(Washington, DC) -- Kicking off the start of the 1999 school year, Delaware Congressman Michael N. Castle, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth and Families, today held a press conference at the new Fred Fifer III Middle School in Camden to outline his goals for improving the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), legislation which provides almost $15 billion in federal funding for K-12 education programs.  

" Educating our children is primarily the job of states and local schools, but the federal government does play a vital role in helping our children get a first rate education," Castle said.  "By working together, we can raise student achievement, enhance teacher development, provide cutting edge education technology and make our schools safer and drug free."

Castle highlighted the following priorities for programs within the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in order to ensure that our students receive a quality education:

Title I - Aid to Disadvantaged Students - This program is the largest under ESEA and provides billions in extra resources for schools with high concentrations of students from low-income families.  For example, Caesar Rodney School District receives over $1 million in Title I funding.   These funds go predominantly to the district's elementary schools. 

Congressman Castle is working to provide more flexibility for schools to operate their Title I programs, so that higher percentages of low income students may benefit from the program. He is also pushing for collaborative efforts to help our students achieve high standards.  If a school is unable to meet its own standards for student achievement, the proper resources and the technical assistance should be provided to turn that school around.  

Title II - Professional Teacher Development - The House of Representatives recently passed the new Teacher Empowerment Act to provide funding for high quality teacher training programs in all core subjects and reduce class sizes according to school needs.  Congressman Castle is urging the Senate to pass this measure so it may go to the President's for his signature. 

Title III - Education Technology - Republicans and Democrats have recognized the importance of education technology, and federal funding has dramatically increased in recent years.  In fact, from 1995-1999, it rose $645 million.
 
  The technology programs that Congress is going to concentrate on this fall include:

1. The National Challenge Grants for Technology in Education -- This is awarded on a competitive basis to groups of school districts and other partners for activities such as integrating technology directly into curriculum, and providing professional development for teachers 

2. The Technology Literacy Challenge Fund - This is the major state formula grant program intended to: connect all K-12 classrooms in the U.S. to the Internet and provide teachers with training and support.

3. Star Schools-- A program that supports distance learning projects linking students and teachers over large distances using telecommunications technologies, such as satellites and fiber optic networks.
 

Title IV - Safe and Drug Free Schools - This program provides grants to states and national 
programs to support substance abuse education and violence protection activities.  For example, 
the Caesar Rodney School District will receive $57,055 and Fred Fifer Middle School will 
receive $1,839 this year from Safe and Drug Free Schools program this year.

Congressman Castle is working for improvements in the Safe and Drug Free Schools Program to help schools reduce the threat of drugs and violence.   In Delaware alone, one out of every five persons arrested in 1996 was a juvenile.  In fact, approximately two out of every three juvenile arrests for violent crime occurred in New Castle County in 1996, but Sussex county had the highest juvenile arrest rate-- 138.8 arrests per 1,000 population. (De Statistical Analysis Center)