Education Amendments of 1974

Education Amendments - =Title I: Amendments to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965= - Extends the Commissioner of Education's authority to make payments to State educational agencies to June 30, 1978.

Sets forth procedures and criteria for the making of special grants to State and local educational agencies. Provides funds to local educational agencies for compensatory programs for educationally deprived children, including handicapped, migratory, and delinquent children.

Authorizes appropriations for school library resources, textbooks and other instructional materials for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1974, and for each of the succeeding fiscal years ending prior to July 1, 1978. Extends the authorization of additional appropriations authority to July 1, 1978 and the authorization for payments to States under specified conditions.

Authorizes appropriations for supplementary educational centers and services grants for fiscal years 1974 through 1978.

Authorizes appropriations for grants to strengthen State Educational Agencies for each fiscal year prior to July 1, 1978.

Bilingual Education Act - Authorizes appropriations for carrying out the provisions of this Act.

Establishes, in the Office of Education, an Office of Bilingual Education through which the Commissioner of Education shall carry out his functions relating to bilingual education.

Establishes, subject to the General Education Provisions Act, the National Advisory Council on Bilingual Education, to be composed of 15 members to be appointed by the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. Provides that it shall be the duty of the Council to advise the Commissioner of Education in the preparation of general regulations and with respect to policy matters arising in the administration and operation of this Act.

Directs the National Institute of Education to carry out a program of research in the field of bilingual education in order to enhance the effectiveness of bilingual education programs carried out under this Act.

Authorizes the Commissioner of Education and the Director of the National Institute of Education to make grants for research or demonstration projects in the field of bilingual education.

Authorizes the Commissioner and the Director to make contracts with State educational agencies for the development, in such agencies, of leadership capabilities in the field of bilingual education.

Authorizes appropriations through fiscal year 1978 for dropout prevention projects.

Authorizes appropriations for school nutrition and health services, correction education services, and ethnic heritage studies centers.

=Title II: Equal Educational Opportunities and the Transportation of Students= - Equal Educational Opportunities Act - Provides that no state shall deny equal educational opportunity to an individual on account of his or her race, color, sex, or national origin by means of specified practices.

Provides that the failure of an educational agency to attain a balance, on the basis of race, color, sex, or national origin, of students among its schools shall not constitute a denial of equal educational opportunity, or equal protection of the laws.

Prohibits any court, department or agency of the United States from ordering the implementation of a plan that would require the transportation of any student to a school other than the school closest or next closest to his place of residence which provides the appropriate grade level and type of education for such student.

=Title III: Federal Impact Aid Programs= - Extends to June 30, 1978, the date for filing applications for payments with respect to construction projects for school facilities in areas affected by Federal activities. Extends Federal assistance in cases of specified disasters to July 1, 1978. Extends to July 1, 1978 the Federal assistance for local educational agencies in areas affected by Federal activity. Makes conforming technical amendments.

=Title IV: Consolidation of Certain Education Programs= - Authorizes appropriations for use in various education programs including libraries and learning resources, education for use of the metric system of measurement, gifted and talented children programs, community schools, career education, consumers' education, women's equity in education programs, and arts in education programs.

Sets forth procedures for allotment of funds to the States for use in support of such programs.

Community Schools Act - Authorizes the Commissioner to make grants to local educational agencies to assist in planning, establishing, expanding, and operating community education programs.

Women's Educational Equity Act - Establishes the Advisory Council on Women's Educational Programs and sets forth the composition of such Council. Authorizes the Commissioner of Education to make grants to, and enter into contracts with, public agencies, private nonprofit organizations, and individuals for activities designed to provide educational equity for women in the United States.

=Title V: Education Administration= - Establishes the National Center for Education Statistics to collect and disseminate statistics and other data related to education in the United States and in other nations. Establishes an Advisory Council on Education Statistics and sets forth the membership composition of the Council. Provides that the Council shall review general policies for the operation of the Center and shall be responsible for establishing standards to insure that statistics and analyses disseminated by the Center are of high quality and not subject to political influence.

Authorizes appropriations for programs established under the General Education Provisions Act. Defines the terms used in this Act. Sets forth rules, regulations, and other requirements of general applicability under the General Education Provisions Act.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act - Provides that no funds shall be made available under the General Education Provisions Act to any State or local educational agency or educational institution which denies or prevents the parents of students to inspect and review all records and files regarding their children.

=Title VI: Extension and Revision of Related Elementary and Secondary Education Programs= - Continues existing programs, including programs under the Adult Education Act, the Education of the Handicapped Act, Indian education programs, the National Defense Education Act, and the Emergency School Aid Act. Authorizes appropriations to carry out such programs.

=Title VII: National Reading Improvement Program= - Authorizes the Commissioner to contract with State or local educational agencies for the carrying out by such agencies, in schools having large numbers of children with reading deficiencies, of demonstration projects involving the use of innovative methods, systems, materials, or programs which show promise of overcoming such reading deficiencies.

Authorizes the Commissioner to contract with local educational agencies for special emphasis projects to determine the effectiveness of intensive instruction by reading specialists and reading teachers.

Authorizes the Commissioner to enter into contracts with institutions of higher education for the preparation, production, evaluation, and distribution for use on public educational television stations of courses for elementary school teachers who are or intend to be reading teachers.

Authorizes appropriations to carry out the provisions of this Title.

=Title VIII: Miscellaneous Provisions= - Authorizes the President to call and conduct a White House Conference on Education in 1977 in order to stimulate a national assessment of the condition, needs, and goals of education and to obtain from a group of citizens broadly representative of all aspects of education a report of findings and recommendations with respect to such assessment.

Authorizes various studies and surveys, including a study of the purposes and effectiveness of compensatory education programs, a study of the measure of poverty used under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, a study of athletic injuries, and a study of late funding of elementary and secondary education programs.

Makes various technical and conforming amendments.

Authorizes appropriations for carrying out bilingual vocational training programs.