TITLE X, SEC. 1001(d) – SURVEY OF FEDERAL Purpose A basic element in the strength of the Nation is the quality of its schools, colleges and universities. Federal agencies are making increasing use of colleges and universities in the accomplishment of their missions, and Federally-sponsored activities in education are manifold. They spring from many Federal agencies, each with its own specific missions and objectives. Few, if any of the programs are concerned with the total purposes of an educational institution as a whole. The programs deal with segments of the institutions--e.g., medical schools, agricultural schools, engineering schools, science departments, et al.--with pieces of its program--e.g., language and area studies, science education, counseling and guidance, et al.--or with parts of its purpose--purchase and stimulation of research. The effect of the programs is basically beneficial to the specific activities supported, but may bring stresses and strains to the total program and purposes of the institutions which cooperate in the programs. Similarly, Federal programs which heavily use one type of school or educational program may cause stresses and strains in another part of the educational structure. It is important, therefore, that full and continuing information be developed and maintained about the nature and extent of Federallysponsored activities and the effect of these activities upon structure and function of the Nation's schools and colleges. Progress to date During the past year, information has been collected about Federallysponsored educational programs which utilize colleges and universities, and studies are under way which will reflect the impact of these programs upon a representative sample of the Nation's universities and colleges. Some of the highlights of this information are: 1. Federally-sponsored programs include these major types: 8. Financial Aids to Students. b. Sponsored Research. c. a. Specialized Education and Training Programs. 2. Research programs are heavily concentrated in institutions which have engineering, medical, or agricultural schools with wellestablished programs at the doctoral level. While 432 colleges and universities participate in these programs, 12 institutions received more than half of Federal funds for university research during the 5-year period, 1955-59. 3. Both publicly-sponsored and privately-sponsored institutions are major participants in research programs. During the 5-year period, 1955-59, 62 institutions received an average of more than $1 million annually through Federal research grants or contracts. (34 public; 28 private.) These institutions typically had at least $10 million total annual incone for educational and general purposes, and were also recipicnts of large amounts of income from private gifts and grants. 4. Through the 1955-59 period, the major Federal agencies sponsoring research in universities and their proportion of total Federally-sponsored research was: The proportion of funds devoted to research for other than military purposes was growing rapidly during this period. 5. The 452 institutions used in the Education and Training Programs were substantially the same as those used in research prograns. Land-Grant Colleges, however, predominate among those nost heavily used, for in addition to agricultural extension work, they are a prine resource for ICA activities in other countries. 6. Graduate Fellowship prograns tend to concentrate in the same manner as research activities. The NDEA Fellowship program uses nany of the same institutions as other Fellowship programs, but extends the list of participating institutions to geographical areas and type of institutions not included in other prograns. 7.- Comparatively few undergraduate colleges participate in Federally-sponsored programs. Less than 25% of degree-granting undergraduate colleges participate in any Federally-sponsored research or training prograns, and n st of these averaged less than $10,000 per year in Federal contracts or grants for either purpose. 8. The Federal Government provided some form of financial assistance to almost a half-million individuals who were attending colleges and universities in connection with the Federally-sponsored prograns included in this study. This number does not include Governrent employees, civilian or military, who took college work as a part of Government programs of in-service training. Neither does it include students who are employed in connection with university research grants or contracts. The following table shows the types of grant-in-aid and the number of participants in Fiscal Year 1959: 9. Loan prograns, student and institutional, had the largest number of participating colleges and universities. Approximately 1400 of the more than 2000 colleges participated in the Student Loan Program, and more than 600 have used the College Housing Loan Progran. Current concerns of administrators and faculty groups center around the following issues: 1. The increased demand by the Federal Government for specialized services is striking at the same tine that colleges and universities must prepare for much larger student enrollments when staff shortages are becoming critical. 2. Costs of education are increasing to students. Costs of educating are increasing to institutions. Some university people feel that the plight of institutions is as severe as the plight of students-particularly if colleges are to match the needs for excellence in both the student body and their instruction. The 3. Prograns dominated by nan-power concepts and specific missions tend to slight the values of liberal education. functions of undergraduate education tend to be neglected under the strong pressure for specialized training and research activity. 4. Federal programs help the fields they support, but cause problens of morale in fields not supported. Institutions are having difficulty finding equivalent outside support for the fields not used in Federal programs. 5. Federal programs are subject field-oriented and appeal to faculty members as specialists. This situation complicates institutional planning and control. Also since Federal agencies deal directly with institutions, State-wide or regional planning efforts may be bypassed. 6. Federal programs require heavy outlays of space, time and institutional funds. New Federal programs, if any, should cover the entire expense of participation. 7. The multiplicity of agencies and programs with which they rust deal increases the administrative complexity and cost of participation by institutions. Amendment Now Proposed The proposed amendment would extend the scope of the study beyond higher education to include also the impact of Federal prograns on other levels of education. Need For Proposed Amendment It is believed that Federal activities affecting all levels of education should be studied so that the impact of these programs can be assessed. The broader study would contribute to the development of sound Federal policies and procedures with respect to education as a whole. Purpose TITLE X ❤ IMPROVEMENT OF EDUCATIONAL STATISTICS Section 1009, Title X, of Public Law 85-864 as originally enacted has as its purpose to assist the States in improving and strengthening (1) the adequacy and reliability of educational statistics provided by State and local reports and records, and (2) the methods and techniques for collecting and processing educational data and disseminating information about the condition and progress of education in the States. To fulfill such purposes the original Act provides for grants to the States equal to one-half the cost (not to exceed $50,000 for each of the four fiscal years covered by the Act) of new, added, or expanded State prograns for the improvement of statistical services. Sound decision making about education requires that accurate, comparable, comprehensive, and current information about all aspects of the vast and couplex American educational enterprise be available where and when needed. The purpose of this progran is to strengthen the State department of education in the important work of gathering and making available educational information ceeded in the national interest at local, State and national levels of goverment. The collection of information about education is a task of enormous dimensions. Our fifty-five States and territories involve, in their educational systems, nearly 50 million students enrolled in about 36,000 operating school districts, over 17,000 private and denominational schools and about 2,000 institutions of higher education. These systems require the services of over 1,600,000 teachers, and spend annually a total of about $24 billion. With the operational responsibility for public education vested in the respective States, this program recognizes the key role of the State educational agencies in recording and assembling much of the accurate and comparable statistical data needed by the Office of Education in order to carry out its historic first purpose of collecting and reporting reliable statistical data on American education. It recognizes also the Federal Government's stake and responsibility for cooperating with and assisting the States in establishing and maintaining systems and centers adequate to provide, in a timely and efficient manner, both State and nationally needed educational information. Accomplishments to Date Available evidence indicates that Title X has helped to stimulate many States to initiate or expand significant efforts toward improving the adequacy, reliability, and timeliness of the educational data provided by State and local school systems. By June 30, 1959, forty-six State plans were received and 45 were approved; 29 States had requested and received a total of $366,544.44 in Federal funds. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1960, five additional State plans were received and approved, and 45 States requested and received a total of $1,128,710.09 in Federal funds. One additional |