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Education Research and Statistics
1989 Budget Proposal--continued
teaching and school leadership techniques, make research findings useful
and available, develop training materials, and provide technical assistance
in school improvement efforts. Also, a comprehensive four-year evaluation
of the labs would be continued in 1989 ($150,000), and planning would begin
for the laboratory competition to be conducted in 1990 ($75,000).
Funds of $649,000 are requested to track education reform. The Programs
for the Improvement of Practice staff would organize meetings with profes-
sional educators and organizations to result in publications on topics
critical to education improvement. The staff would meet with evaluators of
State reform to discuss how each State is tracking the implementation and
assessment of reform policies, and would provide support for six new
syntheses on topics such as school-site management in the areas of State
educational reform. In conjunction with the release of results from the
1988 NAEP history assessment, they would support the involvement of State
and local curriculum developers and policymakers in developing ways to
improve the teaching and learning of history. They would provide support
for the development of a series of case studies of how parents can be
effectively involved in school affairs. They would support a group of ten
academic leaders to describe specific policies and practices related to
successful higher education assessment. Finally, they would provide
support for two groups of superintendents to develop strategies to increase
the holding power of schools.
Programs for the Improvement of Practice would produce a major study of the
reform movement itself. The study would include case studies to understand
how reform and improvement work, and the results would be published in a
book and a series of monographs ($400,000). As part of this initiative, and
in cooperation with the Office of Research and the Department's Office of
Interagency and Intergovernmental Affairs, Programs for the Improvement
of Practice would continue to track and support the reforms proposed by
the National Governors' Association in Time for Results by documenting
progress in the 16 test sites and fostering communications among
those participating in the NGA project. This study will provide new
strategies for effective reform at the grassroots level. Plans also
include a series of booklets or syntheses bringing research to bear on
instructional problems within schools and school systems designed to assist
school policymakers with their schools' improvement activities ($150,000).
Funds would also support 50-60 projects for classroom teachers to conduct
research in areas important to instructional improvement ($280,000).
By convening practicing educators, or those who influence school policy,
and combining this real-world perspective with research findings, the
office would also produce a synthesis of what works in the assessment
of student performance ($250,000), and provide for the development of
a handbook for schools describing effective transmission of values,
knowledge, and beliefs in schools and communities ($80,000). Plans
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Education Research and Statistics
1989 Budget Proposal--continued
also include a series of three conferences to examine technology's impact on teaching and learning processes, which would result in a guidebook on technology use in schools ($100,000) and completion of the documentation, evaluation, and synthesis of the 29 teacher education development and demonstration projects ($16,000).
The 1989 request for Information Services is $8,308,000, an increase of $2,100,000 over the 1988 level.
Of the total requested, $6.7 million would go to the Education
Resources Information Center (ERIC) system. This 20-year-old educa-
tion information service underwent a major review and redesign effort,
with changes implemented in fiscal year 1988. Some of these improve-
ments cannot be fully implemented until 1989 due to the lack of adequate
funds in 1988.
Following competition, new contracts were awarded in 1988 for ERIC clearing-
houses. Related system contracts are new as well. In addition, ACCESS
ERIC, a new effort to coordinate systemwide products and services, was
initiated. ACCESS ERIC will promote and foster use of ERIC as well as
provide training, evaluation, and other centralized improvement functions.
In an effort to make ERIC products more accessible and available to a
range of audiences, ACCESS ERIC will collaborate with an extensive network
of professionals in State education departments, teacher centers, associa-
tion offices, central offices of school districts, private school systems,
and school and university libraries. Funds are needed in 1989 to continue
these activities and to pursue additional improvements in the ERIC system
designed to make the database more comprehensive, accessible, and available
in useful formats.
Funds are also requested to continue support for the Education Research
Library and the Education Reference Center, with some enhancements to
both ($501,000), and for printing the many publications to be released
by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement in 1989 ($600,000).
The Library would catalogue its textbook collection, improve the delivery
of services, and strengthen its links to other major education libraries.
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1989 Budget Proposal--continued
Other information dissemination activities would also be expanded in 1989.
The Office of Educational Research and Improvement proposes to develop and
begin operation of EDsearch, a computerized telecommunications system that
would provide teachers, administrators, policymakers, and journalists with
instant access to education statistics and research results. EDsearch
would narrow the gap between the time a study ends and the time its results
are disseminated. Public awareness of and access to OERI-sponsored
research results would also increase through the continued dissemination
of data tapes and expansion of telecommunications links and electronic
bulletin boards. In addition, links with other large education research
libraries and online access to some 300 education and social science data-
bases would enable the library and information staffs to respond quickly
and comprehensively to the ever increasing number of requests they receive.
A total of $510,000 is requested for these activities.
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 1988.
CHESTER E. FINN, JR., ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT
ANNE J. MATHEWS, DIRECTOR, LIBRARY PROGRAMS, OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT
ROBERT L. KLASSEN, DIRECTOR, PUBLIC LIBRARY SUPPORT STAFF RONALD PHILIP PRESTON, DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR POLICY AND PLANNING, OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT
CAROL CICHOWSKI, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION, REHABILITATION AND RESEARCH ANALYSIS, BUDGET SERVICE
Mr. NATCHER. We take up at this time the budget request for fiscal year 1989 for Libraries. We have before the committee Mr. Chester Finn.
Mr. Finn, before you give us your statement, tell us who you have with you at the table.
Mr. FINN. Mr. Chairman, a largely familiar cast of characters: Deputy Assistant Secretary Ron Preston; Dr. Anne Mathews, Director, Library Programs, Office of Educational Research and Improvement. To her left, Bob Klassen, Director, Public Library Support Staff. To my right, Carol Cichowski, Director, Division of Special Education, Rehabilitation and Research Analysis, Budget Service.
Mr. NATCHER. Mr. Finn, we will be pleased to hear from you.
Mr. FINN. Knowing you will be entering the prepared statement into the record, let me just make a few comments.
This is the first time I have had the pleasure of bringing you a positive proposal for Library Programs. This is a major Administration initiative, the first in its field. We are prepared to concede to you today that there is a legitimate Federal role in the library field. And our forthcoming legislation due soon on Capitol Hill embodies our perception of the proper Federal role in the library field. I know you are not inclined to propose funds against legislation not yet enacted, but I believe our new program represents a marked improvement over the 30-year-old programs on the statute books. Those programs served their purpose; they have largely accomplished their goals. It is time for reflection, time for renewal.
Our proposal has three major elements. The first emphasizes library services for the disadvantaged urban and rural, handicapped and illiterate. The States would be the decisionmakers about how to allocate resources to libraries. This is our largest program. We are asking for $45,000,000 for it.
Second, we believe the Federal Government ought to provide seed money and start-up funding for library networking projects, interstate and intrastate, projects that allow libraries to magnify their own resources by availing themselves of resources held by other libraries. For this, we are asking $30,000,000.
Third, we think the Federal Government has a legitimate role in conducting research, gathering statistics and performing assessments in the library field. We are doing some of this today. In fiscal year 1989, we are seeking $1,000,000 for these activities.
Our total is less than the current appropriation, but a heck of a lot more than we asked you for before. There is no legitimate function provided for in the current programs that would not also be carried out under our new proposals, and there would be much more flexibility than the current programs possess. We are running the current programs well, but the new programs we are proposing would do a better job for the country.
Thank you very much.
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