President, and statutorily supported by this Congress. But the testimony reports we have made have been those that we have gotten or received from parent councils. We held a parents' conference across the country, and if you look at our annual report, you will see what poor parents disadvantaged parents of the children-said. I hope what we are saying is in conjunction with them. They want parent councils. They want comparability. They want really to bypass the provision for nonpublic schools. The mandates we talk about, and we are expressing what they are saying-title I State coordinators who are not appointed by the President, but on the State level-and surely I hope are not disadvantaged too much-are saying pretty much the same thing. We are appointed by the President and I hope it will not taint or may taint negatively anything we say. We serve as laymen, not so much because we are appointed, but concerned. I am a local school board member, elected now for 8 years. It doesn't matter what the title is, whether it is Better Schools Act, or the Javits bill or the Pell bill, but if we believe it helps disadvantaged children, we will support it. Comparability and migrant transfer records are just a few that we repeat that they have said to us. Senator PELL. I think that these ideas on involvement of parents, comparability, et cetera, are objectives in all this legislation. Sometimes we do not put it in and sometimes we do. I thank you very much, Mr. McElroy, and your colleague for being here with us today. Mr. MCELROY. We appreciated being asked, Mr. Senator. [The information supplied by Mr. McElroy follows:] 97-457 73 pt. 4 34 REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF THE BETTER SCHOOLS ACT OF 1973 Prepared by THE NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ON THE EDUCATION 1717 H Street, N.W. Washington, D. C. 20006 For questions and further information, contact: June 1, 1973 NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ON THE EDUCATION OF DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN 1717 H Street, N.W., Room 202 (202) 632-5221 Alfred Z. McElroy Mr Jone Barbosa Mrs. Irene Cardwell Judge Barbara Culver Mrs. Camille Dabney Dr Roland DeMarco New York Mr Frederick Felder Minnesota Mrs Purificacion Fontanora California Mrs. Run Hagenstein Dr. Wilbur H. Lewis Mr Owen Peagler Mr. Maurice Rosenfeld Mrs. Estelle Sourhes New York Dr John Tsu New Jersey Mr. Roberta Lovenheim Executive Director Areas of Agreement INTRODUCTION The NACEDC concurs with the philosophy of the Better Schools Act that the Federal role in education of American children is to assist the States and localities in areas of special national concern. The Council has resolved that it is necessary for the Federal Government to take such steps as are needed to ensure that aid to educational programs for disadvantaged children is inviolably provided and legislatively guaranteed as a first priority. The Better Schools Act does this. Consolidation The Council members feel that it is most appropriate to consolidate the diffuse and fragmented grants network wherever possible, in order to achieve a more organized, coordinated and efficient delivery system wherever possible. Good management techniques and procedures dictate this as a necessary step to eliminate the presently existing Federal services bottleneck which often creates chaotic and fragmented services at the local level. 75% Concentration in Reading and Math The NACEDC strongly supports the mandated 75% concentration of funds in the areas of mathematics and read ing achievement for the disadvantaged earmark. The bases for a successful education are the reading and math skills that a child should master as early as possible in his academic program. The Council has been informed by various parent advisory councils that these are and have been the areas of primary concern to the parents of the affected children as well. The provision making pre-school children eligible for services provided under the disadvantaged earmark is applauded by the Council. Early childhood education is one of the keys to successful compensatory programs and has always been highly recommended by the members of the Council. Concentration of Funds Although the The strict concentration requirements provided for by the Better Schools Act are necessary and appropriate. Council looks forward to the day when all children who are in need of compensatory education can be served, we realize that, given limited appropriations, the most success will be achieved where there is a concentration of available funds in areas of the highest concentration of educationally disadvantaged children from low-income families. Raising income criteria for eligibility The Better Schools Act inclusion of a poverty index at a higher rate than the currently used $2,000 plus AFDC is a laudable stride toward the ideal of serving all children who are in need of compensatory education services. The allocation formula, which provides approximately $250 per child is approximately the amount concentrated per child in the existing compensatory education program. Given the fact that $1.5 billion |