Groups Revving Up for ESEA Reauthorization

By Joetta L. Sack

Worcester, Mass.

The Title I administrators gathered here on a chilly November morning were eager to talk about what's working in the federal government's largest K-12 program and what Congress should change next year.

Schoolwide reform programs are good, they declared, and funding for preschool and after-school programs has really helped. But schools need more time and Title I money for professional development. Overall, though, they agreed, Title I only needs fine-tuning because the changes Congress made to it in 1994 are just starting to show results.

The requests, however, fly in the face of the wishes of some Republicans and conservative groups who want an overhaul because they believe Title I has failed to produce acceptable returns in its 33-year history. Some want vouchers for remedial services put straight into the hands of parents, and others want to turn funding for local districts' share of Title I...