Speech #930281857

Of these I believe the most meritorious are the programs for the gifted and talented. which will provide needed support for a group often overlooked. and the community schools program which was also in the House bill. which seeks to aid communities in making better use of their school facilities. In addition to these program features in the bill. there are a number of other aspects of the legislation which I believe deserve some special mention. First of all. under title I there is a significant change in the migrant program. For the first time HEW will be directed to use statistics other than those rather inadequate ones provided by the Labor Department. The conference bill directs the Commissioner to use the system known as the Migrant Student Record Transfer System. It also permits him to use another system which is reasonably comparable to MSRTS. One aspect of the title I migratory program that is unchanged by this bill is that which relates to children who were formerly migratory but who have settled into an area served by an agency carrying on a program or project under that program. As was the case prior to these amendments. such children may. with the consent of their parents. continue to be considered migratory children for a period of up to 5 years after they cease migrating and may thereby continue to participate in title I migratory programs. However. they may not be counted for the purpose of increasing a States migrant allocation. and children who are presently migratory must be given priority in consideration for participation in title I migratory programs. In determining the number of migrant children for the purposes of making allocations of migrant funds. the bill requires the Commissioner to use statistics made available by the Migrant Student Record Transfer System or such other system as he determines accurately and fully reflects the number of migrant students in a State. Although the Migrant Student Record Transfer System will provide accurate data for those States which have been participating in the program. it will not contain data for those areas--such as Alaska. Hawaii. and Puerto Ricowhich are not now included in the record transfer system. Therefore. it will be necessary for the Commissioner to make estimates as to the number of migratory children in those areas during that period in which those children are being added to the record transfer system.