Senate OKs Plan for Education Testing

WASHINGTON — By an 87-13 vote, the Senate on Thursday agreed to a last-minute compromise with the White House that allows the federal government to pay for an ambitious Clinton administration plan to develop national standardized reading and math tests.

But an odd alliance of conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats in the House is expected to join forces next week to reject the proposal, setting the stage for a possible veto.

Because in both houses the testing issue is attached to the $80-billion appropriations bill for the departments of Education, Labor and Health and Human Services, the dispute could disrupt funding for the new fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. The Senate approved the massive spending bill, 92 to 8.

The Senate also angered the White House with its 51-49 vote to convert into direct grants to school districts about $11 billion now administered by the Education Department.