FOR RELEASE:
December 12, 2002 | Contact: Melinda Malico
or Sonya Sanchez,
(202) 401-1576
|
Philadelphia — Appearing at a faith-based conference today, President George W. Bush announced several steps that will strengthen his administration's compassion agenda by making it easier for America's faith-based and community groups to work with the federal government to help the nation's neediest.
One important step taken by the U.S. Department of Education is the adoption of guidance for the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 that will ensure that faith-based and community organizations are eligible to provide supplemental educational services under the new law.
In January, President Bush signed the landmark No Child Left Behind (NCLB) education reform plan into law. Under NCLB, federal funds may be used to give disadvantaged children who attend Title I-funded schools that are in need of improvement extra academic help, or "supplemental services." Supplemental services provide extra help before or after school, on weekends or during the summer, in reading, language arts and math.
The updated guidance announced by the president today clarifies that faith-based and community groups may provide services to these students as long as they meet the criteria for approval of such providers and comply with the legal requirements that apply to faith-based organizations (FBOs) that receive government funds.
U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige noted that the guidance makes it very clear that local school districts must provide equal opportunity and cannot discriminate against any organization that wants to help children and is willing to do so under the law's strict requirements. "We must put the welfare of children first, and these measures will ensure that all hard-working and effective organizations have the opportunity to help children in their communities," Paige said. "Across our nation, we see a great need for experienced and proven providers to step up to the plate and offer supplemental services. Faith-based and community groups frequently have a strong track record—often developed on a shoestring budget—of helping communities and community members succeed. It is critical that we all join forces to ensure that no child is left behind."
Highlights of the guidance:
Supplemental services are available to students from low-income families who attend schools that have not made adequate yearly progress for two years, and therefore have been designated as in need of improvement, as well as schools that have not improved after the initial two-year period, and are thus subject to corrective action or restructuring.
State education agencies, responsible for determining the list of eligible providers, may not discriminate against potential supplemental services providers with regard to religion or any other factor.
FBOs that receive funding to provide supplemental services may maintain their religious character and identity, but may not discriminate against beneficiaries based on religion.
Federal funds may not be used to support religious practices, such as religious instruction, worship or prayer. FBOs may offer such practices, but not as part of the supplemental educational services. FBOs should comply with accounting requirements to ensure that federal funds are not used to support these activities.
The criteria for the approval of supplemental service providers include:
a demonstrated record of effectiveness, as defined by the states, in improving student academic achievement;
documentation that the instructional strategies used by the provider are of high quality and based upon research;
assurance that services are consistent with the instructional program of the local education agency and with state academic content standards;
evidence that the provider is financially sound; and
assurance by the organization that it will provide supplemental educational services consistent with applicable federal, state and local health, safety and civil rights laws.
The guidance will be available at: http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/suppsvcsguid.doc. Information about President Bush's Faith-Based and Community Initiative can be found at http://www.fbci.gov.
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