[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 64 (Tuesday, May 19, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5132-S5134]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. FEINGOLD:
  S. 2093. A bill to provide class size demonstration grants; to the 
Committee on Labor and Human Resources.
 Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, today I introduce the National 
SAGE Act. This legislation would authorize a limited number of 
innovative demonstration grant programs to assist states in their 
efforts to reduce public school class size and improve learning in the 
earliest grades.
  Mr. President, my own state of Wisconsin has been a leader in the 
effort to reduce class size in public schools. This legislation is 
modeled after Wisconsin's successful pilot program, the Student 
Achievement Guarantee in Education of SAGE program. I am proud that my 
bill bears the same name as that groundbreaking program.
  SAGE is a very appropriate acronym for this legislation, for a sage 
is a teacher who imparts knowledge and wisdom through direct engagement 
with his or her students. By providing grants to states trying to 
reduce class size and implement educational reforms, the National SAGE 
Act would give students and teachers more opportunities to interact 
directly. The result will be better teacher morale, better student 
performance and a happier, more successful school.
  Mr. President, I have heard about the need for smaller classes from 
parents, teachers and school administrators around Wisconsin--including 
my mother-in-law, who has been a 1st grade teacher for more than 20 
years in Waunakee. They all tell me by reducing class size students 
receive more attention from teachers, and it stands to reason that more 
attention will translate into more learning.
  When asked to evaluate the Wisconsin SAGE program, eight-year 
teaching veteran Shelia Briggs, of Glendale Elementary School in 
Madison, Wisconsin said, ``SAGE is just phenomenal. I have 
kindergarteners who are writing paragraphs. In addition, behavior is a 
huge benefit of SAGE. With too many little bodies, you will have 
difficulties. Things are so much more manageable.'' Additionally, 
second grade teacher Amy Kane says, ``I have taught second grade for 
nine years and never had this high a percentage of readers. Their 
writing skills are much higher, and they are able to behave better. I 
make contact with parents now that I could never make with 34 
students.''
  Wisconsin's SAGE program has again demonstrated empirically what we 
know instinctively: students in smaller classes get more attention from 
teachers, and teachers with fewer students will have more time and 
energy to devote to each child.
  In addition to vital input from these Wisconsin educators, other 
studies confirm that small class size promotes effective teaching and 
learning. The leading scientific studies of the impact of small class 
size, Tennessee's STAR study and its follow up, the Lasting Benefit 
Study, found that students in small classes in the early years earned 
significantly higher scores on basic skill tests in all four years and 
in all types of schools. Follow-up studies have shown that these 
achievement gains were sustained in later years even if students are 
placed in larger classes. While I certainly recognize that teacher 
quality, high expectations an parental involvement are important 
factors in quality education, the significance of small class size 
should not be underestimated and cannot be ignored.
  Mr. President, Wisconsin is not the only state fighting to reduce 
class size and implement educational reforms in its public schools. 
Several states have made small class size a priority, including 
California, Tennessee, Indiana and Nevada to name a few. My 
legislation, the National SAGE Act, authorizes $75 million over a 
period of five years to fund a limited number of demonstration grants 
to state that create innovative programs to reduce public school class 
size and improve educational performance, as Wisconsin has done. The 
Secretary of Education would choose the states to receive funding based 
on several criteria, including the state's need to reduce class size, 
the ability of a state education agency to furnish 50 percent of the 
funds and the degree to which parents, teachers, school administrators 
and local teacher organizations are consulted in designing the program. 
The funding for the National SAGE Act would be fully offset by cuts in 
a wasteful federal program that subsidizes research and development for 
a huge aircraft manufacturer. That's classic corporate welfare and by 
eliminating it, we can fund this important SAGE program and still 
reduce federal spending by more than $1.7 billion over a five year 
period.
  The National SAGE Act also includes a comprehensive research and 
evaluation component to document the benefit of smaller class size in 
the earliest grades, and support efforts to reduce class size in 
schools all over America.
  Mr. President, I want to take a moment to say how pleased I am that 
the Clinton Administration has been pushing the issue of class size to 
the forefront of the education debate. In January I wrote to the 
President requesting that he make reducing class size a priority in his 
FY 99 education budget. I was pleased that the President's budget 
includes an incentive to help schools provide small classes in the 
early grades.
  While I support the intent of the President's class size proposal, it 
is not funded. I was uncomfortable with the President's original 
proposal to fund a

[[Page S5133]]

small class size initiative with money from a tobacco settlement that 
did not yet exist. I am hopeful that Congress will soon pass tobacco 
legislation, Mr. President, but it is best that we not tie class size 
legislation to something as controversial and decisive as the tobacco 
bill.
  My fear is that the end of the 105th session will come and Congress 
will go home having done nothing to assist States trying to reduce 
class size. My bill approaches this issue more directly, without the 
baggage of the tobacco bill and without expanding the deficit.
  I have been very active on the class size issue over the last year 
because again--I believe that there is a great national purpose of 
helping our children to learn by doing all we can to reduce class sizes 
for children in the earliest grades. While I embrace that national 
purpose, I do not seek a national mandate for smaller classes. That is 
not a proper federal goal. Instead, I support smaller classes as a 
national goal, to be achieved by the local school boards. I think we 
all can agree that there are no magic remedies to the problems in our 
public schools and no instant fix to improve learning. However, I 
believe that targeting federal funds matched on a 50-50 basis by state 
funding, to assist school districts moving toward smaller class size, 
is an effective use of federal dollars.
  At its core, Mr. President, the small class size issue is really 
about protecting pubic education. The promising achievements of state 
efforts in education reform merit strong federal support. We have an 
obligation to strengthen public schools, because they are the principal 
institution for educating American children.
  Public schools are all-inclusive; they accept all students, 
regardless of income, race, religion or ethnicity. In introducing the 
National SAGE Act today, I want to reiterate my strong commitment to 
quality public education. I am proud of the education I received from 
Wisconsin's public schools; proud to have graduated from them, and 
proud that my children attend them. I am committed to helping our 
public schools improve and adapt and respond to the increased burdens 
placed on them. I feel strongly that the federal government has a 
limited--but important role to play in public education.
  Mr. President, the Washington Post recently wrote an article about 
the growing number of families in the Washington area deciding to 
educate their children at home, rather than participate in the public 
school system. Mr. President, this trend is not happening in Washington 
alone, but around the nation.
  The Post article states that one of their biggest complaints for 
families opting out of the public schools is large class size. Parents 
understand the importance of a low teacher to child ratio in the 
classroom. They understand the critical difference additional teacher 
attention can make for their child's educational achievement.
  The parent's highlighted in the Post article, Mr. President, are fed 
up with public school classes made up of twenty-five to thirty students 
or more, fed up with the lack of individual attention their children 
are receiving in the classroom; and finally, Mr. President, parents are 
fed up with the discipline problems created by too many children and 
too few adults in one classroom.
  While I support the choices of families who send their children to 
public schools or home school their children, the growing trend to move 
public resources away from the public schools, where more than 90% of 
our nation's children are educated, is disturbing. Instead of 
abandoning public education with tax breaks for private schools or 
spending time and energy designing a Constitutionally flawed voucher 
program, Congress should be working to ensure that we target federal 
dollars to meet the needs of local school districts. Those of us who 
believe a high quality public education system is essential to the 
productivity of our nation should be very alarmed by this growing 
effort to move resources away from our public schools.
  Mr. President, the federal government has a responsibility during the 
105th Congress to take a positive step toward helping school districts 
reduce class size as part of an overall effort to improve education and 
ensure that our children have the best chance to excel and reach their 
full potential. I look forward to continued debate on this issue and 
hope that my colleagues will consider the National SAGE Act as a 
reasonable, fiscally responsible proposal to assist states in their 
efforts to reduce public school class size and improve learning in the 
earliest grades.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the full text of the bill 
be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2093

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION. 1. CLASS SIZE DEMONSTRATION GRANTS.

       Subpart 3 of part D of title V of the Higher Education Act 
     of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1109 et seq.) is amended to read as 
     follows:

              ``Subpart 3--Class Size Demonstration Grants

     ``SEC. 561. PURPOSE.

       ``It is the purpose of this subpart to provide grants to 
     State educational agencies to enable such agencies to 
     determine the benefits, in various school settings, of 
     reducing class size on the educational performance of 
     students and on classroom management and organization.

     ``SEC. 562. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

       ``(a) Program Authorized.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall award grants, on a 
     competitive basis, to State educational agencies to pay the 
     Federal share of the costs of conducting demonstration 
     projects that demonstrate methods of reducing class size that 
     may provide information meaningful to other State educational 
     agencies and local educational agencies.
       ``(2) Federal share.--The Federal share shall be 50 
     percent.
       ``(b) Reservation.--The Secretary may reserve not more than 
     5 percent of the amount appropriated under section 565A for 
     each fiscal year to carry out the activities described in 
     section 565.
       ``(c) Selection Criteria.--The Secretary shall make grants 
     to State educational agencies on the basis of--
       ``(1) the need and the ability of a State educational 
     agency to reduce the class size of an elementary school or 
     secondary school served by such agency;
       ``(2) the ability of a State educational agency to furnish 
     the non-Federal share of the costs of the demonstration 
     project for which assistance is sought;
       ``(3) the ability of a State educational agency to continue 
     the project for which assistance is sought after the 
     termination of Federal financial assistance under this 
     subpart; and
       ``(4) the degree to which a State educational agency 
     demonstrates in the application submitted pursuant to section 
     564 consultation in program implementation and design with 
     parents, teachers, school administrators, and local teacher 
     organizations, where applicable.
       ``(d) Priority.--In awarding grants under this subpart, the 
     Secretary shall give priority to demonstration projects that 
     involve at-risk students in the earliest grades, including 
     educationally or economically disadvantaged students, 
     students with disabilities, and limited English proficient 
     students.
       ``(e) Grants Must Supplement Other Funds.--A State 
     educational agency shall use the Federal funds received under 
     this subpart to supplement and not supplant other Federal, 
     State, and local funds available to the State educational 
     agency to carry out the purpose of this subpart.

     ``SEC. 563. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.

       ``(a) Annual Competition.--In each fiscal year, the 
     Secretary shall announce the factors to be examined in a 
     demonstration project assisted under this subpart. Such 
     factors may include--
       ``(1) the magnitude of the reduction in class size to be 
     achieved;
       ``(2) the level of education in which the demonstration 
     projects shall occur;
       ``(3) the form of the instructional strategy to be 
     demonstrated; and
       ``(4) the duration of the project.
       ``(b) Random Techniques and Appropriate Comparison 
     Groups.--Demonstration projects assisted under this subpart 
     shall be designed to utilize randomized techniques or 
     appropriate comparison groups.

     ``SEC. 564. APPLICATION.

       ``(a) In General.--In order to receive a grant under this 
     subpart, a State educational agency shall submit an 
     application to the Secretary that is responsive to the 
     announcement described in section 563(a), at such time, in 
     such manner, and containing or accompanied by such 
     information as the Secretary may reasonably require.
       ``(b) Duration.--The Secretary shall encourage State 
     educational agencies to submit applications under this 
     subpart for a period of 5 years.
       ``(c) Contents.--Each application submitted under 
     subsection (a) shall include--
       ``(1) a description of the objectives to be attained with 
     the grant funds and the manner in which the grant funds will 
     be used to reduce class size;
       ``(2) a description of the steps to be taken to achieve 
     target class sizes, including,

[[Page S5134]]

     where applicable, the acquisition of additional teaching 
     personnel and classroom space;
       ``(3) a statement of the methods for the collection of data 
     necessary for the evaluation of the impact of class size 
     reduction programs on student achievement;
       ``(4) an assurance that the State educational agency will 
     pay, from non-Federal sources, the non-Federal share of the 
     costs of the demonstration project for which assistance is 
     sought; and
       ``(5) such additional assurances as the Secretary may 
     reasonably require.
       ``(d) Sufficient Size and Scope Required.--The Secretary 
     shall award grants under this subpart only to State 
     educational agencies submitting applications which described 
     projects of sufficient size and scope to contribute to 
     carrying out the purpose of this subpart.

     ``SEC. 565. EVALUATION AND DISSEMINATION.

       ``(a) National Evaluation.--The Secretary shall conduct a 
     national evaluation of the demonstration projects assisted 
     under this subpart to determine the costs incurred in 
     achieving the reduction in class size and the effects of the 
     reductions on results, such as student performance in the 
     affected subjects or grades, attendance, discipline, 
     classroom organization, management, and teacher satisfaction 
     and retention.
       ``(b) Cooperation.--Each State educational agency receiving 
     a grant under this subpart shall cooperate in the national 
     evaluation described in subsection (a) and shall provide such 
     information to the Secretary as the Secretary may reasonably 
     require.
       ``(c) Reports.--The Secretary shall report to Congress on 
     the results of the evaluation conducted under subsection (a).
       ``(d) Dissemination.--The Secretary shall widely 
     disseminate information about the results of the class size 
     demonstration projects assisted under this subpart.

     ``SEC. 565A. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       ``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
     subpart $15,000,000 for fiscal year 1999 and each of the 4 
     succeeding fiscal years.''.

     SEC. 2. PRIVATE SECTOR FUNDING FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
                   BY NASA RELATING TO AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE.

       The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration may not carry out research and development 
     activities relating to the performance of aircraft (including 
     supersonic aircraft and subsonic aircraft) unless the 
     Administrator receives payment in full for such activities 
     from the private sector.

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