Legislative Action
Chapter 1 Assessment
HR 3910
The House last week approved by voice vote legislation requiring the Education Department to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the Chapter 1 program.
Education Budget
Fiscal 1991
House and Senate appropriations subcommittees continued hearings last week on the FY 1991 education budget.
Education Spending
The House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing last week on a study by the Economic Policy Institute that argued that the United States spends relatively less on education than other nations.
Employment Discrimination
S 2104, HR 4000
The House Education and Labor and Senate Labor and Human Resources Committees continued hearings last week on legislation that would overturn five Supreme Court rulings on job bias.
Food Programs
HR 4110
The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee held a hearing last week on the nutrition components of the 1990 farm bill. Bills to expand the food-stamp program have been introduced in the House and Senate. (See page 26.)
Head Start
Two congressional panels held hearings this week on the effectiveness of the 25-year-old Head Start program, which is scheduled to be reauthorized this year. (See page 25.)
Interagency Coordination
Secretary of Education Lauro F. Cavazos and Eric Bloch, director of the National Science Foundation, testified before the House Subcommittee on Science, Research, and Technology on cooperation between their agencies on efforts to improve mathematics and science education.
Library Programs
Reauthorization
HR 2742
The House last week approved by voice vote the conference report on legislation to extend library-aid programs. The bill would also create new literacy programs and prevent the Education Department from turning over the operation of its library to a contractor until the issue can be addressed by the Congress.
Student-Athlete
Graduation Rates
S 580, HR 1454
The Senate on Feb. 22 approved a bill by voice vote that would require higher-education institutions to report the graduation rates of their student athletes.
Taft Institute
Reauthorization
HR 3315
The House last week approved by voice vote legislation authorizing $1.5 million over three years for the Taft Institute, a nonprofit organization that organizes seminars on government for teachers.
Teacher Excellence
S 498, S 1675,
S 1676, HR 3909
The Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee continued hearings last week on legislation to improve teacher recruitment and training.
In Other Agencies
AIDS Policy
The Interior Department published in the Feb. 8 Federal Register a proposed policy on students and employees in Bureau of Indian Affairs schools who are infected with the aids virus. Comments are due May 9.
Asbestos Abatement
The Environmental Protection Agency published in the Feb. 28 Federal Register a list of approved courses for asbestos consultants and approved state-accreditation programs.