Copyright 1999 Federal News Service, Inc.
Federal News Service
MARCH 10, 1999, WEDNESDAY
SECTION: IN THE NEWS
LENGTH:
2088 words
HEADLINE: PREPARED STATEMENT BY
JUDITH
E. HEUMANN
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR
SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATIVE
SERVICES
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
BEFORE THE HOUSE
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE
LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND EDUCATION
SUBCOMMITTEE
SUBJECT - FISCAL YEAR 2000 REQUEST FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION
AND REHABILITATION SERVICES AND DISABILITY RESEARCH
BODY:
Mr. Chairman and Members of the
Committee:
I appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to discuss the
fiscal year 2000 budget request for Special Education and Rehabilitation
Services and Disability Research. The Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services administers these accounts.
Mr. Chairman, as
expressed during previous appearances before this sub-committee, my vision for
the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services is that all people
with disabilities obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve their
self-determined goals for independent living, employment, and integration within
our communities. Our vision has not changed. The fiscal year 2000 budget request
is a coordinated, targeted approach toward accomplishing this vision.
The
OSERS budget request for fiscal year 2000 represents an $8.2 billion commitment
by the Federal Government to partner with State and local public and private
organizations to help students and adults with disabilities achieve high levels
of education and employment. Our request targets resources in key areas such as
early childhood, helping parents, fostering independent living, and increasing
access to technology for adults with disabilities. Investments in these areas
will assist in empowering our Nation's disabled individuals to achieve their
full potential.
We believe that it is extremely important for children to
obtain solid learning skills during the early, years, if they are to attain
future success in school. However, it is often harder for children with
disabilities to acquire and maintain these skills. Problems encountered during
preschool and the early elementary school years also serve as a harbinger of
more serious problems that may occur clown the line. For example, if children do
not acquire proper language skills, they will have difficulty learning to read.
If students enter school with developmental delays, it will be much harder for
them to keep up with their studies. If children's behavior impedes their ability
to participate in the classroom, they will be less able to benefit from their
education. To address these concerns, the Department has placed a priority on
programs that provide assistance to children during early childhood. We believe
that addressing these problems early on will help ensure the academic success of
these children and reduce the number and severity of problems encountered later
on.
People with disabilities, and their families, should have access to all
available tools that will help them meet their goals in the areas of education,
employment, and independent living. Our request targets increases to programs
that provide individuals with these tools. Our parent information centers
provide parents with the training and information they need to work with
professionals in meeting the early intervention and special education needs of
their children with disabilities. Independent living, assistive technology, and
disability research provide the skills, knowledge, products, and services needed
for individuals with disabilities to fully participate in the mainstream of
American society.
Our request also recognizes that individuals with
disabilities benefit from other Federal strategies and initiatives to improve
the larger service systems. For example, the reauthorization of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1997
emphasized that children with disabilities should have access to the general
education curriculum.
Approximately, 75 percent of children with
disabilities spend at least 40 percent of their day alongside of their
nondisabled peers in regular classrooms. Students with disabilities will benefit
from increases in the President's budget for Class Size Reduction, Title I of
ESEA, and 21st Century Community Learning Centers.
Similarly, the Workforce
Investment Act of 1998 establishes a coordinated employment and training system
to increase the employment and earnings of workforce program participants
through statewide and local partnerships. The Vocational Rehabilitation State
Grants program and the Client Assistance program are required partners in the
operation of this system. We are working with our Federal partners to ensure
that the one-stop system enhances access to employment and training services for
all individuals with disabilities.
Finally, we are working with our
colleagues in the medical and educational research communities to address the
needs of individuals with disabilities through a coordinated research program.
Fostering collaboration is part of my personal commitment, and it is an OSERS
goal that will help us improve the self-sufficiency and the quality of life for
people with disabilities.
I will now describe the budget proposal in detail.
SPECIAL EDUCATION
The Administration's fiscal year 2000 request for
Special Education is $5.4 billion, an increase of $116 million over the fiscal
year 1999 level. The request would maintain funding at roughly the 1999 level
for the Grants to States program, which has grown by almost $2 billion, over 85
percent, since 1996. The Grants to States request is $4.3 billion and represents
a Federal contribution of about 10 percent of the excess costs of educating
children with disabilities. These funds play an important role in meeting the
needs of the projected 6.25 million children with disabilities in this country
who will be served in fiscal year 2000, providing an average Federal
contribution of $688 per child.
We are requesting targeted increases for
Special Education programs serving young children with disabilities. In an
effort to focus on early intervention for children who are most in need of help,
we are requesting $50 million for the new Primary Education Intervention
program. This is a new initiative to help school districts meet the needs of
children with developmental delays aged 5 through 9 who have marked problems
learning to read or who have behavioral problems. This initiative will help
schools develop and implement research-based strategies to identify and address
reading problems in the early grades in order to reach children sooner and give
them the extra help they need to become good readers.
We are also proposing
targeted increases of 7.6 percent and 5.4 percent, respectively, for Preschool
Grants and Grants for Infants and Families. The Preschool Grants program request
provides an increase of over $28 million to help State and local education
agencies to identify and serve children with disabilities early in life when
interventions can be most effective in improving results. This request would
increase the Federal share per child by almost 6 percent, from $642 in 1999 to
$679 in 2000, while serving an additional 10,500 children.
The budget
request includes a $20 million increase for the Grants for Infants and Families
program that will help States expand child-find activities, increase the focus
on providing services in natural environments, and improve transition services
for children with disabilities and their families. Delays in identification and
services can lead to significant developmental lags. The increase in funding
will help States to provide interventions critical to increasing cognitive
functioning during early childhood.
Two other key strategic investments
reflected in this budget are increases for the State Improvement grant program
and the Parent Information Centers. The Administration requests that funds for
State Improvement grants be increased to $45.2 million, or 28.4 percent over the
fiscal year 1999 appropriation. These funds would help sustain the efforts of 24
existing projects and launch 12 new projects. Increases are necessary to respond
to the state-wide personnel needs in special education that have been outlined
in each State's improvement plan. The need for professional development is
particularly acute as States, school districts, and schools provide for
participation of students with disabilities in curricula aligned with State
standards and the placement of more students in regular education classrooms.
The State Improvement grants provide flexible support to State agencies so that
they may carry out their plans for initiating and directing reform.
Another
important need is to increase funds for Parent Information Centers. This budget
requests that these funds be increased to $22.5 million, or 21.6 percent over
the 1999 level. These centers promote grass roots efforts among parents so they
may help one another improve the educational experiences and outcomes of their
children with disabilities. The success of these programs in the past warrants
expansion so that more parents and children may be empowered through the
knowledge of their rights and responsibilities.
REHABILITATION SERVICES AND
DISABILITY RESEARCH
The $2.7 billion request for the Rehabilitation Services
and Disability Research account, an increase of $64.5 million over the 1999
level, will increase employment for individuals with disabilities, as well as
maximize their opportunities for integration and independent living. Vocational
Rehabilitation and Independent Living
For the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR)
State Grants program, the Administration is requesting $2.3 billion to help
State VR agencies reduce the high unemployment rate of people with disabilities.
The increase of $34.6 million, or 1.5 percent, is the amount needed to meet the
statutory requirement to increase funding by the percentage change of the
Consumer Price Index. In addition, a $2 million increase is requested for the
Training Program to assist States in carrying out their Comprehensive Systems of
Personnel Development and in raising the academic credentials of State VR agency
personnel.
The Administration requests $85 million for the independent
living programs, $5 million more than the 1999 level. The request would provide
$50.9 million, a 10.4% increase, for the Centers for Independent Living program.
This increase would help expand independent living activities such as skills
training, peer counseling, and individual and systems advocacy. Many existing
centers would receive additional funding, and approximately 35 new centers would
be established. For the Services for Older Individuals Who are Blind program, a
2 percent increase is requested to help address the rising costs associated with
serving this population.
Technology and Research
The Administration's
request of $91 million for the National Institute on Disability and
Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) is a 12.3 percent increase, or $10 million, over
the 1999 appropriation. These funds would continue support for important
research through NIDRR's research centers, research projects, and its other
existing research, training, dissemination, and utilization programs. Three new
initiatives would be launched with these funds including a project to enhance
technology transfer, consortia to work with information technology industries,
and a demonstration center that would allow persons with disabilities,
researchers, and industry representatives to learn about cutting-edge technology
and information innovations.
In addition, the request for Assistive
Technology includes a 50 percent, or $15 million, increase over the 1999 level.
These funds will be used for grants to States to establish and maintain
Assistive Technology alternative loan financing programs. Loan programs offer
individuals with disabilities the ability to borrow funds for the purchase of
assistive technology devices and services.We believe that investments in
technology are critical to increasing opportunities for individuals with
disabilities. We need to forge strong partnerships with industry to design
technology that works for everyone. Access to assistive technology, including
information technology and telecommunications, can make important differences in
the lives of people with disabilities.
Mr. Chairman, and members of the
committee, the Administration's fiscal year 2000 budget request for the Office
of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services will further the Department's
mission for increasing excellence and access for all citizens and leverage the
change necessary for reaching our goals. And ultimately, we believe this budget
will substantially improve the education, independent living, and employment
outcomes of individual with disabilities within our Nation.
My colleagues
and I will be glad to discuss any questions that you may have.
END
LOAD-DATE: March 12, 1999
