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WASHINGTON - The U.S. House adopted language Wednesday backed by Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, that seeks to keep the Education Department from using college grants to shape school curricula.
Bishop's plan would remove the Education Department from setting the criteria for a nearly $4 billion college grant program, known as Academic Competitiveness Grants, aimed at students who excel in "rigorous" math and science programs.
The grants were added with little discussion late last year by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn. But Bishop was troubled that the Education Department would get to determine what qualified as "rigorous" and objected to the federal government setting standards for the grants.
"Even if this secretary of education is well-intentioned, it does open the door big enough for a Mack truck to go through for a future secretary of education to simply start imposing what would or would not be curricula in states," Bishop said.
By dangling the $4 billion in grants over the states, the department could coerce schools to comply with federally mandated standards.
Instead of leaving it up to the Education Department, Bishop's amendment, which is identical to a bill he introduced last month, would leave it to state school boards to decide what types of rigors qualify for the grant program.
The Bishop proposal was added to a larger piece of legislation, on the House floor Wednesday, that renews a slew of college programs. A final vote on the bill is expected by the end of the week. House and Senate negotiators will then work out differences in their versions of the bill.