This is historical material, "frozen in time." The web site is no longer updated and links to external web sites and some internal pages will not work.

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release November 13, 1997

STATEMENT OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
ON THE TECHNOLOGY LITERACY CHALLENGE FUND

Three years ago, President Clinton and I set out on a mission to connect every classroom to the Internet by the year 2000. In order for us to ensure that our children have their shot at the American dream, we need to empower them with the tools they need to succeed in the Information Age. Today, when the President signed the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill, we took one more step toward completing our mission.

I am very pleased that this bill provides for the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund, which will benefit every state in the nation. Through this fund states, communities, and schools will receive $425 million -- more than twice as much as what was appropriated last year -- to acquire software, hardware, and Internet connections.

However, this is not just about connecting children to computers, it is about connecting children to the future. Independent research has shown that federal, state, and local funding for educational technology has a direct and positive impact on student and teacher access to technology.

If we fail to ensure that our children have the technological resources they need to compete in an ever-changing information economy, our nation will be poorer for it. The Technology Literacy Challenge Fund will provide students more access to educational technology and will result in more opportunities for our nation's young people.

Technology Literacy Challenge Fund - Title III Estimated State Allocations - 1998

Technology Literacy Challenge Fund. The Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Bill provides $425 million, more than twice as much as the $200 million appropriated last year, to help States, communities, and schools acquire hardware, software, and connectivity linkages; provide professional development in the integration of technology into the curriculum; and apply technology to support school reform efforts and opportunities for all students.

                            1997             Estimated 1998
                            Allocation       Allocation

    ALABAMA                 $3,536,029       $6,767,676
    ALASKA                   1,000,000        2,125,000
    ARIZONA                  2,772,006        6,403,705
    ARKANSAS                 2,113,832        4,050,741
    CALIFORNIA              20,568,622       46,549,397
    COLORADO                 1,872,235        3,922,640
    CONNECTICUT              1,481,944        3,803,227
    DELAWARE                 1,000,000        2,125,000
    FLORIDA                  7,901,240       18,631,872
    GEORGIA                  4,792,173       10,891,218
    HAWAII                   1,000,000        2,125,000
    IDAHO                    1,000,000        2,125,000
    ILLINOIS                 9,100,428       17,992,404
    INDIANA                  3,085,379        6,162,855
    IOWA                     1,449,079        2,695,752
    KANSAS                   1,487,041        3,037,380
    KENTUCKY                 3,525,385        6,949,329
    LOUISIANA                5,348,827       10,272,812
    MAINE                    1,000,000        2,125,000
    MARYLAND                 2,447,779        5,528,434
    MASSACHUSETTS            3,424,955        8,115,371
    MICHIGAN                 8,621,429       18,215,451
    MINNESOTA                2,321,232        4,888,611
    MISSISSIPPI              3,511,568        6,696,008
    MISSOURI                 3,246,535        7,002,554
    MONTANA                  1,000,000        2,125,000
    NEBRASKA                 1,000,000        2,125,000
    NEVADA                   1,000,000        2,125,000
    NEW.HAMPSHIRE            1,000,000        2,125,000
    NEW.JERSEY               3,954,548        8,969,777
    NEW.MEXICO               1,671,215        3,516,603
    NEW.YORK                17,313,404       37,787,905
    NORTH.CAROLINA           3,693,671        7,698,246
    NORTH.DAKOTA             1,000,000        2,125,000
    OHIO                     8,504,025       16,650,418
    OKLAHOMA                 2,357,624        4,787,553
    OREGON                   1,894,570        3,785,276
    PENNSYLVANIA             8,617,078       18,328,348
    RHODE.ISLAND             1,000,000        2,125,000
    SOUTH.CAROLINA           2,596,840        5,107,330
    SOUTH.DAKOTA             1,000,000        2,125,000
    TENNESSEE                3,457,692        7,184,544
    TEXAS                   16,339,913       35,344,118
    UTAH                     1,000,000        2,125,000
    VERMONT                  1,000,000        2,125,000
    VIRGINIA                 2,851,387        6,155,251
    WASHINGTON               2,800,894        6,112,694
    WEST.VIRGINIA            1,975,565        3,973,755
    WISCONSIN                3,473,991        6,840,340
    WYOMING                  1,000,000        2,125,000
    DISTRICT.OF.COLUMBIA     1,000,000        2,125,000
    PUERTO.RICO              7,139,865       13,930,405
    AMERICAN SAMOA             240,930          509,392
    NORTHERN MARIANAS          114,340          270,923
    GUAM                       234,542          477,433
    VIRGIN ISLANDS             410,188          867,252
    BIA                     $1,000,000       $2,125,000
    EVALUATION SET-ASIDE      $750,000       $2,000,000
  
                    TOTAL $200,000,000     $425,000,000