(Washington, DC) -- House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth, and Families Chairman, Delaware Congressman Michael N. Castle today announced the House Education Committee passed the Student Results Act of 1999.  The legislation renews Title I, the largest federal program to help educate disadvantaged children, as part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).  The bill passed the House Education Committee on a 42-6 vote.

As one of the primary authors who crafted the legislation and held hearings on the issue, Castle said, "Decades of federal assistance has failed to build the necessary foundation to educate low-income and other special needs children to high standards.  With today's passage of the Student Results Act, no longer will we allow low-performing schools to continue to fail our children.  I urge the full House of Represenatives to support our efforts."

Delaware receives more than $20.5 million in federal Title I funding.  Approximately 120 out of Delaware's 176 public and private schools receive Title I aid to serve disadvantaged students.  Of the 120 schools which receive Title I funding,  96 are public schools and 24 are private schools. 

Title I is the first major part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which guides the bulk of federal K-12 education funding. 

The Student Results Act would:

Increase Federal Aid 
Allows Congress to authorize $8.3 billion, which could be appropriated to educate low-income students.  This is an increase of $41 million from last year.

Require Schools to Make Yearly Progress Reports
Requires schools with concentrations of high poverty students (all Title I schools) to make yearly progress in closing the gap between advantaged students and disadvantaged students helping all students achieve to advanced levels of proficiency in reading, language arts, and math.

Enhance Academic Accountability 
This ensures that economically disadvantaged, limited English proficient, minority, students with disabilities) as well as students as a whole show academic gains.  It also requires states and school districts to report on academic performance, including graduation rates, retention rates and information on the qualifications of teachers and teachers' aides.

Requires Teacher Aides (who most often provide instruction to our poorest children) to have at least 2 years of study at an institute of higher education, an associates or higher degree or met a rigorous standard of quality established at the local level.  This includes an assessment of their math, reading and writing skills.  Right now, teacher aides are required only to have  a high school diploma, a GED or be within two years of meeting these goals.

Continues to target Title I funds to our poorest students, but it also allows school districts to focus their efforts on elementary school students.

Rewarding Performance

The Students Results Act rewards excellence by giving states the option of setting aside 30 percent of all new Title I funding to provide cash rewards to schools that make substantial progress in closing achievement gaps between students.

The committee passage of H.R.2 represents the third step in renewing ESEA.  The first step was the Education Flexibility Act of 1998, which was signed into law.  The second was the House passage of H.R. 1995, the Teacher Empowerment Act.