Council was able to host conferences with constituent groups for the purpose of channeling their experiences, data and recommendations to you. The Council Chairman testified on February 5, 1973, with regard to current education legislation, and provided the House Subcommittee on Education with a 24-page prepared testimony. (appendix A.) The legislation having maximum impact upon Council activities was the Federal Advisory Committee Act which became effective on January 5, 1973, and was passed in October 1972. The public information requirements are strict, and we feel that they are excellent and needed. The required relationship with the agency is also strict, and some minor revisions would make the law more effective and more easily administered, however, it is by no means hamstringing the Council's activities or purposes. May I respectfully mention at this time that the Council has been an active and supportive Council. We have attempted to mold our criticism constructively, and to respond objectively and quickly to requests for information and advice. We have made it a policy to channel constituent opinion and views to the proper Government target, and in this way to expand our citizen advice. We have consulted interested persons at all levels of our program: Clients, parents, teachers, administrators, Government officials, and other concerned citizens. We have met frequently, and studied these programs in depth. We have been consulted often, and feel that over the years our recommendations have been taken seriously, and in many cases been implemented or proposed in legislation. We are perplexed to learn at this time that our Council's existence is in question. Therefore, may I respectfully request that our activity, objectivity and iii skill be considered as legislative proposals determine our fate as a functioning group. I appreciate your personal attention in this matter. The Council has framed its report in the context that its recommendations should be included in any design of compensatory education programing. Although our statutory requirement provides for a review and evaluation of ESEA, title I, which is covered in this report, we feel that the statutorily required legislative recommendations do imply that we make statements from the title I experience on any pending compensatory education legislation. I wish to thank you in behalf of the Council members for the opportunity to serve you on this national level, and I do personally certify that the membership of this Council are hardworking, dedicated people who have met approximately 10 times this year to study thoroughly the issues before you in this report. I respectfully state that with the strength of Presidential appointment and by reporting directly to the President and Congress, we have been able to operate with independence, candor and humility. The Council has been able to present the Federal role to the constituents of compensatory education programs as constructive and sympathetic Federal leadership seeking to eliminate wasteful expenditure and ineffective programs, and to retain effective programs and to propose legislative initiatives designed to serve the children better. After our experiences this fall and winter, we believe that we have been successful in attaining that goal. The Council presents this 1973 annual report to you as the most important component of our activities this year. A. Chairman Alfred Z. McElroy's Testimony, February 5, 1973.. B. 216 Title I Programs That Have Significantly Improved the Edu- Table II Programs for the Disadvantaged Administered by 109 V |