MONDAY, APRIL 11, 1988. EDUCATION FOR THE HANDICAPPED WITNESSES MADELEINE C. WILL, ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES G. THOMAS BELLAMY, DIRECTOR, SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS, OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES SALLY H. CHRISTENSEN, DIRECTOR, BUDGET SERVICE, OFFICE OF PLANNING, BUDGET AND EVALUATION CAROL A. CICHOWSKI, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION, REHABILITATION AND RESEARCH ANALYSIS, OFFICE OF PLANNING, BUDGET AND EVALUATION Mr. NATCHER. At this time, we take up the budget request for the fiscal year 1989 for the Education for the Handicapped. We have before the committee Mrs. Madeleine C. Will, Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. Ms. Will, it is a pleasure to have you back before the committee. Before you give us your statement, tell us who you have with you at the table. MS. WILL. Certainly, Mr. Chairman. I have with me, on my left, Sally Christensen and Carol Cichowski with the Office of Planning, Budget and Evaluation. On my right, I have Mr. Thomas Bellamy, who is the Director of Special Education Programs. Mr. NATCHER. Thank you very much. Now, Ms. Will, we will be pleased to hear from you. BUDGET REQUEST FOR 1989 Ms. WILL. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee: We appreciate the opportunity to present the fiscal year 1989 budget request for Education for the Handicapped. Our request reflects the Department's continued priority on the education of handicapped children. Our fiscal year 1989 request of $1,900,000,000 includes almost $1,750,000,000 for State Grants to assist States in educating the handicapped children for whom they are responsible under the Education of the Handicapped Act and in developing a statewide program of early intervention services for handicapped infants and toddlers and their families. It also includes $169,000,000 for Special Purpose Funds that support a wide variety of Federal grant and contract activities directed at improving early intervention and educational services for handicapped children. The fiscal year 1989 request increases funding for all three State Grant programs. The request maintains funding at the 1988 appropriation level for all Special Purpose Funds programs. The proposed levels will allow us to continue support for the needs addressed by these programs. Our fiscal year 1989 request for the State Grants program is almost $1,750,000,000, an increase of about $48,000,000 over the 1988 appropriation of $1,700,000,000. An increase in funding is proposed for each State Grants program: Grants to States, Preschool Grants, and Grants for Infants and Families. GRANTS TO STATES We are requesting $1,470,000,000 for the Grants to States program in fiscal year 1989 to assist States in serving approximately 4,200,000 handicapped children. The request provides an increase of $42,500,000 over the fiscal year 1988 appropriation to assist States in expanding services to an estimated additional 40,000 children and to help cover increases in costs. The request would provide a Federal share of $348 for each child served, an increase of $7 over the 1988 level. The request would maintain the Federal share of the excess cost of educating handicapped children at 8 percent. PRESCHOOL GRANTS We are requesting $205,000,000 for fiscal year 1989, an increase of $4,000,000 over the 1988 appropriation. Our request increases the Federal share for each 3 through 5 year-old child served from $400 to $500, the maximum amount authorized by law for fiscal year 1989, for an anticipated 317,000 children. This represents an increase of 30,000 children over the number expected to be served under the 1988 appropriation. Our request further provides a one-time bonus payment of $3,800 per child, the maximum amount authorized by law, for an additional 12,000 children whom we expect States will be serving on December 1, 1989. The Department intends to submit legislation to change the current law so that bonus payments for the additional children to be served would be made on the basis of the December 1, 1989 child count rather than on the basis of an estimated count. This statutory change would eliminate the need for adjustments in the fiscal year 1990 allocations based on the difference between the number of additional children States estimated they would be serving and the number actually served. GRANTS FOR INFANTS AND FAMILIES Our fiscal year 1989 request for the Grants for Infants and Families program is $68,400,000, an increase of more than $1,300,000 over the 1988 appropriation. The increase will assist States in meeting increases in costs as they continue to develop a statewide program of early intervention services for handicapped infants and toddlers and their families. SPECIAL PURPOSE FUNDS Our fiscal year 1989 request for Special Purpose Funds is $169,000,000, the same as the 1988 appropriation. For 1989, each of the Special Purpose programs will be maintained at the 1988 appropriation level. DEAF-BLIND AND OTHER SEVERELY HANDICAPPED PROJECTS Deaf-Blind and Other Severely Handicapped Projects is a new activity formed by combining the Deaf-Blind Projects and Severely Handicapped Projects budget activities. The fiscal year 1989 request for this new activity is $19,700,000, the same as the combined appropriation for these separate activities in 1988. A legislative proposal will also be submitted that merges the Education of the Handicapped Act authorizations for these two activities. We believe that separate budget activities are no longer in the best interest of deaf-blind children or other children with severe handicaps. Combining the two budget activities will encourage improved services for these children by providing a joint base from which their interrelated needs can be addressed. Over $14,200,000 of the requested funds will provide continued support for deaf-blind centers, technical assistance, and other projects in the areas of extended school year education, supported employment, transitional skills, in-service training, systems change, and communication skills. Another $5,500,000 will be used for new projects in these and other priority areas. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION For the Early Childhood Education program, $23,400,000 is requested in fiscal year 1989 to maintain funding at the 1988 appropriation level. This funding level will provide support for all continuation projects and over $9,300,000 for new demonstration, outreach and special projects. SECONDARY AND TRANSITIONAL SERVICES For Secondary and Transitional Services, $7,400,000 is requested for fiscal year 1989, the same as the 1988 appropriation. These funds will allow us to continue our efforts to improve the ability of handicapped youth to attain the skills necessary for life after leaving special education. Funds will support research and demonstration projects, including models that encourage cooperative planning by public agencies at State and local levels, job-skills models, supported employment projects, and research on social skills. In addition, $1,500,000 will be available for new projects in these and other priority areas. POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS The fiscal year 1989 request for Postsecondary Programs is $5,800,000, the same as the 1988 appropriation. Of this amount, $2,100,000 will be used for new competitive awards to four institutions serving deaf students. Remaining funds will support new and continuing demonstration projects aimed at improving programs for postsecondary-aged handicapped students. INNOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT For the Innovation and Development Program, we are requesting $17,200,000, the same as the 1988 appropriation. Funding priorities. will include support for two institutes and projects dealing with the synthesis of research findings, developing and improving intervention strategies for seriously emotionally disturbed children and youth, implementing research findings, and other areas. In addition, $2,700,000 will be used to support new projects. MEDIA AND CAPTIONING SERVICES The request of $13,200,000 for Media and Captioning Services is the same as the 1988 appropriation. Funds will be used to support captioning activities, including educational and general interest films, television news, and general programming, as well as to provide continued support for the Theater of the Deaf and Recordings for the Blind. SPECIAL EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY Our fiscal year 1989 request includes $4,800,000 for Special Education Technology, the same amount as the 1988 appropriation. These funds will provide continued support for technology centers and projects dealing with the use of technology to meet the needs of low incidence handicapped populations, innovative adaptions of hardware and software, computer-assisted instruction and the ef fects of technology. In addition, $2,200,000 will be used to support new projects in these and other areas. SPECIAL STUDIES We propose to maintain the Special Studies program at $3,600,000, the same amount as the 1988 appropriation. We will continue technical support for the annual report and third-year funding for the longitudinal study of children leaving special education, which was mandated by the Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1983. New awards will include evaluation studies to be undertaken by cooperative agreements with State agencies and if possible a follow-up study on the needs of existing students for transition and adult services. SPECIAL EDUCATION PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT We propose funding the Special Education Personnel Development program at $66,400,000 in fiscal year 1989, the same as the 1988 appropriation level. This funding level maintains support for continuation projects of all current program priorities and provides an additional $26,000,000 to fund over 300 grants in new priority areas or new grants in existing areas. RECRUITMENT AND INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSES Recruitment and Information Clearinghouses would be continued at $1,100,000 in fiscal year 1989, the same as the 1988 appropriation level. This program supports three national clearinghouses required under the Education of the Handicapped Act that disseminate information concerning special education programs, promote careers in special education, and disseminate information on postsecondary services for the handicapped. REGIONAL RESOURCE CENTERS Finally, in fiscal year 1989, we are proposing to maintain the Regional Resource Centers program at the 1988 appropriation level of $6,400,000. The six regional centers and national coordinating technical assistance center will continue to provide technical assistance to States for capacity building, educational programming, and special education administration. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members. I will be pleased to answer any questions you may have. [The information follows:] |