BUILDING FOR SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY - Kennedy Bibliothek
BUILDING FOR SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY - Kennedy Bibliothek
BUILDING FOR SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY - Kennedy Bibliothek
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STATE <strong>AND</strong> FEDERAL SUPPORT <strong>FOR</strong> <strong>COMMUNITY</strong> EDUCATION<br />
31 . The need for support and leadership of community education at the<br />
State and local levels has grown as the number of community education programs<br />
has increased in recent years. It is noteworthy that even in these<br />
times of severe budget constraints, especially, at the State level, seven<br />
States have introduced legislation which would provide funds and guidelines<br />
for the development of community education programs. Seven States<br />
have passed such legislation into law in the last five years and are now<br />
making grants to local school districts to support community education.<br />
32. The States are also providing much more than funding to the local<br />
school districts. State plans are being developed to coordinate local<br />
program development. Training, technical assistance and the involvement<br />
of other institutions such as community colleges and local governments,<br />
are facilitated by the State education departments or the commissions they<br />
delegate to oversee community education. It is at the State level that<br />
co-ordination with education associations, associations of commerce and<br />
industry, labor organizations, and others is carried out. Perhaps most<br />
important, with co-ordination at the State level, resources can be used<br />
fully, and the lessons learned in one area can be transmitted to another<br />
so that programs can be.. developed 'quickly, and successfully.<br />
33. These same needs for coordination and technical assistance exist at<br />
the Federal level as well. Liaison is needed with the national network<br />
of community education training centers and national associations. Coordination<br />
is needed between the States, and funds are needed for the<br />
development of programs.<br />
34. In response to these growing needs, the Congress passed and President<br />
Ford signed into law the Community Schools Act as a part of the Educational<br />
Amendments of 1974. The Act authorized the U.S. Commissioner of Education<br />
to carry out a program which would encourage a wide variety of community<br />
education programs in the different States.<br />
35. The Commissioner is authorized to make grants to support community<br />
education in a variety of ways. The total amount of grants awarded to<br />
local education agencies, State departments, and colleges and universities<br />
for the 1976-77 school year is $3.5 million. As the amount of funds<br />
available is extremely limited, the purpose of these grants is to stimulate<br />
the development of community education programs without taking over<br />
primary funding responsibility from the State and local levels. To insure<br />
this, grants are made for only one year and they never pay for the<br />
full cost of any program, but they do insure that there is an administrator<br />
who can bring together existing community resources and services.<br />
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