[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 10 (Monday, February 7, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 7, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                    SCHOOL-TO-WORK OPPORTUNITIES ACT

  The Senate continued with the consideration of the bill.
  Mr. PELL. Madam President, I rise in strong support of S. 1361, the 
School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1993. I am very glad to be an 
original cosponsor of this important administration initiative, which 
Senator Simon introduced on August 5 of last year.
  In developing this legislation, President Clinton is keeping his 
commitment to establish a comprehensive system to help ease the 
transition from school to a changing American workplace that 
increasingly demands highly skilled and well-motivated workers.
  Madam President, I strongly believe we must continue to emphasize the 
importance of obtaining a college education. We must not, however, 
neglect to provide career education and training opportunities for the 
75 percent of our youth who enter the workplace without a baccalaureate 
degree, two-thirds of whom have never even been to college.
  Far too many of our young people have lost hope for a brighter 
future. Despite the best efforts of many dedicated educators, too many 
of our secondary school students fail to find meaningful challenge in 
the classroom. We can help restore that hope and inspire them to 
realize their full potential by giving them the opportunity to link 
what they are learning in the classroom to what they can accomplish and 
receive financial reward for in the workplace.
  Unlike most of our competitors in the global marketplace, we do not 
have a comprehensive, cohesive school-to-work system. This bill would 
build on a successful program such as Tech-Prep and cooperative 
education while allowing for flexibility so the programs can best 
address the needs of each individual community to better serve our non-
college-bound youth. It is a critical first step in the process of 
creating a system of life-long learning.
  Madam President, I congratulate Secretary of Education Richard Riley, 
and Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, for their attention to this issue. 
I look forward to continuing to work with them to ensure that the 
quality school-to-work opportunities we seek to provide through this 
legislation become a reality.
  I wish to commend the chairman of the subcommittee, Senator Simon, 
for his efforts and that of his able staff to accommodate the concerns 
of other Senators. We must thank Senator Simon and the chairman of the 
full committee, Senator Kennedy, for moving this bill another step 
closer to enactment.
  I hope that we all support this measure overwhelmingly.
  Mr. SIMON addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois.
  Mr. SIMON. Madam President, I thank our colleague from Rhode Island.
  Let me just add, it is significant. No one in the House or Senate has 
contributed more to education than the Senator from Rhode Island, and I 
should add not only in education; the National Endowment for the Arts 
is one of his monuments, and many other things. Of course, in the field 
of foreign relations he has made a real contribution. His cosponsorship 
is significant, and I am pleased to have it. I am pleased to welcome 
his comments.
  Madam President, I question the presence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The absence of a quorum has been suggested. 
The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Wellstone). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  The Senator from South Dakota is recognized.
  Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, in just a minute I shall send an 
amendment to the desk. First I shall explain my amendment.
  May I first ask, is it necessary for me to ask the pending amendment 
be laid aside?
  My amendment has been agreed to on both sides. I ask unanimous 
consent the pending amendment be laid aside for about 5 or 10 minutes 
while we deal with this amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                           Amendment No. 1427

   (Purpose: To provide for assistance to consortia of congressional 
    districts with low population densities for the development and 
         establishment of school-to-work opportunities systems)

  Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, my amendment is a very simple one. It 
targets a portion of the funds authorized by S. 1361 to States with a 
low population density.
  My amendment will assist South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, 
Wyoming, Idaho and Alaska in training their work force. The average 
population density for these States is less than 12.30 persons per 
square mile. In addition, my amendment permits these designated States 
to seek funding cooperatively.
  While classified as rural, these sparsely settled States are 
confronting issues which are unique to their region. In an article 
entitled, ``How Demographic Trends for the Eighties Affect Rural and 
Small-Town Schools,'' author Joyce Stern, notes that

       The ups and downs of urban schools have been well 
     documented for many years. But during the eighties, the 
     dynamics of economic change, unemployment, eroding tax bases, 
     rising poverty, and significant outmigration disrupted rural 
     and small-town America, changing family patterns and forcing 
     educators to rethink approaches.

  In recent years, we have seen an exodus of young adults from these 
regions and an erosion of the traditional economic bases. Ms. Stern 
succinctly summarized some of the problems of South Dakota when she 
observed:

       Moreover, in rural America, where for generations the 
     emphasis has been on producing crops, extracting raw 
     materials, and more recently, manufacturing products, rapid 
     economic restructuring disrupted many lives. At the same 
     time, it has been forcing educators to think in new ways 
     about appropriate instructional programs for educating rural 
     children and youth, forcing rural young people to explore 
     alternatives to their parents' way of life.

  To address the need to restructure programs targeting young people, 
Dr. Larry Bright, the dean of education at the University of South 
Dakota [USD] has developed an initiative which supports the policies 
and principles delineated in the school-to-work opportunities 
legislation. My amendment will help initiatives like the one proposed 
by Dean Bright.
  USD has introduced a school-to-work model in a cluster of rural 
communities in five States. USD is working with research universities 
in Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota, and Montana. The universities in these 
States have created a consortium called WINSM. They are in the process 
of linking their ideas, faculties, and technologies to change the 
education and training system, focusing on emerging needs of the Nation 
for a highly educated work force. The development of this five-State 
School-to-Work Program will serve as a model for testing and 
replication in other rural settings in the Nation.

  Key points in the WINSM proposal according to Dean Bright are:
  Five State involvement with economic development outcomes: Each of 
the five WINSM States will have one cluster of rural communities which 
would collaborate with WINSM universities and the initial USD site to 
establish a school-to-work model unique to the region. The model will 
require educators and business leaders to develop human capital 
resources for economic development goals.
  Funding for personnel and instruction: Funds would be used to provide 
personnel, teaching materials, and interactive media teaching 
resources. The USD model is a low personnel cost model. It focuses on 
school district allocation of funds to release excellent teachers to 
become mentors for peers working on curriculum redesign and work force 
development goals.
  They also work with the business community to design quality 
internship experiences for students who work in business as part of 
their educational program, and for mentoring teaching interns who are 
themselves educated through a school-to-work internship as part of 
their teacher education. This is a rural adaption of the national 
professional development center model.
  Linkage of the pilot communities: Electronic linkages with fiber 
optics and a core interactive media curriculum related to school-to-
work curricular objectives will be established.
  USD support for pilot development: Each of the five collaborating 
WINSM States will consult with the USD School of Education to build on 
the rural professional development center [PDC] model. That model 
encourages school districts and community economic development leaders 
to identify superior teachers to work with business and education 
personnel in designing and implementing a school-to-work rural model 
for testing and replication as a national model.
  There is also the Interactive Media Technology for Teaching. Basic 
school-to-work goals, objectives, and curriculum components will be 
designed for an interactive media format with the support of the USD 
Interactive Technology Center. The transfer of emerging instructional 
technology will help develop quality programs to prepare people for 
tomorrow's work force needs.
  Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and to 
foster the future economic development of States with low population 
density.
  Mr. President, I send the amendment to the desk and ask for its 
immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from South Dakota [Mr. Pressler] proposes an 
     amendment numbered 1427.

  Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of 
the amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:
       At the end of section 202, add the following:
       (d) Grants to Consortia.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretaries may make grants under 
     subsection (a) to consortia of Congressional Districts with 
     low population densities, to enable each such consortium to 
     complete development of comprehensive, statewide School-to-
     Work Opportunities systems in each of the Congressional 
     Districts comprising the consortium. Each such system shall 
     meet the requirements of this Act for such a system, except 
     as otherwise provided in this subsection.
       (2) Amount.--The amount of a development grant under this 
     subtitle to a consortium may not be greater than the product 
     of--
       (A) $1,000,000; and
       (B) the number of Congressional Districts in the 
     consortium,

     for any fiscal year.
       (3) Application.--For purposes of the application of this 
     subtitle to a consortium:
       (A) Governor.--References to a Governor shall be deemed to 
     be references to an official designated by the consortium to 
     carry out the duties of a Governor under this subtitle.
       (B) State.--References to a Congressional District shall be 
     deemed to be references to the consortium.
       (C) Official.--References to an official of a State shall 
     be deemed to be references to such an official of any of the 
     States comprising the consortium.
       (4) Definition.--As used in this subsection, the term 
     ``consortia of Congressional Districts with low population 
     densities'' means a consortia of Congressional District, each 
     Congressional District of which has an average population 
     density of less than 20.0 persons per square mile, based on 
     1993 data from the Bureau of the Census.
       At the end of section 212, add the following:
       (i) Grants to Consortia.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretaries may make grants under 
     subsection (a) to consortia of Congressional Districts with 
     low population densities, to enable each such consortium to 
     implement a comprehensive, statewide School-to-Work 
     Opportunities systems in each of the Congressional Districts 
     comprising the consortium. Each such system shall meet the 
     requirements of this Act for such a system, except as 
     otherwise provided in this subsection.
       (2) Amount.--The amount of an implementation grant under 
     this subtitle to a consortium may not be--
       (A) greater than the product of--
       (i) the maximum amount described in subsection (e); and
       (ii) The number of Congressional Districts in the 
     consortium,

     for any fiscal year; or
       (B) less than the product of--
       (i) the minimum amount described in subsection (e); and
       (ii) the number of Congressional Districts in the 
     consortium,

     for any fiscal year.
       (3) Application.--For purposes of the application of this 
     subtitle to a consortium:
       (A) Governor.--References to a Governor shall be deemed to 
     be references to an official designated by the consortium to 
     carry out the duties of a Governor under this subtitle.
       (B) State.--References to a State shall be deemed to be 
     references to the consortium.
       (C) Official.--References to an official of a State shall 
     be deemed to be references to such an official of any of the 
     States comprising the consortium.
       (4) Waivers.--In order for a consortium that receives a 
     grant under this section to receive a waiver under title V 
     with respect to a State, the State and officials of the State 
     shall comply with the applicable requirements of title V for 
     such a waiver.
       (5) Definition.--As used in this subsection, the term 
     ``consortia of States with low population densities'' means a 
     consortia of States, each State of which has an average 
     population density of less than 12.30 persons per square 
     mile, based on 1993 data from the Bureau of the Census.
       In section 301 (2), insert ``, and to implement such 
     programs in States with low population densities,'' after 
     ``in high poverty areas of urban and rural communities''.
       In section 301 (2), insert ``or in States with low 
     population densities'' after ``designated high poverty 
     areas''.
       In section 303, strike the title and insert the following:

     ``SEC. 303. SCHOOL-TO-WORK OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM GRANTS IN 
                   HIGH POVERTY AREAS AND IN STATES WITH LOW 
                   POPULATION DENSITIES.''.

       In section 303(a)(1), insert ``and to partnerships to 
     implement such programs in States with low population 
     densities'' after ``in high poverty areas''.
       In section 303(a)(2), strike ``Definition.--'' and insert 
     ``High poverty area.--''.
       At the end of section 303(a), add the following:
       ``(3) State with a low population density.--For purposes of 
     this subsection, the term `State with a low population 
     density' means a State with an average population density of 
     less than 12.30 persons per square mile, based on 1993 data 
     from the Bureau of the Census.''.
       In section 507(b), strike ``High Poverty Areas.--'' and 
     insert ``High Poverty Areas and States With Low Population 
     Densities.--''.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Senator from Illinois is recognized.
  Mr. SIMON. Before the Minnesota delegation caucuses up there, let me 
get a word in here, Mr. President.
  I am pleased to support the amendment offered by my colleague from 
South Dakota.
  I come from rural, sparsely settled southern Illinois. So I have 
sympathy for what he is trying to do.
  I point out that it contains permissive language. It does not require 
this, but permits this and encourages it by having it in the statute.
  I think it is a step in the right direction. We have both consulted 
with Senator Kassebaum's staff. She has indicated it is acceptable to 
her also.
  So, Mr. President, I have no objection to the adoption of the 
amendment at this point.
  Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, I urge the adoption of the amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. If there is no further debate, the question is 
on agreeing to the amendment.
  The amendment (No. 1427) was agreed to.
  Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote by which the 
amendment was agreed to.
  Mr. PRESSLER. I move to lay that motion on the table.
  The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
  Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, if no one else seeks the floor, I suggest 
the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DURENBERGER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
order for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. DURENBERGER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I might 
proceed as though in morning business for 8 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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