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RA Policy Brief | President Clinton Unveils Urban Education Initiative A new urban education initiative organizations, led by the Council of the was announced by President Clinton in his Great City Schools, that wrote a letter to the State of The union Address in January. President in January outlining an “Urban While the President mentioned few details in Education Agenda.” ASPIRA, along with his speech, the new initiative proposes to organizations such as the Urban League, the provide $22 billion in interest-free bonds for National Education Association, the Urban school construction, half of which would be Coalition, the Rainbow Coalition, and the targeted to school districts that have large Institute for Educational Leadership, joined numbers of low-income students, The in this broad-based coalition to propose President also announced that he was major initiatives to improve urban proposing to reduce class size in grades 1-3 education, Over half of all low income to 18. In his budget proposal, the President students, and over two thirds of minority is including $12.4 billion over seven years to children, are in urban schools and they fair reduce class size that would be distributed the worst among the country’s school directly to states under Title children, The chief school officers of the 30 Compensatory Education- of the Elementary largest urban school districts had pledged and Secondary Education Act. their support of the President’s national testing initiative last year, but proposed The President also proposed significant increases in assistance to urban additional funding for the recruitment and schools if students were to be expected to do preparation of new teachers through well on these tests. partnerships between school districts and higher education institutions to promote quality teaching in high poverty areas. The amounts proposed have not been disclosed. For more information contact: Ms. Hilda Crespo, VP for Public Policy and iOwnpoiputoliardtt iuvnep iFritonyva ildlweyiZ, lo ln $e1ts.h”5e inbcPai rlleulsdinioeend w e nitn’p s“r Egodrgaurencdataumstc iaotontivahoealnrt AG1WSo4aP4sv4hIe iRrn1Ang mStteo.An,ns t,s oNcWRDi eaClSta iutoii2not0,ne 0s8 0 I05n0c . Tel. (202) 835-3600 five years, on a competitive basis, to 50 school districts that are in high poverty areas. The grants would focus on raising student achievement and teacher professional development, with strong accountability measures attache spurred TBhye a Ucrobaalint ioEnd ucoaft inoatni onIanli tieatdiuvcea tiwoans AdSPIRA Policy Brief Hispanic Education Initiative Announced by The White House After almost two years of work and 16% increase in funding for Migrant negotiations with the Congressional Hispanic "13E8du%ca tiionnc;r ease for theH EPCAMP Program, which targets Hispanic students; * $5 million for a Youth job Training Demonstration Program T Deparment of Labor for training of 14 to 15 year-ol propose initiatives that would target more $20 ilion for Model English as a Second federal funding to the education of Latino students, }% increase in Title I (Compensatory Education- the largest federal education ‘The Hispanic Education Initiative proposes program) to districts and schools with high to significantly increase funding for existing concentrations of low-income students; programs, especially under Elementary and Secondary Education Act and under the Higher Other non-budget proposals include Eyedaurc,a tianodn Atoc tt atrhgaett isf uunpd infgor rtoe auatrheoasr izwaittiho n htihgihs cCohniceefn taramtoinogn s tohfe Hciosnpcaenmisc loofw tihen coCmaeu cusstu de-natnsd. the Hispanic organizations that helped shape the federal agencies to colleges and universities initiative, inclu TRA- is the exceedingly serving Hispanic students. high drop-out rate among Hispanic students nation-wide. Among other proposals, this new Funding for these initiatives, according to initiative includes: Tsuhrep luWsheist e in Hotuhsee ,n atwioounalld bcuodmgee t fraonmd pfrroojme cttehde = A 25% increase in funding under proposed tobacco settlement. They are expected aC$r3oe3ma ps rmewiihltelhni oshnii: vigienhc rderSaHocshpeo- oo ilun t BRriaeltfieosn;gr uma l taEardguectae td iotno Cbtouo dnggberet .e shsa rsihn lyt he cuonptceosmtiedn g bdye bastoemse onm etmhbe efresd eraolf o MFso.r mHoirled a infCorresmpaot,i on VcPo ntfaocrt: Public Policy and Government Relations and Special Services for Disadvantaged ASPIRA Association, pe Students), including an additional $40 14414St ., NW Suite8 million for Upward Bound early Washington, DC 30005 Tel. (202) 835-3600 iinterventiotn progra ms for 6" and 7” graders funding for Hispanic Serving Insitutions (HSI) under Title II of the Higher Education Act to support the development of colleges and universities that have high concentrations (25%) of Hispanic students;