Home AdvocacyPolicyWashington Notes2000 Apr

• House Committee Begins ESEA Markup
• House Budget Resolution Passes
• Digital Divide Takes Center Stage in Congress
• Kids 2000 Act
• Digital Divide Elimination Act of 2000
• Community Technology Assistance Act
• Clinton Plans Third New Market Tour, Announces Digital Divide Commitments
• Children’s Partnership Study Finds Lack of Online Content for Underserved
• E-rate Update
• School Groups Weigh in on Broadband Deployment
• 21st Century Workforce Commission Holds Final Meeting
• E-Rate to Receive Full Funding

House Committee Begins ESEA Markup

On April 5th, the House Education and Workforce Committee began markup of H.R. 4141, “The Education Opportunities to Protect and Invest in Our Nation’s Students Act (Education Options),” which is the final section of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to be considered by the committee.

Included in H.R. 4141 is Title III, “Tech for Success,” which funds the federal education technology programs.

The House bill departs dramatically from both the Senate and the Administration’s ESEA bills. Specifically, the bill:

• eliminates all of the education technology categorical programs except for the Ready-to-Learn Television and the Telecommunications Demonstration Project.
• reserves only 5% of the education technology budget for National Tech Initiatives (initiatives by the Secretary of Education).
• provides formula grants directly to states and local education agencies (LEAs), with the bulk of the funds (95%) going directly to the LEAs.
• LEAs are mandated to use at least 20% of Title III funds for professional development in education technology.
• the bill permits states and LEAs to transfer money between programs. States are allowed to transfer up to 100% of state-level ESEA funds between ESEA activities, except from Title I funds. LEAs are also allowed to transfer up to 35% of funds between programs without state approval but may transfer up to 100% of a program’s funds with approval.

The first two days of the markup were highly contentious and partisan with the Democrats strongly opposing the bill. Presidential politics dominated the committee discussion with each side invoking the presidential candidates and their positions on education and other issues. The Committee spent the bulk of the time voting on amendments that do not concern education technology, such as gun control, setting the stage for a difficult floor fight on the legislation.

The Committee Democrats offered a substitute amendment to H.R. 4141, which would, among other things, reauthorize all Title III categorical programs. That amendment was defeated along party lines, 21–27. The defeated amendment also would have authorized the Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology (PT³) program and the Community Technology Centers (CTCs) for the first time.

The Committee is expected to continue markup next week. Members will consider a number of technology amendments, including:

• an amendment to authorize the Technology Literacy Challenge grants, Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI),
• an amendment to authorize the PT³ grant program, Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA),
• an amendment to authorize the Community Technology Centers, Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX), and
• an amendment to authorize the Next Generation Innovation Grants, Rep. David Wu (D-OR).

House Budget Resolution Passes

On March 23rd, the House Budget Committee passed their Budget Resolution, which provides for a $2.2 billion increase in funding for elementary and secondary education programs, with $2 billion for IDEA program state grants and $200 million for all other elementary and secondary programs. The $2.2 billion increase is $2.3 billion less than the President’s budget request. Total discretionary funding does not allow increases in most existing programs or funding of new programs without requisite decreases in other programs.

The Senate’s Budget Resolution, increases the Department of Education budget by $4.5 billion over the FY2000 level. The Resolution provides Department of Education discretionary funds with an increase of $2.2 billion, although that is $2.3 billion less than President Clinton requested. Additionally, Pell grants, IDEA programs, and other elementary and secondary programs received increases totaling $3.3 billion, which is $1.1 billion beyond the $2.2 billion increase allowed.

This means that the $1.1 billion must be cut from FY2000 spending for higher education and educational research programs. Class-size, after-school, and school construction programs will likely remain funded at their FY2000 levels.

Senate Democrats made a number of unsuccessful attempts to further increase funding for education when the Resolution reached the Senate floor, including a Bingaman-Kennedy amendment to increase FY2001 discretionary funds by $5.6 billion, which was tabled by a 54–46. The only amendment to pass was Kennedy-Feingold, which increases FY2001 education funding by $623 million and by $3.2 billion over five years in order to increase the maximum Pell Grant award by $400 million. Six Republicans joined all 45 Democrats in supporting the amendment, which passed 51–49. They are Chaffee (RI), Collins (ME), Jeffords (VT), McCain (AZ), Snowe (ME), and Specter (PA).

Both the House and Senate Budget Resolutions give 21st Century Community Learning Centers $547 million less than President Clinton requested, reducing the number of children likely to be served in before-, after-, and summer-school programs by 1.6 million. The Resolutions are meant to serve as guidelines for the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees when drafting FY2001 spending bills.

Digital Divide Takes Center Stage in Congress

This month has seen a flurry of legislative activity aimed at closing the Digital Divide. Legislators have taken several different approaches including expanding support for Community Technology Centers, increasing support for tech training, and providing incentives for teachers to become technology literate. With a short congressional session and sharp partisan difference on the scope of the problem and the solutions, the future of these bills is unclear.

On March 9th, Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) introduced “The Digital Empowerment Act” (S. 2229), which:

• supports the Administration’s request for funding the Community Technology Center (CTC) program at $100 million, broadens e-rate program eligibility to all structured after-school programs, HeadStart centers, and programs that receive federal job training,
• requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to create CTCs in all HUD housing developments,
• extends the current tax deduction for computer equipment up to two years old to 2004, but expands the eligible recipients to include libraries, Head Start centers, structured after-school programs, and community centers (in addition to schools),
• provides direct funding of teacher training as part of Titles I and II of ESEA, and
• earmarks $150 million of the $1.25 billion for teacher training, $250 million for school libraries and media centers (and school librarian training), and $850 million, an increase of 100% over the current funding level, for the expansion of the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund (TLCF).

The Digital Empowerment Act has been referred to the Committee on Finance.

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) announced his “Information Technology Act of 2000” (S.2347) on April 3rd, and Rep. Jerold Nadler (D-AR) introduced a companion bill (H.R. 4176) in the House on the same day. The bill:

• authorizes $100 million for five years in matching federal grants for partnerships to carry out information technology training programs for minorities, women, older individuals, veterans, Native Americans, dislocated workers, and students who have not completed their high school education. The partnerships will include institutions of higher education, private organizations, and businesses.
• authorize $5,000 bonuses for teachers who achieve “information technology certification” in accordance with the standards established by the Computing Technology Industry Association, the Information Technology Training Association, or the International Society for Technology in Education in consultation with the chief state school officers, or an appropriate state education certification board.

ISTE strongly endorsed the legislation and participated in a press conference with the sponsors to announce its introduction.

Kids 2000 Act

Senator Biden’s “Kids 2000 Act” (S.2061), referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, provides $20 million for Boys and Girls Clubs to create technology centers in partnership with groups such as PowerUp (www.powerup.org), and is funded through the Department of Justice rather than the Department of Education, as part of an effort to reduce juvenile crime.

The Digital Divide Elimination Act of 2000

Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) introduced “The Digital Divide Elimination Act of 2000” (HR.4061) on March 22nd. The bill increases, and extends until 2004, the current tax benefits for charitable donations of computers for manufacturers and businesses and expands eligible recipients to include schools, libraries, community groups, and other nonprofit organizations helping to provide computers to low-income homes.

HR. 4061 would also allow individuals who qualify for earned income tax credits to deduct half the cost of any new computer (up to a total deduction of $500) from their taxes. The bill does not have a price tag yet and has been referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

The Community Technology Assistance Act

On March 28th, Sen. Max Cleland’s (D-GA) Community Technology Assistance Act (S.2302) would extend the tax deduction until 2005 and would expand eligibility to include donations to libraries and CTCs. Cleland’s bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Finance.

Clinton Plans Third New Market Tour, Announces Digital Divide Commitments

On Tuesday, April 4, at a White House gathering of technology executives and nonprofit organizations, President Clinton announced plans to focus attention on the Digital Divide. The trip, scheduled for April 17–18, will be the third in a series of the President’s New Markets tours, meant to encourage partnerships between industry, nonprofits, and the government to address how technology can better education, expand learning opportunities, and create economic growth through new high-tech, high-wage jobs. The President will visit East Palo Alto, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley, Chicago, and North Carolina where he will discuss the availability of high-speed broadband computer networks in rural areas.

Clinton announced that more than 400 companies and community organizations, including ISTE, have agreed to sign a “Call to Action” on the Digital Divide and specifically identified four new commitments:

• a new information literacy program in 250 cities, supported by the American Library Association,
• a $12.5 million “E-corps” initiative by the Corporation of National Service to train 750 Americorps Volunteers to provide technical support and tutoring in community centers and schools,
• a $3 million, three-year partnership between 3Com and the YMCA for the Net Prep Gyrls and Connected Entrepreneurs programs, both aimed at educating women in computer technology; and
• a $1 million advertising campaign by Yahoo! to recruit E-corps volunteers.

More companies and organizations are expected to sign on to the “Call to Action” in the coming months.

Children’s Partnership Finds Lack of Online Content for Underserved

On March 15th, The Children’s Partnership (www.childrenspartnership.org) released its study, “Online Content for Low-Income and Underserved Americans: The Digital Divide’s New Frontier,” which examined online content and its accessibility by Americans with low incomes and low literacy rates.

The study surveyed low-income individuals who use computers at local libraries and CTCs, as well as Web sites that provide community information. It found that the vast majority of online content is not easily searchable or relevant to these underserved populations, estimated at 50 million people. Moreover, little information addresses the needs of people with low incomes and low literacy rates, such as multilingual content, content concerning affordable housing, entry-level jobs, childcare, transportation, and educational opportunities. Of the Web sites studied, only 6% contained the type of local information underserved said they want and need.

The Children’s Partnership report recommends a more concerted federal, philanthropic, and business commitment to creating a national network of CTCs, development of more user-friendly Web search tools, better organized community Web sites, and more local content. The study suggests that local nonprofit groups serving this constituency need to do more to improve their online resources, as well as expand training efforts.

E-rate Update

The announcement of the Year-3 funding level for the E-rate program is expected the week of April 10. An update on wave status and funding commitments for the year is expected shortly.

FCC Decision to Bring New SPIN Policy to SLD. As a result of the March 16th decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the Copan (Oklahoma) Public Schools appeal, the Schools and Libraries Division will alter its policy on making changes to SPINs (Service Provider Identification Number). Once the implications of the decision have been studied, SLD will issue a notice of its new procedure concerning the changing of SPINs. Until then please hold all SPIN change requests. To view the FCC decision, visit www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/Orders/2000/fcc00100.doc.

School Groups Weigh in on Broadband Deployment

The EdLiNC Coalition, including ISTE, sent a letter to the FCC this week opposing an industry move to narrow the FCC’s definition of “advanced telecommunications services.” Under the proposed definition anything beyond plain telephone services would be considered “advanced” even if the service provides no high-speed upstream service for customers. A change in the definition could relieve the pressure on companies to deploy broadband services in all markets.

ISTE and the other members of EdLiNC explained that such a redefinition is premature, given the evolving nature of the broadband market, and could stymie efforts by schools, libraries, and others to become providers of high speed Internet content as well as consumers of that content. The letter was sent in response to industry filings in an inquiry at the FCC on advanced telecommunications services. The FCC is expected to decide the definition of such services, as well as a number of other related issues, in the coming months.

21st Century Workforce Commission Holds Final Meeting

The federally mandated commission charged with studying workforce issues and created to consolidate federal employment, training, and vocational education programs, held the last of six hearings aimed at examining the skills necessary to fill the growing pool of high-tech jobs and developing ways to ensure Americans obtain these skills. The Commission is expected to release its final recommendations in May.

High-tech companies say they cannot find enough U.S. workers with the skills necessary to meet their needs and have been pushing Congress to allow them to import more skilled foreigners via the H-1B visa program. During its final meeting, industry representatives outlined efforts they have taken to address the issue, such as Hewlett-Packard’s program to encourage minority students to pursue engineering careers. Cathy Lipe, the company’s education program manager, said only 30% of minorities nationwide who major in engineering graduate with that degree compared with 90% who participated in Hewlett-Packard’s program.

E-Rate to Receive Full Funding

FCC Chairman William E. Kennard and Commissioner Gloria Tristani announced that funding commitments for the third year of the Schools and Libraries Universal Service Program, known as the E-Rate, will begin in April. This year’s program will be funded at $2.25 billion, which is the full amount allowed under FCC rules.

The E-Rate is a cornerstone of the FCC’s efforts to bridge the Digital Divide. From America’s largest urban areas to its most rural and insular regions, the E-Rate is delivering telecommunications services to schools, libraries, and communities nationwide. For example, in the first two funding years of the program, the Detroit Public School District, which houses some of its students in 19th-century, coal-heated buildings, received nearly $40 million in E-Rate discounts to allow its 175,000 students to gain access to the Internet. Also, the Kuspuk School District in Aniak, Alaska, which is accessible by air only, used the more than $400,000 in discounted funding it received to wire all of its school buildings and connect its 425 students to the Internet.

Recent statistics indicate that the E-Rate is making the grade: 63% of public school classrooms had Internet access in 1999, a 12% rise in Internet connectivity since 1998. Last year, 82% of the nation’s public schools and more than half of the public libraries received discounted services under the program, with more than 53,000 urban schools and more than 25,000 rural schools receiving E-Rate support. This year’s applications for discounts show high demand for the program: it received more than 36,000 applications totaling $4.7 billion in discount requests.

The first wave of funding commitment letters, which started to mail the week of April 10, commits approximately $185.6 million in support to public and private schools and libraries nationwide. Funding waves committing the remaining funds will follow each week.

Prepared by Leslie Harris, Jee Hang Lee, and Ghani Raines
On behalf of the International Society for Technology in Education.