[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 39 (Thursday, March 22, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E435-E437]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION TO EXTEND AND IMPROVE THE NATIONAL WRITING 
                                PROJECT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 22, 2001

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to 
join my colleagues Mr. Wicker, Mr. Kildee, Mr. Callahan, Ms. Woolsey, 
and Mr. Kingston in introducing legislation to extend and improve the 
National Writing Project.
  The knowledge and skill of a child's teacher is the single most 
important factor in the quality of his or her education. The National 
Writing Project is a nationwide program that works to improve students' 
writing abilities by improving the teaching of writing in the nation's 
schools.
  The National Writing Project serves a remarkable number of teachers 
and students on an exceptionally small budget.
  Last year, the National Writing Project trained 212,724 teachers and 
administrators nationwide through 167 writing project sites in 49 
states, Washington, DC and Puerto Rico. It has served over two million 
teachers and administrators over the last 25 years.
  For every federal dollar it receives, the National Writing Project 
raises about $7.00 in matching grants. This makes the National Writing 
Project one of the most cost-effective educational programs in the 
country.
  Furthermore, a national staff of only two people administers the 
National Writing Project. The use of limited federal funds to leverage 
large private investments is the most efficient way to use the budgeted 
funds available for the greatest possible return.
  The National Writing Project works. For example, in Chicago, students 
of National Writing Project teachers have shown significantly higher 
gains on the Illinois Goals Assessment Program writing tests when 
compared to student performance citywide. In an urban Sacramento, 
California high school, student performance on local writing 
assessments rose

[[Page E436]]

from lowest to highest in the district after an influx of National 
Writing Project teachers to the school, and college enrollment among 
this school's senior class rose 400 percent.
  The National Writing Project has received similarly impressive 
results all across this country. In fact, the National Writing Project 
has received glowing reviews from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, 
the National Council of Teacher Education, the Council for Basic 
Education, and independent evaluators.
  The National Writing Project is efficient, cost-effective and 
successful. I look forward to working with my colleagues in enacting 
this important legislation.

                21st CENTURY HIGHER EDUCATION INITIATIVE

       America's Historically Black Colleges and Universities, 
     Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Tribally Controlled 
     Colleges have provided millions of Americans from all 
     backgrounds with rich and enduring higher education 
     opportunities. They have developed innovative academic 
     strategies, supported cutting edge research, and launched the 
     careers of millions of today's leaders including scientists, 
     doctors, teachers, lawyers, artists, entrepreneurs, and 
     community and religious leaders.
       Today, these institutions face new challenges as they help 
     prepare a new generation of Americans for the 21st century. 
     To ensure that all Americans have access to high quality 
     education, we must ensure that all students have the 
     financial assistance and support to start and stay in 
     college. And we must ensure that all higher education 
     institutions have the resources to perform vital research, 
     succeed and prosper.
       The ``21st Century Higher Education Initiative'' will 
     substantially expand college opportunity through student aid 
     and early intervention efforts; double resources to 
     strengthen the infrastructure of minority-serving 
     institutions; and harness the strengths of minority-serving 
     institutions to prepare teachers and the high-tech workforce 
     of tomorrow. It will:
       Help Make College Affordable for All Americans. Since the 
     passage of the GI Bill of Rights, the federal government has 
     been a key partner to states and colleges to give all 
     students access to higher education. Millions of Americans 
     from low and middle-income families have attended college 
     because of federal financial aid. Despite record levels of 
     college enrollment, however, students from poor families who 
     graduate from high school attend college at half the rate 
     students from affluent families. Among low-income students, 
     minority students earn bachelor's degrees at a substantially 
     lower rate than white students. This disparity of opportunity 
     is unacceptable. To help remedy it, the Initiative would:
       Restore the purchasing power of Pell grants. The maximum 
     Pell grant would increase from $3,750 to $7,000 over three 
     years. Pell grants provide critical access to higher 
     education, and are particularly important for minority 
     students: About 45% of African-American and Hispanic students 
     at four-year colleges depend on Pell grants, compared to 23% 
     of all students. The purchasing power of the maximum Pell 
     grant has eroded from 84% of the cost of a public university 
     in 1976 to 39% today; a $7,000 grant would restore its 
     purchasing power.
       Increase the Supplemental Equal Opportunity Grants by over 
     $300 million over three years. The SEOG program provides 
     critical grant assistance to low-income students whose need 
     is not fully met by Pell grants. The initiative would 
     authorize $1 billion for SEOG.
       Increase Federal Work-Study by $300 million over three 
     years. This critical program leverages private-sector 
     resources to allow students to earn money for college while 
     learning responsibility and work skills. By connecting 
     students with their campus communities, work-study has been 
     shown to encourage students to continue their education.
       Promote High School Completion as a Gateway to College. Too 
     many young Americans drop out of college while they are still 
     in middle or high school. Only 62 percent of Hispanics in 
     their late twenties have a high school diploma, compared to 
     88 percent of all Americans.
       The U.S. Department of Education has found that the 
     intensity of high school curriculum is the single strongest 
     predictor of college success. And one-third of college 
     freshmen need remedial classes; these students are 60 percent 
     less likely to complete college. The Act would:
       Implement sustainable dropout prevention strategies at high 
     schools, based on similar legislation introduced by Senator 
     Bingaman. This $250 million effort will include strengthening 
     professional development and curriculum, planning and 
     research, remedial education, reducing class sizes, and 
     counseling for at-risk students.
       Double funding for the TRIO and GEAR UP programs over three 
     years (to $1.5 billion and $690 million, respectively) that 
     intervene in the lives of low-income children and are proven 
     to encourage academic success and college attendance for 
     disadvantaged children. Increased funding would allow TRIO to 
     serve 10 percent of eligible students.
       Encourage universal access to Advanced Placement classes. 
     AP classes allow high school students to challenge themselves 
     in a demanding class and earn college credit. The Initiative 
     would set a national goal of AP classes in every high school 
     within three years. It would also expand the existing AP 
     Incentive program to pay test fees for low-income students, 
     help schools invest in AP curriculum and teacher training, 
     and use new distance learning technologies to expand AP 
     opportunities.
       Strengthen college remedial programs through a new $10 
     million demonstration program to help more students and adult 
     high-school drop-outs receive remediation and eventually earn 
     their college degree through partnerships between four-year 
     colleges, community colleges, and high schools.
       Build Bridges among Colleges and Universities. Minority-
     serving institutions offer a critical route to higher 
     education for many minority students because of their low 
     cost, location, and supportive environments. However, too 
     many students at minority-serving community colleges fail to 
     pursue a four-year degree, while many students at minority-
     serving four-year colleges have limited opportunities to seek 
     advanced degrees. The Act would:
       Expand opportunities for community college students to 
     transfer to four-year colleges and universities. This new $40 
     million initiative would support partnerships of minority 
     serving two-year colleges and four-year colleges and 
     universities. The partnerships would create new transfer 
     opportunities by developing articulation agreements, bridging 
     differences in costs between two-year and four-year colleges, 
     and providing counseling, mentoring, and support services to 
     help community college students earn B.A. and B.S. degrees.
        Create new opportunities for minority-college students to 
     earn advanced degrees. The new $40 million Dual Degrees 
     initiative would increase opportunities for students to earn 
     advanced degrees, including M.A.'s and Ph.D.'s, in fields in 
     which they are underrepresented. Students would spend three 
     years at a minority-serving institution and two years at a 
     partner institution, such as a major research university, and 
     earn a B.A. from their home institution and a B.A. or M.A. 
     from the partner institution. Federal resources would 
     establish articulation agreements and provide scholarships to 
     students to bridge cost differences between minority-serving 
     institutions and partner institutions. This initiative is 
     based upon the Dual Degrees Engineering Program, operated by 
     a consortia of colleges and universities and based in 
     Atlanta, Georgia.
       Double Resources and Build Infrastructure for Developing 
     Institutions. In recognition of their unique importance in 
     expanding higher education opportunities for an under-served 
     population, the Initiative would double funding for minority-
     serving institutions under Titles III and V of the Higher 
     Education over three years. In contrast, President Bush has 
     called for only a 30 percent increase over five years. 
     Specifically, under the Initiative:
       Historically black colleges and universities would increase 
     to $370 million;
       Historically black graduate institutions would increase to 
     $90 million;
       Hispanic-serving institutions funding would increase to 
     $140 million, and a new initiative would provide $90 million 
     to improve post-baccalaureate education opportunities for 
     Hispanic and low-income students;
       Strengthening institutions would increase to $150 million;
       Tribally controlled colleges and universities would 
     increase to $45 million; and
       Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions 
     would increase to $20 million.
       Preserve Historic Landmarks. One hundred and three 
     historically black colleges have over 700 properties listed 
     on the National Register of Historic Places, but these 
     facilities require $755 million in repairs. To preserve these 
     national treasures and enable historically black colleges to 
     face the challenges of the 21st century, the Initiative would 
     authorize $60 million a year to preserve the most dilapidated 
     historic facilities.
       Recruit Minority Teachers. Our nation needs 2 million new 
     teachers over the next 10 years to meet rising enrollments 
     and replace retiring teachers. Minorities are an untapped 
     resource in meeting this challenge: only 13 percent of 
     teachers are minorities. The Initiative includes $30 million 
     for new Collaborative Centers of Excellence in Preparation to 
     strengthen teacher preparation programs at minority-serving 
     colleges, increase the use of technology in those programs, 
     and help students meet teacher certification requirements. It 
     includes a new $20 million demonstration program on effective 
     teacher recruitment and preparation practices, including 
     mentoring, student loan forgiveness, and assistance in 
     receiving teacher certification. It establishes Byrd teachers 
     scholarships for students planning to enter the teaching 
     profession. Finally, it includes a provision-based on 
     legislation by Sen. Tom Daschle and Rep. Darlene Hooley to 
     provide up to $15,000 in student loan forgiveness to teachers 
     at tribal colleges.
       Prepare the 21st Century Workforce. Studies show that 
     minority-serving institutions face a serious ``digital 
     divide'' in providing student Internet access, high-speed 
     connectivity and sufficient infrastructure. The Initiative 
     would create a $250 million initiative-based on proposals by 
     Representatives Edolphus Towns and Senator Max Cleland to 
     wire campuses, acquire equipment, and train educators and 
     students in the use of technology. The Initiative would also 
     increase funding for the Minority Science and Engineering 
     Improvement Program five-fold to $40 million.


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