Copyright 2000 Federal News Service, Inc.
Federal News Service
February 23, 2000, Wednesday
SECTION: PREPARED TESTIMONY
LENGTH: 9675 words
HEADLINE:
PREPARED TESTIMONY OF JOHN W. CHEEK (MUSCOGEE CREEK) EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR THE NATIONAL INDIAN EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
BEFORE THE
SENATE COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS
SUBJECT -
INVESTING IN INDIAN NATIONS: BUILDING TRIBAL SELF-GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
BODY:
The National Indian
Education Association (NIEA), the oldest national organization representing the
education concerns of over 3,000 American Indian and Alaska Native and Native
Hawaiian educators, tribal leaders, school administrators, teachers, parents,
and students is pleased to submit this statement on the President's FY2001
budget as it affects Indian education. NIEA has an elected board of 12 members
who represent various Indian education programs and constituencies from
throughout the nation. NIEA holds an annual membership convention which provides
our participants with an opportunity to network, share information, and hear
from Congressional leaders and staff, as well as from, federal government
officials on policy and legislative initiatives impacting Indian education.
Funding for Indian education and Department of Defense schools is the sole
responsibility of the Federal Government while public education is a combination
of state and federal resources. Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and their
surrounding communities also have the ability to pass bond initiatives in order
to build or repair local school buildings. Tribal and Bureau of Indian Affairs
(BIA) schools, on the other hand, must rely on the federal government to ensure
their academic and construction needs are being met. The extent to which the
federal government has assumed this responsibility can be exemplified in the
backlog of construction and repair/renovation needs now exceeding
$800 million. The area of school construction and repair
remains problematic as recent annual appropriations have historically targeted
less than ten percent of the total need requirement. The budget request this
year, however, shows promise as it illustrates the possibilities when policy,
programs, and funding work in tandem to correct long standing deficiencies in
educating the Indian community.
In terms of academic success, American
Indian students continue to rank at, or near, the bottom of every educational
indicator. This seemingly negative situation is actually an improvement when you
consider that just 50 years ago the federal government was actively involved in
the termination of Indian tribes. While many BIA/Indian tribal schools have the
option of developing their own assessment criteria, many opt to follow the
guidelines of the state in which they are located. Public education at the local
level reflects the guidance of the state in terms of its academic requirements.
The Administration has made an impressive move to increase educational access
for American Indian and Alaska Native people through issuance of Indian
Education Executive Order 13096 in August of 1998.The Executive Order played a
major role in the development of new programs in the fiscal year 2000 budget
approved by Congress. The new American Indian Teacher Corps was approved at the
President's request of $10 million. The program promises to
focus attention on the lack of qualified Indian professionals teaching in our
Indian schools. By allowing 500 new Indian students to enter the teaching
profession over a two-year period and receive training over a five-year period,
the corps would deal with the problem of high teacher turn over in isolated
Indian communities.
President Clinton one year ago presented his 21st
Century Schools initiative which focused almost entirely on improving the human
and physical infrastructure needs of public schools. The Administration's FY2001
proposal moves forward with education leading his "Investment Agenda" and
includes: the third year of funding for Class Size Reduction which plans to add
100,000 new teachers; a reinvigorated School Construction and Modernization
effort; new programs to close achievement gaps; improving teacher quality;
making college affordable; and family learning initiatives. Most of these, if
funded, would mean additional education resources for American Indian and Alaska
Native students attending public and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) schools. The
last few appropriation cycles have shown several school construction/bonding
proposals which have failed to be funded for various reasons. We encourage the
committee to endorse the school construction proposal from the Administration
and/or increase the amount of funding the BIA receives for school
construction/renovation and repair needs. As was the case last year, there is
still a backlog in all areas of education construction within the BIA school
system now estimated at over $1 billion.
President's
FY2001 Education Proposals for American Indians and Alaska Natives
The
President has requested over $700 million in new funding for
the FY2001 budget for American Indian and Alaska Native education programs. NIEA
fully supports this request as it illustrates a commitment to meeting the
educational needs of this country's only aboriginal citizens. A look at the new
funding (does not include current funding levels) being proposed for FY2001
includes:
- Bureau of Indian Affairs School Construction and Repair
$167,000,000 - Reducing Class Size in BIA Schools 6,000,000 -
American Indian Teacher Corps 10,000,000 - American Indian Administrators Corps
5,000,000 - Native American School Modernization Bonds 430,000,000 - Therapeutic
Pilot Programs at BIA Boarding Schools 8,200,000 - Family and Child Education
Program 6,800,000 - BIA School Operations 43,000,000 - Tribal College Funding
12,100,000 - Indian Head Start 30,000,000
Total New Funding Request for
FY2001 $718,100,000
Both political parties have
indicated that education is their top priority and no where is the need greater
than in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. We encourage both
political parties and both houses of Congress to approve the funding
recommendations for these Indian education programs.
The Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 is due for reauthorization this session
of Congress. NIEA has developed recommendations for consideration by the
authorizing committee, the Department of Education and Indian Country. Several
tribes, including the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, has endorsed
NIEA's recommendations as they apply to the current ESEA, as amended by the
Improving America's Schools Act (IASA). The issuance of Executive Order 13096 by
President Clinton in August of 1998 on American Indian and Alaska Native
Education and the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
in 1999 will both play a major role in determining the future of education in
general, and Indian education in particular. Our comments will be tied directly
to both of these initiatives.
NIEA's testimony will discuss Indian
education and related programs administered by the Departments of Commerce,
Education, Health and Human Services, Interior, and Labor, and specifically
those within the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Indian Health Service
(IHS).
1. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
I.
I.
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
A. Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program
(TIIAP). NIEA supports the Administration's FY2001 request of
$45.1 million for this program. TIIAP provides grants for
projects that enable schools and communities to develop their telecommunications
infrastructure and to offer students opportunities to develop their technology
skills. Tribes and tribal colleges are among those who recognize the importance
of this program in meeting their telecommunications technology needs and in
producing technology- literate students. Developing a tribal workforce skilled
in telecommunications technology can help tribes reduce unemployment in their
communities by giving individuals marketable job skills; supporting established
businesses on, or attracting new ones to, their reservations; and strengthening
tribal government administrative infrastructures in order to improve delivery of
education, health, and other social welfare programs in addition to carrying out
day-to-day governmental functions and responsibilities. Recent grantees include
the Alamo Navajo School Board in New Mexico; Fort Berthold Community College in
North Dakota; Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board in Oregon; Oglala
Sioux Tribe in South Dakota; Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments in Alaska;
and the Minneapolis American Indian Center in Minnesota.
B. Native
American Economic Development Program Initiative. The FY2001 Budget Request is
$49.2 million and includes $5.2 million for
Planning and Technical Assistance, $39 million for Public Works
and $5 million for Economic Adjustment. NIEA fully supports the
FY2001 request. The Purpose of this program is to fund capacity building,
including planning and technical assistance, revolving loan funds and capital
access, and infrastructure projects that are needed to enable American Indian
tribes and Alaskan Native Villages to be more effective and competitive in the
economic development and livability of their reservations and communities. This
new program is a part of the Clinton Administration's "New Markets" Strategy and
includes, among other activities, skill-training and distance learning
facilities.
2. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
I. Office of Indian
Education (OIE) For FY2001, the Department of Education has requested
$115.5 million to fund formula grants to Local Education
Agencies (LEAs), fund new discretionary programs for OIE and fund new and
continuing National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) surveys and research
activities. This amount, in addition to LEA grants, would partially fund the
National Advisory Council on Indian Education (NACIE), fund the Indian Education
Executive Order and fund the Presidential Executive Order on Tribally Controlled
Community Colleges (TCCC). NIEA requests partial funding for the TCCC Executive
Order since its implementation requires other Education Department agencies to
combine resources. To our knowledge, other agencies within the Department of
Education, have provided little, if any, physical and financial resources for
the TCCC Executive Order. In 1997,budget authority for OIE transferred from
Interior to Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations.
Partial funding has been restored for OIE's discretionary program called
Special Programs for Indian Children. NIEA requests the Committee's support for
full reinstatement for other discretionary programs in adult education, Indian
fellowships, gifted and talented and Tribal Education Departments. The
Administration's support for Indian students throughout its other programs is
well established and appreciated by the Indian community, however, few
Departmental initiatives are available for Indian adults and Indian students
attending postsecondary institutions. This educational gap prevents full
educational access generally assured other students.
The following are
NIEA's recommendations regarding OIE funding by category:
A. Formula
Grants to LEAs. For FY2001, the Department of Education has requested
$92 million for its formula grant program to public schools.
This represents a $30 million increase over FY2000 and would
increase the Per Pupil Expenditure (PPE) from $134 to
$200. Since the Indian Education Act's enactment in 1972, the
PPE has remained relatively the same. The Department estimates that this funding
assists 421,000 Indian students attending public and 42,000 students attending
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) schools for a total of 463,000. NIEA supports
this funding request and asks the committee's concurrence in recommending this
level of funding.
B. Special Programs for Indian Children. The FY2001
request for this discretionary category is $20 million and is
$6.7 million over FY2000. One year ago, NIEA asked for
$20 million to fund discretionary programs within the Office of
Indian Education. We are pleased that the FY2001 request reflects our concern
for funding to support critical need areas in Indian education. The Special
Programs category includes the following authorizations: 1) Improvement of
Educational Opportunities for Indian Children; 2) Professional Development; 3)
Fellowships for Indian Students; 4) Gifted and Talented Education; and 5) Grants
to Tribes for Education Administration Planning and Development. Of the five
authorizations listed, only items one and two are currently funded. These are
also the only two authorizations the Administration is proposing to reauthorize
in the new ESEA under Subpart
2. NIEA supports the funding of all these
authorizations since they provide opportunities for all American Indians in
every educational category from K-12 to postsecondary to adult education. Tribal
Education Departments also need to be funded if Indian reservations are to be
able to provide standards driven curriculum commensurate with state programs and
culturally-based education programs for their tribal members. We ask the
committee's support to fund all Special Programs authorizations and support
these authorizations in the ESEA reauthorization. In addition to the FY2001
request, NIEA recommmends:
1. Fellowships for Indian Students: NIEA
requests $5 million for the Indian Fellowship program to train
Indian professionals in other high need careers such as medicine, engineering,
and technology-related fields. This program was last funded in FY 1996 and
represented a broad, non-targeted approach to ensuring Indian students
participated in postsecondary education. At its peak, the program allowed
approximately 150 Indian students annually to attend higher education
institutions in fields as diverse as education to medical school. Complicating
the situation is the fact that funding for higher education scholarships, at
both the undergraduate and graduate levels through the Bureau of Indian Affairs
and the Indian Health Service, have been cut over 50 percent since 1996. NIEA
stresses to the Committee that the increases in education funding, in general,
have not reached the American Indian higher education community and every effort
needs to be made to correct this situation.
2. Gifted and Talented: NIEA
requests $3 million for Gifted and Talented programs for
American Indian and Alaska Native students. Indians are generally
under-represented in gifted programs and much of this is due to cultural
differences. NIEA fully supports gifted and talented programs and would ask the
committee's support in funding this authorization. Indian students identified as
being gifted could be recipients of Indian fellowships that prepare a cadre of
Indian professionals for exceedingly technical fields.
3. Grants for
Tribal Education Departments: NIEA requests $3 million for
grants to Tribal Education Departments (TEDs). We are very disappointed that the
President's FY2001 budget request does not contain a request for funding for
Tribal Education Departments (TEDs). There are two separate provisions
authorizing such funding. The Improving America's Schools Act of 1994, Pub. L.
No. 103-382, authorizes funding through the U.S. Department of Education. The
School Improvement Amendments of 1988, Pub. L. No. 100-297, authorize funding
through the BIA within the Department of the Interior. We are, however, not
surprised at the omission. The President has never requested funding for TEDs
under either authorization. And, as part of its current reauthorization of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Administration is asking Congress to
eliminate the Department of Education authorization. Last year, in an effort to
keep in the authorization, tribes and Indian organizations submitted testimony
and evidence of the value of the at present over ninety TEDs in improving
education for hundreds of thousands of tribal students nationwide.
As
the Senate takes up reauthorization and appropriation's process this year, we
look forward to working with the Committee on this critical component of Indian
education. The efforts of tribes to be truly self-governing should not be cut
short as they move beyond contract and program administration into areas of
education regulation. Indeed, in almost a dozen federal statutes, Congress has
already recognized the role of TEDs in education research, standards, and
accreditation.
What is needed to make these provisions real is
for this Committee to see that the appropriations provisions are not eliminated,
and that sufficient appropriations - $3 million - are made.
TED's exemplify the necessary role that tribes must have in securing an
educational future for their members. TED's have never received funding through
either the Department of Education and the Department of Interior. One option
that NIEA recommends is a cooperative agreement between both agencies to fund
TED's and provide technical expertise required from both agencies for their
success. With more tribes assuming control over their educational programs,
TED's would be a logical outgrowth of this self-determination activity. However,
the standards required for adequate educational programs and governance-related
tribal functions dictates that neither agency should individually control TEDs,
but should rather work cooperatively to meet mutual goals.
C. Special
Programs for Indian Adults (Section 9131) No funds are requested for this
program in the FY2001 budget. This program was last funded in 1995 when it
received $5.4 million for 30 projects to carry out educational
programs specifically for Indian adults. NIEA has identified adult education for
American Indians and Alaska Natives as one of the four priorities urgently
needed by Indian Country. NIEA strongly recommends $5 million
for reinstatement of the Special Programs for Indian Adults in the FY2001 Budget
Request.
D. National Activities. The Administration requests
$2.7 million in FY2001 for National Activities. This request is
$1 million over FY2000 and includes research to augment the
Year 2000 National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Schools and Staffing
Survey (SASS) and other data collection efforts.
NIEA supports the
targeted increases for Indian education research, but continues to be concerned
that studies on American Indian students are not already a part of the
Department's data gathering effort. While this attitude has begun to change in
recent years with regard to Indian populations, many other ethnic populations
generally receive considerable research results without having their respective
program budgets cover the cost. A 1996 report by the United States Commission on
Civil Rights titled the 'Equal Educational Opportunity Project Series, Vol. 1/1
found that Department of Education data on student characteristics was lacking
among students from American Indian, Asian and other national backgrounds. The
report stated that: "accurate, reliable and complete data on these ethnic groups
are vital for the efforts of the education community to assess the needs of all
student subpopulations."
The report recommended that documents from the
Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI),
and other federal agencies that contain data utilized by policy and decision
makers, should include information on these populations. NIEA echoes this
position and recommends that the Department of Education make a concerted effort
to provide research data for all ethnic categories when conducting studies and
that they do so with funds requested through their own research department.
E. Tribal College Executive Order. At the release of the Department's
budget, no numbers were available for funding recommendations for the Tribal
Colleges Executive Order which was funded in FY 1998 at
$200,000. NIEA has been informed by the Department that other
agencies will have their resources combined for the Order's implementation.
F. The National Advisory Council on Indian Education (NACIE). NACIE is
recommended at $50,000, the same amount since FY1998. NIEA
requests that the Committee consider full funding for NACIE in the amount of
$500,000 in order for it to carry out its mandated functions
under the Indian Education Act and to reinstate a permanent office within the
Department of Education. NACIE currently has no permanent office and must rely
on OIE staff to carry out minimal functions. Since FY1996, NACIE has been unable
to fully carry out its advisory capacity on behalf of Indian education. NIEA has
made every effort to involve NACIE in several Indian education initiatives
including the Indian Education Executive Order. To our knowledge, NACIE still
maintains an account within the Department of Education's Councils and
Commissions category and must annually submit an operating budget and
recommendations to the Secretary of Education and the Congress for ways to
improve educational opportunities for Indian people.
With the current
Indian Education Executive Order in place and being implemented and with
increases in OIE appropriations over the past few years, NIEA believes that now
is the perfect time to re-establish this important office.
G. Indian
Education Executive Order. In August 1998, President Clinton signed Executive
Order 13096 on American Indian and Alaska Native Education. The order represents
a four-year effort originating from Indian Country with the vision of
strengthening access to educational opportunity. The resulting executive order
focuses on the problem areas in Indian education, including high dropout rates,
low academic achievement, safe and drug-free learning environments, and
development of a national policy on Indian education. A Research Agenda is also
being implemented in an effort to broaden the knowledge base in Indian education
through an enhanced data collection effort.
H. OIE Administration.
Funding requests were not available for the OIE administration which is now
covered under the overall Department of Education's Program Administration
account.
A budget footnote in the Education Department's 1999 budget
request indicated that $2.9 million in 1997 and
$2.8 million in 1998 were identified for administrative costs'
which are now included in the Program Administration account in 1999.
II. OTHER DOED INDIAN EDUCATION-RELATED PROGRAMS:
A. Class Size
Reduction Initiative. The Administration proposes to spend $1.7
billion in FY2001 to reduce class size particularly in urban areas. School
districts would receive funds to recruit, train, and pay the salaries of
additional teachers. The $450 million increase in the program
overall would likely be reflected in a higher level of funding going to Indian
schools.
NIEA supports this initiative. The Department funded
$3.5 million in FY1999 and $4 million in
FY2000 for American Indians and Alaska Natives. NIEA supports this initiative.
B. Reading and Literacy Grants. The FY2001 request is
$286 million and is $26 million over the
FY2000. NIEA fully supports the funding request for this program. NIEA is
concerned that the original Administration program was called the "America
Reads" program and would have contained a set-aside for Indian tribes and the
BIA in the amount of $1.9 million. This set-aside is not
included in the Reading Excellence Act as it was passed in October, 1998.
NIEA strongly encourages the committee to support a technical amendment
that would include Indian tribes and BIA schools as eligible for a tribal
set-aside of l.5 percent.
C. Goals 2000/Teaching to High Standards. The
FY2001 President's request does not include funding for Goals 2000. The
Administration proposes, however, to consolidate Goals 2000, Eisenhower, and
Title IV into a single program called "Teaching to High Standards". NIEA
supports the new program if reform mechanisms currently in place for BIA schools
continue to be a part of the new program. The Administration proposal allows a
one percent set aside while the House-passed version proposes a .5 percent
allocation. One percent of Title III funds for Territories and BIA-funded
schools are used to support comprehensive, systemic education reforms to improve
teaching and learning. The FY2000 budget for Bureau of Indian Affairs schools is
estimated at $2.9 million. Approximately 43,000 Indian students
are to be served during FY2000.
D. Safe and Drug-Free Schools. The
FY2001 request is $650 million and is $50
million over FY2000. NIEA supports the FY2001 request for Safe and Drug-Free
Schools. State grants under this program total $439 million.
BIA schools receive a one percent set-aside, which in 2000 was
$5.3 million. A similar amount for Indian schools should be
available in FY2001. The current request is expected to benefit approximately
40,000 Indian students.
E. School-To-Work. There is no Administration
request in the FY2001 request for School-to- Work. The program completes its
phase-out in 2000 with States or other vocational education dollars continuing
the program. Up to one percent of program funds are set-aside for programs to
help Indian youth acquire the knowledge and skills they need to make a smooth
transition from school to career-oriented work and further education and
training.
The amount going to Indian students in 1999 was
$1.2 million and $550,000 in 2000.
F.
Title I, Grants to LEAs. The FY2001 request is $9.1 billion and
is $400 million over 2000. Title I, Education for the
Disadvantaged, covers four programs: Title I basic grants; Title I concentration
grants; Title I targeted grants; and capital expenses for private school
children. The FY2001 request for Title I Basic Grants is $5.7
billion, an increase of $900,000 over 2000. The BIA set-aside
amount under the FY2001 appropriation would be $49.4 million
($1 million less than FY2000) and serve approximately 24,500
Indian students. NIEA supports the FY2001 funding recommendation.
G.
Title I, Comprehensive School Reform. The FY2001 request is
$190 million and is $20 million over FY2000.
This Title I initiative funds research based school-wide reform. Under this
proposal, the BIA would share a 1 percent set-aside with U.S. Territories. The
BIA portion would be $896,000.
H. Title I, Even Start.
The FY2001 request is $150 million and level with 2000. The
Even Start program supports local projects that blend early childhood education,
parenting instruction, and adult education into a unified family literacy
program. The FY2000 Indian set-aside amount was estimated at
$2.2 million. NIEA fully supports this program.
I.
Eisenhower Professional Development State Grants/Teaching to High Standards.
There is no Administration funding request for Eisenhower State Grants in
FY2001. The Administration proposes to consolidate this program with Title VI
and Goals 2000 and requests $690 million in FY2001. NIEA
supports this program. The Eisenhower Professional Development program
emphasizes improvement of instruction in mathematics, science and other
professional development areas. The FY2000 Indian set-aside amount under this
program was $1.7 million, comparable with FY1999.
J.
Impact Aid. The FY2001 request is $770 million and is
$136.5 million less than the FY2000 enacted level. The
Administration's request would provide the following allocations: Basic -
$720 million; Special Education - $40 million;
Heavily Impacted Districts - $0; Facilities Maintenance -
$5 million; Construction, $5 million; and
Payments for Federal property - $0. NIEA supports the National
Association of Federally Impacted Schools (NAFIS) request of
$1.03 billion which proposes the following allocations: Basic -
$818 million; Heavily Impacted Districts - $82
million; Special Education - $50 million; Payments for Federal
property - $47 million; Construction - $8
million; and Facilities Maintenance - $8 million.
Impact Aid compensates school districts in areas where large numbers of
children live on, or are associated with, Federal property such as Indian
reservations or military bases. In 1999 the Department estimated that over
124,000 Indian children living on Indian lands would generate approximately
$300 million, well over the FY 1998 amount of
$214.5 million for local school districts. In FY2000, the
following estimates show how much support Indian students will generate by
category for public schools: Basic - $296 million; Special
Education - $20 million; and School Construction -
$4 million. The total FY2000 amount Indian students may
generate under the Administration's request is $320 million.
K. Education for Homeless Children and Youth. The FY2001 request is
$31.7 million and is $2.9 million over 2000.
NIEA supports the FY2001 request. Under this program, the BIA receives a one
percent set-aside for homeless students served by the BIA. This amount is
approximately $100,000.L. Bilingual Education. The FY2001
request is $460 million and is $54 million
over 2000. NIEA supports the Administration's request for Bilingual Education.
In FY 1999 American Indian and Alaska Native students received indirect funding
for Bilingual Education programs in public schools in the amount of
$30.2 million. BIA schools are eligible to apply for Bilingual
Education funding directly through the Department of Education. In FY2000 the
amount of grants to BIA schools was $525,000. Funding is
distributed through grants to school districts to address the severe academic
problems of school children who are limited English proficient. The Department
estimates that 182,000 American Indian students in BIA and public schools will
receive bilingual education assistance in FY1999. Under previous allocations,
the Bilingual education program has included comprehensive reform funding
designed to retain native languages of Indian communities. NIEA strongly
encourages continuance of this effort.
M. Special Education Grants to
States. The FY2001 request is $5.3 billion and is
$300 million over 2000. The Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was reauthorized in 1997 as Public
Law 105-17. BIA schools receive 1 percent for the education of children 5-21
years with disabilities who live on reservations. An additional .25 percent is
allocated for distribution to tribes and tribal organizations to provide for the
coordination of assistance and related services for children aged 3-5 with
disabilities on reservation schools. The set-aside amount in the FY2000 budget
request is estimated at $53 million. Approximately 7,000 Indian
students with disabilities would be served with Special Education funding.
N. Special Education Grants for Infants and Families. The FY2001 request
is $383.6 million and is $8.5 million over
FY2000 enacted level. The Indian set-aside under the request was
$4.8 million in 2000 and is $300,000 over
1999. NIEA supports the request for Grants for Infants and Families program. BIA
schools receive 1.25 percent for distribution to tribes and tribal organizations
for the coordination of assistance in the provision of early intervention
services to children aged birth to 2 years.
O. Vocational Rehabilitation
State Grants. The FY2001 request is $855 million and is
$200 million less than FY2000. NIEA supports funding level with
FY2000. Within the Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants program is the Grants
to Indians section that is recommended for funding in the FY2001 request at
$24 million. NIEA fully supports the Grants to Indian program..
Funds for this program are based on a .5 percent set-aside. These critical
dollars provide vocational rehabilitation services to 7,000 American Indians
with disabilities living on reservations.
P. Education Technology. The
FY2001 funding request for Education Technology is $903 million
and is $137 million over 2000. The program includes a
Technology Literacy Challenge fund, Technology Innovation Challenge Grants, and
Regional Technology in Education Consortia. American Indians are estimated to
benefit with approximately $2.3 million in Technology Literacy
Challenge funds in FY2000. NIEA supports the higher FY1999 funding level for
this program.
Q. Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights. The
FY2000 request is $10.9 million and is level with FY 1999. The
request would support systems in each state to protect and advocate for the
legal and human rights of individuals with disabilities. These systems pursue
legal and administrative remedies to ensure the protection of the rights of
individuals with disabilities under federal law. The Indian set-aside in FY2000
is estimated at $50,000 and is level with FY1999.R. Fund for
the Improvement of Education (FIE). The FY2001 request is
$137.2 million and is $106.7 million less than
FY2000. This program supports a variety of activities aimed at stimulating
reform and improving teaching and learning. FIE also funds through the States a
portion of the Title I Demonstrations of Comprehensive School Reform which
provides resources and incentives to apply research findings and strategies to
help mm around failing schools. The FY2000 Indian set- aside amount is
$81 million and is level with FY1998 and FY1999.
S.
Alaska Native Education Equity. The FY2001 request is $13
million and is level with FY2000. NIEA fully supports the FY2001 request. The
proposal will fund an Educational Planning, Curriculum Development, Teacher
Training, and Recruitment program at $5.4 million; a Home-
based Education for Pre-School Children program at $5.7
million; and a School Enrichment program at $1.9 million. The
Alaska Native Education Equity program funding request provides funding for
continuation of projects that address the barriers preventing Alaska Native
students from achieving to higher academic standards.
T. Vocational and
Adult Education. The FY2001 request is $1.1 billion and is
recommended at $10 million less than FY2000. Under the Basic
Grants program there is an Indian and Hawaiian Natives set-aside of 1.25 percent
in the amount of $15.4 million. Additionally, there is a
Tribally Controlled Postsecondary Vocational and Technical Institutions program
recommended at $4.1 million. NIEA fully supports both of the
funding recommendations for these programs.
3. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
I. Administration for Children and Families:
A.
Headstart. The FY2001 budget request is $175 million for Indian
Head Start within the Department of Health and Human Services. This is a
$30 million increase over the amount appropriated in FY2000.
The overall FY2001 request is $6.3 billion and
is $1 billion over 2000. NIEA supports the FY2000 budget
request. In 1998, over 21,600 American Indian and Alaska Native children
attending Head Start If the budget request is approved, Indian communities
should see an increase in Indian Head Start programs and enrollment. Currently
there are 150 Indian Head Start programs serving Indian communities.
II.
Indian Health Service.
A. Indian Health Professions Scholarships. The
FY2001 request for the Indian Health Service Indian Health Professions is
$32.8 million and is a $2.3 million increase
over FY2000. The need for health professionals in Indian Country has exceeded
the available funding for ensuring adequate numbers of American Indians enter
the medical profession. The Indian Health Professions is authorized by Public
Law 94-437, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA), and includes various
Health Profession programs under sections 102 through 105; 108; 110; 112; and
114.
III. OTHER DHHS INDIAN EDUCATION-RELATED PROGRAMS:
A.
Administration for Native Americans (ANA). NIEA supports the FY2001 request of
$44 million for ANA programs, which is $9
million over FY2000. NIEA supports the programs authorized for Indian tribes and
organizations through this program. ANA provides funding for tribes and
non-profit Indian organizations to develop economic development, environmental
management, and language retention and preservation projects. Its mandate makes
this agency uniquely situated to help Indian and Alaska Native people address
their economic and social needs.
B. Native American Languages Act
Grants. NIEA anticipates approximately $2 million going toward
language preservation grants. NIEA supports the Native Language Act of 1992
which authorized a funding level of $2 million in FY1993. We
urge the Committee's continued support so that tribes have the resources to
implement language preservation and enhancement projects.
C. Child Care
Development Block Grant (CCDBG). NIEA supports the FY2001 request of
$2 billion for Child Care Development Block Grants. The
President is requesting a very sizable increase -- from roughly
$1.2 billion to $2.0 billion -- in funding for
the discretionary component of the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF).
Tribal child care programs are now funded through a 2% set-aside in this
program. The larger, mandatory component of CCDF is automatically funded under
the welfare reform law.
Tribes receive a 2 percent set-aside of these
funds. In FY1998, 243 tribal grantees were awarded over $61
million in Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) grant funds. Through consortia
arrangements, CCDF tribal grantees serve over 500 Federally recognized Indian
Tribes and Alaska Native Villages. The following activities have been
implemented for Indian Tribes and tribal organizations as a result of Welfare
Reform amendments to the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act:
- A
Program Instruction containing the uniform procedures for requests by tribal
grantees to use CCDF funds for construction and major renovation of child care
facilities was approved by OMB.
- P.L. 104-193 requires minimum child
care standards to be developed in consultation with Indian Tribes and tribal
organizations that appropriately reflect tribal needs and available resources.
Tribal Leaders were invited to consult with ACF officials on this issue in
special focus groups at the Tribal Child Care Conference in April 1997. A Notice
requesting comments on minimum standards was published in the Federal Register
on March 26, 1997. Through the establishment of a Tribal Standards Advisory
Committee, the Child Care Bureau is continuing to consult with Tribes on the
development of these standards.
- A Program Announcement was published
in the Federal Register on July 18, 1997 requesting competitive funding
applications for child care services for a Native Hawaiian organization and a
"private nonprofit organization established for the purpose of serving youth who
are Indians or Native Hawaiian."
In January 1998, the Child Care Bureau
awarded a contract to a Native American 8(a) contractor to strengthen child care
services for Native American children and families. Technical assistance under
this contract will support Indian Tribes and tribal organizations in their
efforts to increase the availability and quality of child care, develop more
coordinated delivery systems, promote linkages with State and local programs,
and improve child care opportunities for families, providers and tribal
communities.
The contractor will assist tribal grantees in child care
capacity building efforts through the following major activities: a toll-free
information and referral line; a database of promising tribal models; a software
package for data reporting and program management; a tribal child care home
page; a quarterly newsletter; an annual tribal conference; and on-site technical
assistance on issues that have been identified by tribal grantees.
4.
DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR I. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA):
Within BIA's
overall departmental framework are six categorical areas that contain
education-related programs serving federally-recognized Indian tribes. NIEA
monitors only those education programs within each category. These include:
Tribal Priority Allocations; School Operations; Tribally Controlled Community
Colleges; Special Programs and Pooled Overhead; and Education Construction. The
following are the FY2001 President's budget request for each category and a
brief description of each line item (education programs only):
BIA
CATEGORY FY2000 ENACTED FY2001 REQUEST
Tribal Priority Allocation
$50,867,000 $52,662,000 School Operations
$467,303,000 $506,571,000 Tribally Controlled
Community Colleges $35,311,000 $38,202,000
Special Programs/Pooled Overhead $15,298,000
$15,598,000 Education Construction
$133,249,000 $300,499,000 BIA EDUCATION TOTAL
$702,028,000 $913,532,000
A. Tribal
Priority Allocations (TPA):
1. Adult Education. The FY2001 request for
Adult Education is $2.5 million which is
$133,000 less than FY2000. NIEA believes the adult education
program needs to be funded at no less than $5 million annually
within the BIA. Adult Education continues to be one of the most underfunded
Indian education programs despite the fact that it is desperately needed to
enable adult Indians who did not finish high school to obtain their General
Educational Development (GED) degree. The BIA estimates that approximately
20,000 Indian adults participate in the program.
The elimination in 1996
of the Adult Education Program in the Department of Education's Office of Indian
Education (OIE), put a strain on the limited resources of the BIA and does
little to focus financial attention on Indian adults who do not live on
reservations. Older Indian adults tend to not attend state-operated programs and
are more comfortable with Indian instructors.
2. Johnson-O'Malley (JOM)
Program. The FY2001 request is $17 million, an
$352,000 reduction from FY2000. NIEA supports funding for JOM
at a level of $24 million to meet the increasing number of
eligible students. The highest level the JOM program has received since 1990 was
in FY1995 when it was funded $24.4 million. The JOM program
provides supplemental educational services for 272,000 American Indian students
in 23 states. NIEA recommends lifting the current moratorium on new dollars to
meet the increasing number of eligible students.
3. Scholarships. The
FY2001 request is $30.7 million and is a $2.2
million increase over FY2000. NIEA requests a level of $35
million for the BIA Scholarship Program. The program provides undergraduate
scholarships for American Indians. One of NEA's major priorities is to increase
funding for all postsecondary education programs for American Indians and Alaska
Natives. The needs of Indian students pursuing postsecondary education are often
neglected, especially when critically-needed programs are cut or eliminated such
as the Department of Education's Office of Indian Education Fellowship Program.
As mentioned below, funding for BIA's only graduate level scholarship program
has operated at half funding capacity for four consecutive years.
B.
Other Programs- School Operations
The FY2001 budget request for School
Operations is $506.6 million and is $39.6
million over FY2000.
The $506.6 million
investment in American Indian youth attending BIA schools provides for a variety
of basic educational services from early childhood to student transportation to
administrative costs associated with educating primarily reservation-based
schools. The BIA educates approximately 12 percent of the American Indian and
Alaska Native K-12 population in the U.S. Below are the various education
components within the School Operations line item.
1. Indian School
Equalization Program (ISEP) Formula. The President's FY2001 request is
$333.3 million for the formula program and an additional
$667,000 for program adjustments bring the total request to
$334 million. NIEA supports a funding level of at least
$4,000 per WSU and recommends $352.2 million
for the ISEP Formula program. This is an increase over FY2000 of
$16.8 million. The ISEP program provides formula-based funding
for 185 federally-operated and contracted schools serving 50,000 students. There
are several types of schools funded with ISEP funds including BIA-operated,
grant, and contract elementary and secondary schools. The fiscal year 2001
request reflects a 3,000 student reduction in the student count over the past
few years. The FY2001 request provides a $3,685 per Weighted
Student Unit (WSU) compared to $3,267 per WSU in school year
1998-99. The proposed $3,685 per WSU is still far below the
average per student expenditure by public elementary and secondary schools, an
amount reported by the Department of Education's National Center for Education
Statistics (NCES) to be $7,317 per student in school year
1996-97. Additionally, the 1998 Department of Defense Schools Per Pupil
Expenditures was well over $8,000 per student. When you
consider that the Federal Government is responsible for only two school systems,
the Department of Defense and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the discrepancies
unfortunately illustrate where U.S. priorities fall.
2. Family and Child
Education (FACE) Program. NIEA supports the FY2001 request of
$20.6 million for BIA's early childhood development and FACE
program. The FY2001 funding level represents a $15 million
increase over FY2000. NIEA fully supports the requested funding for this
program. Currently there are 22 FACE sites serving 1,800 children and 1,800
adults from a total of 1,700 families in two settings which include home and
school. The program will also serve an additional 3,200 children in grades K-3
by supporting teacher training in the High/Scope active learning curriculum
which is implemented in the FACE Program and included in the School's
Consolidated School Reform Plan.
3. Student Transportation. The FY2001
request for Student Transportation is $38.3 million for, an
increase over FY2000 of $2.2 million. NIEA supports a request
of $42.2 million which funds transportation at the same rate as
School Bus Fleet level of $2.26 per mile. In SY1999- 00 the
BIA-funded transportation cost is estimated to be $2.26 per
mile with 14,363 miles (School Year 1999-2000) driven for day and boarding
schools. According to the latest School Bus Fleet information, the national
average for student transportation costs in school year 1993-94 was
$2.94 per mile for public schools. Therefore, the BIA-funded
schools, which are located primarily in rural, isolated areas, are at least
$.78 below the national per mile average.
4.
Administrative Cost Grants. The FY2001 request for Administrative Cost Grants is
$46.3 million, a $4.1 million increase over
FY2000. NIEA supports a level of $50 million for Administrative
Cost Grants. This program provides grants in lieu of Contract Support Funds to
Tribes or Tribal Schools. For SY1999-2000, the Bureau projects there will be 127
contract/grant schools and 58 Bureau-operated schools. During FY 1999, 5 schools
converted to contract or grant status. The Bureau projects 6 schools will
convert to contract or grant status in School Year 2000-2001 for a total of 127
contract/grant schools.
5. Education Facilities Operations. The FY2001
request for Facilities is $55.6 million, a
$1.5 million increase over FY2000. NIEA supports the level
recommended in FY2000 of $90 million for Operations and
$30 million for Maintenance costs. New for FY2001, this budget
item eliminates the maintenance funding of years past. In FY 1999, the Bureau
provided funds for operating expenses for education facilities including 2,337
buildings (excluding quarters), containing approximately 17.6 million square
feet. In FY2000, the Bureau will provide funds for essential services for
educational facilities consisting of 2,390 buildings (excluding quarters),
containing approximately 17.9 million square feet.
6. Tribal Departments
of Education. Although no funding is provided in the President's budget, NIEA
recommends at least $3 million for tribal departments of
education, which are authorized by P.L. 103-382, the "Improving America's
Schools Act." We believe that sufficient funding should be provided to assist
tribes in planning and developing their own centralized tribal administrative
entities to accomplish the original intent of the 1994 Act. This would be
appropriate given the recent trend to convert more and more schools from BIA to
Tribal control.
C. Tribally Controlled Community Colleges
1.
Tribal Colleges/Post Secondary Schools. The President's FY2001 request for
Tribally- Controlled Community Colleges is $38.2 million, a
$2.9 million increase over FY2000. The proposed budget includes
$37.1 million for Operating Grants, $114,000
for Technical Assistance Grants, and $977,000 for Endowment
Grants. NIEA supports a level of $40 million for Operating
Grants.
In addition, tribal community colleges have never received
facilities construction or renovation/repair money from the BIA. The national
average for Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) funding at mainstream community colleges
is approximately $6,200 per year. The level of FM funding for
some special population colleges is approximately three times that which is
provided to the tribal colleges.
Furthermore, NIEA supports higher
funding levels in FY2001 for Bureau- funded post secondary vocational
institutions. This includes Haskell Indian Nations University, Southwest Indian
Polytechnic Institute (SIPI), the Institute for American Indian Arts (IAIA) at
$4.25 million, and the United Tribes Technical College (UTTC)
at $2.5 million.D. Special Programs and Pooled Overhead
1. Graduate Scholarships. The Administration request for Graduate
Scholarships in FY2001 is $1.33 million, which is the same as
the past four fiscal years. NIEA supports a funding level of at least
$5 million. This program is the primary funding source for
American and Alaska Native graduate students and is totally inadequate to help
these individuals meet the costs of an advanced degree. The program, which is
administered by the American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC) of Albuquerque, New
Mexico, has been underfunded for the last 4 years. For school year 1997-98, the
actual unmet need was $5.7 million. During the 1996-97 school
year, the program funded an estimated 378 students with an average award of
$3,955. Because of reduced funding, scholarship awards are
being drastically reduced while the demand for these limited scholarship funds
increase. This program funds students in 27 states with 128 tribes represented.
No other federal graduate level scholarship program, specifically for American
Indian students, currently exists.
E. Education Construction
The
FY2001 request for the BIA Construction is $365.9 million, of
which $300.5 million (82%) is dedicated to education
construction. NIEA supports the request for Education Construction. This is the
largest amount ever requested for school construction, and is
$167.3 million over the 2000 funding level, an increase of 126
percent.
1. Replacement School Construction. The FY2001 request is
$126.1 million for Replacement School Construction, which is
$63.3 million more 2000. NIEA supports the Administration
request for Replacement School Construction. The replacement school construction
program funds replacement of older, unsafe, and dilapidated schools on
reservations. School replacement priorities are based on a new priority list of
13 schools, which is comprised of the last three uncompleted school schools from
the old priority list published in 1993 and 10 new schools. In FY2001,
$126.1 million is requested for advanced planning and design,
and to complete construction of the first six schools on the newly developed
priority list: Tuba City Boarding School in Arizona, Second Mesa Day School in
Arizona, Zia Day School in New Mexico, Baca Consolidated Community School in New
Mexico, Lummi Tribal School in Washington, and Wingate Elementary School in New
Mexico. Up to $30 million of the request may be used for tribal
participation in the President's School Construction Modernization Initiative.
2. Education Facilities Improvement and Repair (FI&R). The FY2001
request is $171.2 million, which is $103.4
million over the 2000 appropriation. NIEA supports the Administration request
for Education Facilities and Repair. This funding will be used to fund critical
health and safety concerns at existing education facilities. This request will
fund maintenance and major and minor repair projects to reduce the significant
backlog for needed repairs.
F. Institute of American Indian
Arts. The FY2001 request for IAIA is $4.25 million. NIEA
supports a level of $6.25 million which includes
$2 million for construction costs. The $2
million would be matched by IAIA. NIEA is concerned that proposed funding for
the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is being terminated with the last
year for appropriations in FY2001. We support continued funding for IAIA and
request the Committee's support in continuing funding for this institution. This
institution has been in existence for 35 years and is the only facility solely
dedicated to the arts for American Indians and Alaska Natives. NIEA feels that
the efforts the management at IAIA have recently exhibited demonstrates their
commitment to keeping this valuable institution a part of the American Indian
culture.
5. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
A. Workforce Investment Act
The FY2001 Request for the Workforce Investment Act is
$55 million. The request would fund Indian comprehensive
services program under Section 166. The WIA Program Year 2001, begins on July 1
st of that year. The amount available for the comparable Indian JTPA Section 401
program in PY2000 is $53.8 million. Upon enactment of WIA it
provided that at least $55.0 million would be reserved for the
Indian comprehensive services program. Like the Section 401 JTPA program, this
money funds tribes and off-reservation organizations to provide services to
Native American youth and adults in all parts of the US, on and off reservation.
However, the Administration ignored the law in requesting funding for FY
2000. It sought only $53.8 million. More was actually
appropriated, but all of the amount over the $53.8 million was
earmarked for the construction of a facility in Hawaii to serve Samoans. The
President's FY 2001 budget finally recognized that the law requires a minimum of
$55.0 million.
B. Tribal Supplemental Youth Services
Program
The FY 2001 request would also provide $15.0
million for the tribal supplemental youth services program that replaces the
tribal component of the former JTPA Summer Youth program. That is the same
amount which DOL will make available for 2000. Unlike the JTPA Summer program,
the tribal supplemental youth services program can support year-round
activities.
C. Dislocated Worker Program
As in prior years, the
President's budget for FY2001 is seeking a significant increase for the
dislocated worker program, the workforce program least targeted on the
hard-to-employ. The budget also asks for another increase for Job Corps and a
10% increase in the administrative budget of DOL's Employment and Training
Administration.
D. Youth Opportunity Grant Program The President wants
to increase the Youth Opportunity Grant program from its current level of
$250 million to $375 million in FY 2001.
Native American grantees serving reservation areas and Alaska Natives are
eligible to apply for this money, competing with applications from non-Indian
state and local agencies. An announcement is expected very soon of the winners
in the last YOG competition.
E. Welfare to Work Program WIA is only one
of a number of workforce- related programs in the budget. One of the others that
has become important to many tribes and Alaska Native groups is the tribal set-
aside in the "Welfare-to-Work" (WtW) program. WtW funding was authorized for
only two Fiscal Years, FY 1998 and FY 1999. Last November Congress approved a
series of amendments to the WtW law, liberalizing the eligibility requirements
for the program. However, as the states had a great deal of WtW and TANF funding
they had not used, Congress refused to provide any new money for either state or
tribal WtW programs.
The President's FY 2001 budget proposal asks
Congress to again amend the WtW legislation, this time to extend from three to
five years the period of time that states and tribes have to spend the money
already made available to them. However, no new money was requested. This will
help tribes that have been the slowest to use their WtW funding, but,
ironically, will do no good for tribes that have tried the hardest to use their
WtW money to help welfare recipients enter the workforce. In a new twist to the
story, the Administration's budget asks for $10 million in FY
2001 to provide grants to "Indian and Native American workforce agencies" for
services to help "Native American low income families." As is typically the case
with new Administration initiatives contained in the budget, there are no
specifics. The $10 million is part of a larger
$255 million "Fathers Work/Families Win" initiative.
In
conclusion, we want to thank the Committee for continuing to give its attention
to the issues and concerns we have raised in our testimony. In light of the
federal government's trust responsibility for the education of all American
Indians and Alaska Natives, and on behalf of our members, we urge the
Committee's support for maintaining or increasing the funding for the Indian
education and related programs discussed herein at the levels we have
recommended.
END
LOAD-DATE:
February 24, 2000 
