Mr. NATCHER. Thank you, Mrs. Will. CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNT Mrs. Will, as you know, again this year you are proposing a consolidated account for the four special institutions. What is the reason for proposing this consolidation when you still provide for separate earmarks for each of the institutions? Why consolidation when you still provide in the material before the committee separate institutions? Mrs. WILL. We are proposing the consolidation and support that idea because it allows us to look at the common needs and policy questions which overlap or relate to all the special institutions. LIAISON OFFICER Mr. NATCHER. The Education for the Deaf Act of 1986 gave the Department increased responsibility, as you know, for monitoring and evaluation of Gallaudet University and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. Has the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services designated a liaison officer for these institutions, Mrs. Will? Mrs. WILL. We have been in the process of creating a special unit on deafness and communicative disorders within the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. It seems logical that since the three components, special education, rehabilitative services and the research institute, all have awards that investigate or in some way affect services to the deaf and the hearing impaired, that a coordination unit would be housed in the Office of the Secretary. We have initiated the work required to establish the office, and are also proceeding to create a working group of individuals from across the country to give ongoing advice to this office on a number of issues. Mr. NATCHER. Will the liaison officer head the new unit of deafness related issues being set up within the Assistant Secretary's Office? Mrs. WILL. Yes. Mr. NATCHER. How much money will be used by the Office of Special Education to monitor Gallaudet and the National Institute? Mrs. WILL. I don't think I can answer that question yet. We are in the process of developing a plan for programmatic evaluation. We can't speak to the cost because we don't really have a fullblown plan at this time. We are just at the beginning of that process. But we do plan to award a contract this year that would help us to develop evaluation standards. We would proceed to conduct our studies of Gallaudet, NTID and so forth in subsequent years. Mr. NATCHER. Mr. Early, I yield to you. GALLAUDET STAFF SALARIES Mr. EARLY. Mrs. Will, we are delighted to have you back. Let's talk about Gallaudet. I had a person come in and talk to me from my area who worked there for a long time. They don't have complex problems, but they have a staff and faculty that is under-paid. How do we do anything without addressing that? 84-626 0-88-47 I hope to bring it up with the new President later on. If you want Gallaudet to get competitive with the rest of the universities, never mind the uniqueness of deafness, it will be in the quality of the staff. What has happened with the staff at Gallaudet in the last two years? Mrs. WILL. You are speaking about the overall budget request and justification for it. Gallaudet has provided salary increases every year and the President's budget for 1989 includes an overall increase of two percent that is based upon the Budget Summit Agreement. We don't expect that the proposed appropriations level will have an adverse impact on Gallaudet University. Mr. EARLY. I will bring it up with the President when he comes in. I don't want to be all things to all people, but you come in and suggest a two percent increase. You suggest a two percent overall increase to a faculty that has been under-paid, to a staff that has been under-paid. You know, we think the problem is going to get better. I, personally, as I become more involved with the deaf, think they should get back into the mainstream so much faster, especially with what is available in computers today. You and I chatted a little bit about it yesterday. I see the telephone type of computers, which former Congressman Shannon had one. That would let my deaf constituents converse by telephone. I think we are not being fair when we look at budgets that say two percent, two percent of something that was totally inadequate before. That is really not trying to solve any problems. That is really just trying to do something with public relations, and that is discouraging. Mrs. WILL. I would make a few comments in response to your remarks. While the enrollment is basically stable, Gallaudet has received substantial increases over the last 10 years. We don't expect any qualified student would have to be denied admission because of our appropriation. We think that it adequately covers the service requirements of Gallaudet. But it is my understanding, and perhaps Mr. Jordan would correct me if I am wrong, but it is my impression that in the past there have been funds provided for increasing compensation to staff and those funds have been used for other purposes. So I don't think we want to take the blame for the fact that the salary levels at Gallaudet are not what they would like them to be at this point. Mr. EARLY. I am not looking to put the blame anywhere-well, I guess I am looking to put it everywhere. I can tell you from my community, they can't get into Gallaudet. First of all, because they don't know how to apply, they don't know what process to go through. Most deaf students in my area, when they get out of high school, that is it for them. And this was the other thing we talked about-placing them in jobs. I am not looking to blame you, I am looking to blame everybody for budgets that don't pay the staff the equivalent of George town and GW. Not the Harvards-we don't want to spoil them. Thank you. Mr. NATCHER. Mr. Hoyer. Mr. NATCHER. Mrs. Will, we want to thank you for appearing before our committee at this time on behalf of your budget request. [The following questions were submitted to be answered for the record:] SPECIAL INSTITUTIONS FOR THE HANDICAPPED Mr. STOKES. According to the budget justification, the Department proposes to consolidate the American Printing House for the Blind, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, and the Gallaudet University into a single account. How would the individuals served by each of these programs benefit from this initiative? Mrs. WILL. The individuals served by these programs would benefit through the more efficient administration of the accounts. This measure would not change or influence the operations or funding of the three institutions. The primary benefit would be improved analysis, coordination of policy, and budget presentation by the Department of Education. Mr. STOKES. What is the status of the legislative proposal for this measure? Mrs. WILL. This measure would not require legislation. It is merely a matter of Congress adopting the appropriation language proposed by the Department of Education for the Special Institutions for the Handicapped. Mr. STOKES. How much does it cost to administer each of these programs as they currently exist? Mrs. WILL. The Department estimates that it costs approximately $200,000 including salaries, benefits, and overhead to administer these accounts. This cost is basically proportionately divided among the three accounts. Mr. STOKES. What is the projected cost under the consolidated account? Mrs. WILL. The Department does not anticipate that the cost to administer these accounts would change significantly due to adoption of this proposal. The consolidation of the three accounts is being proposed to enhance budget presentation, coordination, and analysis and policy development for these institutions, not as a budget savings mechanism. THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1988. AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND WITNESSES CARSON Y. NOLAN, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN PRINTING HOUSE FOR THE BLIND MADELEINE C. WILL, ASSISTANT SECRETARY, 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. Now we take up the budget request for budget year 1989 for the American Printing House for the Blind. We have there with you, Ms. Will, Dr. Nolan, the President of the American Printing House for the Blind. We will be pleased to hear from both of you, or one of you. Who will have a statement? Ms. WILL. Dr. Nolan. Mr. NATCHER. We will be pleased to hear from you. OPENING STATEMENT Dr. NOLAN. Mr. Chairman, and members of the committee, I have an opening statement I would like to present. The American Printing House for the Blind was chartered by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1858 for the nonprofit manufacture of books and other materials for use by the blind. In 1879, the Congress passed an Act to Promote the Education of the Blind, which, as amended, now enables the Printing House to provide educational materials for all blind students below college level throughout the United States, its territories and possessions. The total request for 1989 for this program is $5,381,000, an increase of $105,000 over that appropriated for 1988. Legislation has been proposed to terminate the permanent appropriation of $10,000 provided in lieu of interest income from the small trust fund established by the 1879 statute. To compensate for the elimination of the permanent appropriation, an offsetting increase of $10,000 has been added to the fiscal year 1989 request. Accounting and budget tasks at the Federal level alone almost equal the amount of this appropriation, which is less than one-fifth of one percent of the annual appropriation for the Printing House. The total request will provide approximately 35 percent of the Printing House's total budget. The major part of this request is for educational materials. Of the funds requested for fiscal year 1989, $4,912,000, will be used to |