WASHINGTON, D.C. - House and Senate negotiators working to resolve remaining differences between the two chambers on education reform tonight ratified a series of agreements that pave the way for a strong final bill that President Bush can sign before the end of the year.

“We are closing in on a strong bipartisan conference report. We will finish this process soon, and send the President a bill he can sign into law before the end of the year,” said Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), chairman of the House-Senate education panel. Boehner predicted that the next full meeting of the conference would be held to ratify the final agreements on remaining issues.

Settling some of the most complex issues confronting the panel, bipartisan negotiators agreed to provisions that would safeguard constitutionally-protected prayer in public schools and deny funds to state agencies or local school districts that discriminate against the Boy Scouts of America. Conferees also agreed to consolidate and streamline a number of existing programs dealing with technology and Native American education; to allow religious organizations and other community groups to receive funds under the Safe and Drug Free Schools Act; and to help teachers by asking schools to develop policies that allow teachers to maintain control of their classrooms. Conferees also considered a provision to give military recruiters the same access to high school students and their contact information as college recruiters and job recruiters currently have.

Among the highlights of the agreements reached October 30^th:

• CONSOLIDATION. Conferees agreed to consolidate a number of existing programs that help streamline the federal education bureaucracy. A number of existing technology grant programs would be consolidated into one state-based technology grant program that sends more money to schools that serve disadvantaged students. Also consolidated: the six current Native Hawaiian Education programs (consolidated into one single program) and the three current Alaskan Native education programs (also consolidated into one program).
  
  
• SCHOOL PRAYER. Conferees agreed that federal funds will be denied to any local school district that prevents or otherwise denies participation in constitutionally-protected school prayer. As a condition of receiving federal funds, local schools cannot have any policy in place that prevents or denies participation in constitutionally-protected prayer in public schools.
  
  
• BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA. Conferees agreed to deny funding to any public school or educational agency that discriminates against or denies equal access to any group affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America. The agreement also covers state educational agencies and would also protect other youth groups classified as patriotic societies under U.S. law.
  
  
• MILITARY RECRUITING. Conferees agreed on a provision to give the nation’s Armed Forces Recruiters the same access to high school students as college recruiters and job recruiters have. The agreement would require local schools that receive federal education funds to provide military recruiters with access to students and to basic student contact information such as names and telephone numbers upon request.
  
  
• EXEMPTIONS FOR HOME SCHOOLS. The agreement codifies the exemption for home schools in the Gun Free Schools Act, clarifying that the term “school” does not include a home school, regardless of whether a home school is treated as a private school under state law.
  
  
• DOLLARS TO THE CLASSROOM. In the agreement, the “Dollars to the Classroom” principles long championed by Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA) are applied to programs for Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Alaskan Natives, as well as to the technology state grant program. For all four sets of programs, more money would be directed to the classroom, instead of bureaucracy. No more than 5 percent of funds could be used for administration.
  
  
• EXPANDED PARENTAL OPTIONS. For Indian Education programs within the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the agreement would allow parents to choose which BIA-funded school their children will attend. Republican conferees continue to work to preserve provisions expanding public/charter school choice and allowing parents to obtain supplemental educational services for children in failing schools.
  
  
• HATE CRIMES PREVENTION and RELIGIOUS PROTECTION. GOP conferees offered an amendment to protect students and their parents from activities in the schools that would undermine their religious and moral beliefs. Members are in agreement that no one should be targeted for crime based on religious beliefs, ethnic origin, or racial background.
  
  
• INTERNET FILTERING. The agreement maintains the Internet Filtering requirements that became law last year. Schools that purchase computers, Internet access or related services with federal ESEA technology funds would be required to use technology to filter or block obscenity, child pornography, and material that is harmful to minors. Local officials would have the latitude to disable filtering or blocking technology for legitimate research and other lawful purposes. Funds made available under the technology state grant may be used to purchase filtering or blocking software.
  
  
• COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. Community-based organizations including religious organizations that provide safety and drug abuse prevention programs can apply for funds under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools Act.
  
  
• CLASSROOM DISCIPLINE. Schools would be asked to develop policies that allow teachers to maintain control of the classroom so that students can learn.