Return-Path: <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.9.3/8.9.0.Beta5/980425bjb) with SMTP id QAA09595; Thu, 4 Nov 1999 16:53:34 -0500 (EST) Date: Thu, 4 Nov 1999 16:53:34 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <002801bf270d$f8376020$640f8dd0@patrick.famlit.org> Errors-To: listmgr@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Nancy Sledd" <nsledd@famlit.org> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:2556] FW: New Literacy Legislation X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook 8.5, Build 4.71.2173.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: OR -----Original Message----- From: nla-approval@world.std.com [mailto:nla-approval@world.std.com] On Behalf Of Gullion, Christy Sent: Thursday, November 04, 1999 3:52 PM To: nla@world.std.com Subject: New Literacy Legislation November 4, 1999 Today, Congressman Bill Goodling introduced new legislation that will improve and expand family literacy services nationwide. The bill, titled the Literacy Involves Families Together (LIFT) Act, has bipartisan support and is likely to become part of Congress' ongoing consideration of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Congressman Goodling, Chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, is also the author of the Even Start Family Literacy Act and has been a champion of literacy issues in the U.S. Congress for over two decades. In 1991, he was an original sponsor of the National Literacy Act along with Congressman Tom Sawyer and former Senator Paul Simon. This new legislation will strengthen the nation's family literacy infrastructure in several ways. These include: * States will be allowed to use a portion of their Even Start allotment to assist local programs in improving the quality of their family literacy services. * States will review the progress and quality of local family literacy programs and use such information in making continuation grants. * The bill allows Even Start to serve children older than age 8 if schools use Title I funds (the federal program for educationally disadvantaged students) to pay a portion of the costs. * Title I programs with large numbers of children whose parents do not possess a high school diploma will be encouraged to provide family literacy services. * The new legislation will allow programs that have received Even Start funds for eight years - the current funding limit - to continue to receive funds at a reduced federal matching rate (35%). * Even Start programs will use instructional programs base on scientifically based reading research in designing services for children and adults. In addition, LIFT will provide funding to extend important new research on children's reading, and to look at reading development in adults within the family context. * The bill increases the Even Start authorization to $500 million. Even Start received $135 million in 1999. The Senate is currently developing its own version of the ESEA. As a result, final consideration of LIFT will likely not occur until next year as part of the overall ESEA reauthorization legislation. Full text of the bill can be viewed at http://thomas.loc.gov. Christy Gullion Senior Policy Analyst National Institute for Literacy 1775 I Street NW, Suite 730 Phone: 202/233-2033 Fax: 202/233-2050 cgullion@nifl.gov www.nifl.gov
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Sep 21 2000 - 11:00:17 EDT