NLA Info: Even better news from DC

[Alice Johnson]

     This morning the President signed into law the education funding bill 
     for next year that I posted preliminary information on earlier in the 
     week.  Here is a correction, some clarification, and lots of details.
     
     I am pleased to report that the Even Start Family Literacy program got 
     an even larger funding increase than I had originally posted.  It will 
     receive $124 million, up $22 million from this year.  Some of the 
     increase may be designated for the children's literacy/America Reads 
     initiative.
     
     Other existing programs also received funding increases earmarked for 
     children's literacy, including the AmeriCorps/Vista program ($24 
     million increase), the Eisenhower professional development program $10 
     million increase), and the Fund for the Improvement of Education ($68 
     million increase, with $5 million of it designated for children's 
     literacy).  As information becomes available on how to apply for these 
     funds, I will post it to this list and the Institute's webpage 
     (www.nifl.gov).  
     
     The conference agreement also includes a $210 million "advance 
     appropriation" for fiscal 1999 for the children's literacy initiative  
     IF IT IS ENACTED BY JULY 1, 1998.  Otherwise, the money will not be 
     spent on literacy.  (The House has already passed its version of the 
     bill, but the Senate has not.)
     
     Lastly, the adult education state grants not only maintained the last 
     year's increase, but got an extra $5 million, which local programs can 
     apply for through their state education agency.  The National 
     Institute for Literacy was allocated $5.5 million, and prison 
     literacy, $4.7 million.
     
     Alice Johnson
     National Institute for Literacy