[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 113 (Monday, July 28, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10057-S10058]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BINGAMAN (for himself, Mr. Enzi, Mr. Daschle, Mr. Johnson, 
        and Mr. Inouye):
  S. 1469. A bill to amend the Head Start Act to provide grants to 
Tribal Colleges and Universities to increase the number of post-
secondary degrees in early childhood education and related fields 
earned by Indian Head Start agency staff members, parents of children 
served by such an agency, and members of the community involved; to the 
Committee on Indian Affairs.
  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Tribal 
Colleges and Universities/Head Start Partnership Act, on behalf of 
myself and Senators Enzi, Daschle, Johnson, and Inouye.
  As I am sure you all know, Head Start is the flagship Federal program 
that insures that disadvantaged children have access to the 
educational, social, health, and behavioral services that they need in 
order to be ready to enter and excel in school. Studies clearly show 
that Head Start is a strong and effective program and that children who 
enroll in it benefit from improved cognitive and social skills. 
Although Head Start is a model program, it can be even better. One 
factor that we know is strongly related to student outcomes is teacher 
quality and education. Simply put, the more advanced the credentials of 
the teacher, the better the outcomes for students.
  In recognition of this fact, the 1998 Head Start reauthorization 
required that 50 percent of all Head Start teachers have at least an 
Associate's Degree, AA, in early childhood or a related field by 2003. 
In the impending reauthorization of Head Start, is it likely that 
teacher credential requirements will be increased even further.
  Although across the Nation as a whole, the 50 percent AA degree 
requirement for Head Start teachers has been met, there are some 
regions and sub-groups in the U.S. for which this is not the case. It 
is particularly difficult for Head Start teachers on Indian 
reservations, in rural areas, and those who teach migrants to access 
the necessary educational opportunities. Often, the distance these 
individuals would have to travel to take classes at the nearest college 
that offers an early childhood education degree is simply prohibitive.
  The purpose of the Tribal College and University/Head Start 
Partnership Act is to facilitate the continuing education of Native 
American Head Start teachers so that they can obtain the credentials 
they need to provide the best outcomes for the children under their 
care. Nationally, only 14 percent of Native American Head Start 
teachers have an AA degree and a scant 7 percent have a BA degree or 
higher.
  The current Act is based on the ``Head Start Partnerships with 
Tribally Controlled Land-Grant Colleges and Universities'' 
discretionary grants program at HHS. This program provided grants to 16 
tribal universities and colleges during the period 1999-2001. The 
purpose of the program was to utilize the capabilities of these 
institutions of higher education to improve the quality of Head Start 
and Early Head Start programs funded through the American Indian 
Programs Branch, primarily by providing education and training 
opportunities for Head Start staff. Partnership agreements provided 
academic credits primarily toward Associate's or Bachelor's Degrees. 
Since the program began in 1999, 322 students have graduated from these 
programs and an additional 59 are expected to graduate by the end of 
2003.
  In my home State of New Mexico, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic 
Institute, SIPI, received a 3-year grant of $150,000 per year. This 
grant has supported the teaching of courses leading directly to an AA 
degree in early childhood. There are roughly 125 declared majors, 90 
percent of whom are Head Start teachers, enrolled in these classes each 
semester, distributed across eleven reservations and pueblos in New 
Mexico, the closest of which is 30 miles from the SIPI campus. Without 
access to this type of distance education, these dedicated Head Start 
teachers would not be able to receive the education that is crucial to 
both their own futures and to the lives of the many children they 
teach.

[[Page S10058]]

  Although the Head Start Partnerships discretionary grants program at 
HHS has been very successful, funding has been sporadic. No grants were 
awarded in 2001 and 2002. Although HHS just recently announced a new 
competition for these grants, it is unclear if new grants will also be 
awarded in future years. I believe that an authorized grants program 
would be the best way to insure a steady and dependable source of 
funding so that tribal Head Start teachers can obtain the education 
that is so crucial to their success.
  The TCU /Head Start Partnership Act would authorize 5-year grants to 
TCUs so that these institutions can develop programs resulting in 
increased numbers of advanced degrees for tribal Head Start teachers, 
particularly in technology mediated formats. The act authorizes 
$10,000,000 for fiscal year 2004 and such sums as may be necessary for 
fiscal years 2005-2008, in order to achieve these goals.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this extremely 
important program. At a time when we are rightfully demanding that Head 
Start teachers be highly credentialed, we must provide the supports 
that are necessary to help teachers gain these credentials.
  I ask unanimous consent that the 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. 1469

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Tribal Colleges and 
     Universities Head Start Partnership Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSES.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
       (1) The Head Start Act requires that 50 percent or more of 
     teachers nationwide in center-based Head Start programs must 
     have at least an associate degree in early childhood 
     education, or a field related to early childhood education, 
     by 2003.
       (2) A goal of the Head Start Act is to ensure that all Head 
     Start programs nationwide will provide accredited continuing 
     education for Head Start staff that provides college or 
     university credit for such staff. However, Indian Head Start 
     programs are generally located in areas isolated from 
     mainstream colleges or universities where such credit can be 
     earned.
       (3) The vast majority of the Nation's 34 Tribal Colleges 
     and Universities have early childhood education programs and, 
     of these, 32 are accredited, or designated candidates for 
     accreditation, by national accrediting associations.
       (4) Tribal Colleges and Universities were created by 
     Indians for Indians primarily on rural and remote Indian 
     reservations, which were virtually excluded from the Nation's 
     system of higher education.
       (5) Tribal Colleges and Universities are engaged community 
     institutions, offering higher education and continuing 
     education opportunities to individuals who otherwise might 
     find attaining such education impossible due to family 
     responsibilities, and financial and geographic barriers.
       (6) Tribal Colleges and Universities have been more 
     successful than any other institutions of higher education in 
     educating Indians and helping to retain Indians in high-need 
     fields such as nursing and teaching. According to a 2000 
     survey, over 80 percent of Tribal College and University 
     graduates go on to further higher education or become 
     employed in the local community.
       (7) Through partnerships developed between Tribal Colleges 
     and Universities and Head Start programs nationwide--
       (A) Indian Head Start agency personnel can gain greater 
     access to accredited college and university programs in their 
     career field;
       (B) the knowledge, skills, and aptitude of those working at 
     Indian Head Start agencies will be increased, thus enabling 
     them to provide high quality and comprehensive services to 
     Indian children and their families; and
       (C) the health, early childhood development, and school 
     readiness of Indian children will be improved as a result of 
     increased staff knowledge, skills, and aptitude.
       (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are to--
       (1) promote social competencies and school readiness in 
     Indian children; and
       (2) provide high quality, accredited educational 
     opportunities to Indian Head Start agency staff so that they 
     can better deliver services that enhance the social and 
     cognitive development of low-income children through the 
     provision of health, educational, nutritional, social, and 
     other services to low-income children and their families.

     SEC. 3. TRIBAL COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY-HEAD START PARTNERSHIP 
                   PROGRAM.

       The Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.) is amended by 
     inserting after section 648A the following:

     ``SEC. 648B. TRIBAL COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY-HEAD START 
                   PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.

       ``(a) Tribal College or University-Head Start Partnership 
     Program.--
       ``(1) Grants.--The Secretary is authorized to award grants, 
     of not less than 5 years duration, to Tribal Colleges and 
     Universities to--
       ``(A) implement education programs that include tribal 
     culture and language and increase the number of associate, 
     baccalaureate, and graduate degrees in early childhood 
     education and related fields that are earned by Indian Head 
     Start agency staff members, parents of children served by 
     such an agency, and members of the tribal community involved;
       ``(B) develop and implement the programs under subparagraph 
     (A) in technology-mediated formats; and
       ``(C) provide technology literacy programs for Indian Head 
     Start agency staff members and children and families of 
     children served by such an agency.
       ``(2) Staffing.--The Secretary shall ensure that the 
     American Indian Programs Branch of the Head Start Bureau of 
     the Department of Health and Human Services shall have 
     staffing sufficient to administer the programs under this 
     section and to provide appropriate technical assistance to 
     Tribal Colleges and Universities receiving grants under this 
     section.
       ``(b) Application.--Each Tribal College or University 
     desiring a grant under this section shall submit an 
     application to the Secretary, at such time, in such manner, 
     and containing such information as the Secretary may require, 
     including a certification that the Tribal College or 
     University has established a partnership with 1 or more 
     Indian Head Start agencies for the purpose of conducting the 
     activities described in subsection (a).
       ``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
       ``(1) Institution of higher education.--The term 
     `institution of higher education' has the meaning given such 
     term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
     (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
       ``(2) Tribal college or university.--The term `Tribal 
     College or University' means an institution--
       ``(A) defined by such term in section 316(b) of the Higher 
     Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)); and
       ``(B) determined to be accredited or a candidate for 
     accreditation by a nationally recognized accrediting agency 
     or association.
       ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, 
     $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2004 and such sums as may be 
     necessary for each of fiscal years 2005 through 2008.''.
                                 ______