Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-08-30
EducatorsSee
Study Gains
From U.S.Aid

The Federal Governments
FIRST large-scale program for
giving financial support to edu-
cation will be one year old this
Wednesday.
No special anniversary cele-
brations are planned, but they
would certainly be In order.
For in IL months, the program
adopted by Congress as the
National Defense Education
Act, has achieved a remark
able record in the three areas
with which 1t is primarily con-
cerned: mathematics, science
and foreign languages.
It has helped to equip SCI
ence and language laboratories
in elementary and secondary
schools throughout the country;
1t has provided more than $50
million for student loans in
colleges and universities; and II
has given graduate fellowships
to 1000 students.
These are but a few Of the
projects, all Of which will be
continued or expanded during
the coming year with a Con-
gressional appropriation Of $3.50
million-$35 million more than
last years figure.
Educators Delighted
Although Congress may have
been more inspired by Russia's
Sputniks than by any principle
of national responsibility in the
field of education when con-
sidering the program. educators
agree 1t came UP with an en-
lightened piece Of legislation.
The best example of this is
the provision for supplying
money. on a matching basis
with State or local funds, for
classroom equipment in the
three areas covered by the act
The ONCE Of Education has
$63 million to disburse under
this section-known as Title
IH-during fiscal 1860.
There are only two strings
attached to the money: a small
percentage Of 1t must first be
used to increase the State
supervisory personnel in the
three areas, and the schools
must draw up, and have ap-
proved, their plans for acquir-
ing equipment.
Federal Control Lacking
These strings do not lead tc
Federal control Of education;
rather they represent Con-
gress' desire to provide more
local educational leadership
And that's just what they are
seeking to do.
Before this act, only one
State in the country had full.
time supervisors for math
science and foreign languages,
said DR.. John r. Ludington
director Of Title III activities
"Only three States hac
supervisors for foreign Ian
guages," he added.
Already the situation has
greatly improved. The num-
Der of supervisory personnel ir
state education departments
has Every conservatively" dou.
bled, DR.. Ludington said.
Maryland Schools Profit
This year the Maryland De.
partment of Education. for ex.
ample, has added two super.
visors to its staff-Mrs. Gene
We've S. Blew, formerly q Mont
gomery school official for for.
eign languages, and Levin A
Wheat, former high school sci
ence teacher in Chestertown
Md, for mathematics anc
science.
Both were in Washington
this week for a meeting with
DR.. Ludington and his staff to
discuss the operation Of Title
III, under which their state
could receive about $900,00(
this year
Both are enthusiastic about
the program. Local school dis
tricts in Maryland, they re.
ported, have looked VERY criti.
cally" at their programs to de.
termine how they can mos
benefit from Federal aid.
"They are seeing what they
need to do over the long run,
Mrs. Blew said.
This, DR.. Ludington noted
is exactly what the program
was designed to do-stimulatt
school leadership at local levels
Actual financial aid will stop
under the present legislation
after 1862.
Language Schools Established
The program is working
equally well with colleges anc
universities, according to DR.