Statement on behalf of the National Advisory Council on by Arthur Ballantine Chairman on Extension of The Elementary and Secondary Education Act before the Subcommittee on Education Committee on Labor and Public Welfare Wednesday, September 12, 1973 Chairman Pell and Members of the Subcommittee on Education: My name is Arthur Ballantine, and I am Chairman of the National Advisory Council on Supplementary Centers and Services. The Council is mandated by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to advise the President and the Congress concerning Title III of that Act, which provides funds for innovation in education. I appreciate the opportunity of appearing before this Committee. The members of the National Advisory Council have asked me to express our support for the efforts of this Committee to stimulate discussion of the problems which confront us in education. We concur with Senator Pell's desire, expressed in his comments introducing S. 1539, to bring about a fundamental reassessment of what we are, what we have done, and what we ought to do. Indeed, this is what we believe the function of an advisory council to be. We are honored to participate in this effort with the members of this Committee, all of whom we know to be dedicated to the improvement of American education. I am from the state of Colorado and I have great respect for the ability and dedication of the member of the Committee from my home state, Senator Dominick. We believe Title III to be a well-written and effective piece of legislation which accomplishes what Congress intended it to do. We are convinced that federal encouragement of innovation in education has been invaluable during the past ten years and is indispensable for the future. For these reasons, we support the extension of Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as provided in S. 1539. 1 2 Most of us who serve on this Council had little or no contact with Title III before becoming members. Our observations about the program are made as educators and lay persons and are based on what we have seen and heard during our terms of service on the Council. We would like to convey to this Committee our reasons for recommending continuation of Title III. First, we have seen that Title III has a very important leadership role in American education. Every Title III project must be innovative; that is, it must take an approach which is new in its locality. A project may be unique, or it may be a creative adaptation or expansion of proven ideas, and all are expected to take account of the research findings in their fields. Funds appropriated for Title III go directly into projects where they affect the daily learning and teaching experiences of children and teachers. This is educational development hrough the application of research, and for most school districts, the money available from Title III is the only money from any source for this purpose. Local schools are hard-pressed for basic funds to support their traditional programs, and it is a rare superintendent who has at his command the fiscal resources to implement innovation. The contribution of Title III to the continuing renewal of American education is, then, what Senator Pell referred to in his remarks introducing S. 1539 in the Senate, when he said: Educational practices and methods have changed more rapidly in the last decade than during any previous 10-year period in the history of education. As a result, a greater proportion of our children are learning more and more quickly than ever before. The Federal stimulus has been, in part at least, responsible for these improvements. 3 We believe the case can be made even more strongly. We believe that the federal interest in and support for innovation has been the crucial factor in educational change in these ten years. In perfor ing its leadership role, Title III is aided by several characteristics of the legislation. One is its flexibility. Title III funds can be used in any area of the elementary and secondary curriculum, and they are not targeted to any one specific student or teacher population. Title III has therefore been able to respond across-the-board to new educational needs as they have arisen during the past ten years. There is hardly an area of federal concern for education, as expressed in recent or proposed legislation, in which you will not find Title III pilot projects already operating. This is true in such fields as career education, environmental education; programs for the gifted and talented, education of the handicapped, preschool education, ethnic studies, reading, and bilingual education. If these resources of active, ongoing experience were effectively utilized, they could serve as a reservoir of tested expertise for other federal education programs. Another feature of the Title III legislation, and one about which I have some personal knowledge, is the requirement that each state appoint an advisory council as a prerequisite to receiving funds. I have had the honor of serving on the Colorado State Advisory Council, and I am well aware of the value of this citizen participation in education decision-making. state councils review the application proposals which are received by the state education agency from local schools for Title III funds, they oversee the projects during their operation, and they pass on continuation proposals. The 4 In all these activities, the state council represents the view of the community as to the value and contribution of the Title III project. I consider the contribution made by state advisory councils to be one of the most significant parts of Title III, and I urge that this concept be protected in any future legislation. Through the requirement that projects respond to identified learner needs and that they subject themselves to continuing evaluation, Title III is in the forefront of the new educational interest in accountability. Title III is therefore in a leadership position in the management and administration of education, as well as in teaching. Many states report that the Title III administrative staff serves in a consultant capacity to other divisions of the state education department which are incorporating the concepts of evaluation and accountability into their programs. In another--and one of the most difficult--areas of educational practice, Title III is also in a position to exercise leadership and to develop solutions. This is the area of dissemination, of getting good ideas from one place or one teacher to another. In many A Title III project normally receives federal funding for three years, with the expectation that the local district will continue to support successful programs with local resources. The ultimate goal, however, is to have good ideas and programs widely adopted and/or adapted. states, the staffs of projects evaluated as being exemplary are asked to develop statewide dissemination plans to provide other school districts with training services and materials in order to replicate the projects. In a number of states, the legislatures have provided specific funds for 97-457 O 73 pt. 5 18 |