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--- Wednesday --- July 9, 1997 --- Vol. 1 --- No. 10 ---
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THE UPDATE ON AMERICA'S NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS
__________ __________
CHANGING FACE OF PHILANTHROPY | SPOTLIGHT |
Some are comparing the newly | |
emerging philanthropists of the | PROFILE OF AN |
Microsoft set to the turn-of- | AMERICAN TEACHER |
the-century "transformation of | |
New York City by the railroad | She is white, married, |
and oil barons, writes the N.Y. | earning an average of |
TIMES (Goldberg, 7/6). Slowly, | $35,549 a year. She is 43 |
the young millionaires are | years old with 16 years of |
edging into the philanthropic | teaching experience. This |
world, with education and | profile of the typical |
environmental concerns the big | American teacher is |
winners of the "geekocracy's" | reported in the National |
largesse. | Education Association's |
"We've been lucky -- we've | latest teacher survey. |
been really lucky," said Trish | |
Millines, a 29-year-old | NEA President Bob Chase |
Microsoft retiree. "And one | remarked that children are |
of my first instincts as a | in "good hands," given that |
person who grew up fairly poor | most teachers have at least |
is: You have it, you share | 16 years experience. |
it." Millines started a foun- | Others have expressed |
dation dedicated to train | concern over the "graying" |
minority children on computers. | of teachers; pointing to a |
Social Venture Partners, | pending shortage of |
described by the TIMES as a | teachers. (#2) |
donor's circle, recently was | |
formed to help the young and | The NEA also found a |
the rich identify funding | disconnect between the |
targets. Of course, all are | student body and those who |
being led by Bill Gates, who | teach them. There is a |
recently committed $200M of his | dearth of men and minori- |
own money toward connecting | ties in the teaching pro- |
libraries around the nation | fession, notes the survey. |
with the Internet. |_____________________________|
============== QUOTE OF THE DAY ==============
"A system this size spends a lot of time stomping out fires and
not enough time lighting its own."
Laurie Rolling, president of the Jefferson Parish, La. school
board. (#1)
_______________________________________________________________
| (c) by the Education Policy Network, Inc. |
| 1255 22nd Street NW; Washington, D.C. 20010; 202/632-0952 |
| EPN, Inc. hereby authorizes further reproduction and |
| distribution with proper acknowledgement. |
| Publisher: Barbara A. Pape |
|_______________________________________________________________|
============== TABLE OF CONTENTS ==============
GOAL THREE: STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND CITIZENSHIP
BAD TEST SCORES?: Bring in the calvary. (#1)
GOAL FOUR: TEACHER ED/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS: A snapshot. (#2)
GOAL EIGHT: PARENTAL PARTICIPATION
POWER TO PARENTS: Fairfax, Va., board weighs in. (#3)
"A COMPACT FOR LEARNING:" Involving parents & community. (#4)
RESEARCH NOTES
A REPORT FROM THE CHIEFS: K-12 education policies. (#5)
NEWS BRIEFS
NEWS UPDATES: Charters, takeovers, and big bucks. (#6)
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===== GOAL THREE: STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND CITIZENSHIP =====
*1 BAD TEST SCORES?: BRING IN THE CALVARY
Jefferson Parish, La., school Superintendent Elton Lagasse
has appointed a 15-member task force to tackle the school
system's five-year slide in standardized test scores (Vaishnav,
New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 7/2). Task force members will
examine scores at each of the district's 83 schools and suggest
improvements.
Lagasse: "We're going to assist them in meeting the needs
of their students. Your fourth-graders are low in math? Well,
let's go look at the curriculum What are we not teaching those
kids?"
According to the paper, most schools already have long-range
plans to improve scores; but the task force effort is the first
time the "central administration and principals [will] dissect
each school's scores and curriculum." The task force will be
comprised of Lagasse, eight central office administrators and six
elementary school principals. High schools are not part of the
program.
"We're going to bring to their attention some strategies we
think will assist them," explained East Bank regional executive
director Margaret Townsend. "Then we're going to work with them
as the year progresses.
Lagasse outlined other plans to improve the school system,
including broadening the relationship between schools and the
business community and continuing the district's "$50 million
wave of construction," reports the paper.
Business leaders praise Lagasse's school-to-work initiative.
They want Lagasse to focus on improving test scores and providing
principals with more flexibility.
Board members are advocating for better marketing of the
public schools. The paper notes that 40% of Jefferson Parish
children are enrolled in private or parochial schools, the
highest percentage in the state. "Enrollment in the public
school system has slowly but steadily declined for the past five
years," writes the paper.
Board President Laurie Rolling: "A system this size spends
a lot of time stomping out fires and not enough time lighting its
own. We definitely need more emphasis on core academic programs,
and I think all available resources should be so directed."
===== GOAL FOUR: TEACHER ED/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT =====
*2 PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS: A SNAPSHOT
A picture of the typical American public school teacher is
of a 43-year-old, married white woman, with about 16 years of
experience, who earns an average of $35,549 a year, according to
a new survey released by the National Education Association, the
nation's largest teachers' union. Since 1961, the NEA has polled
a national sample of teachers once every five years, "and the
results long have been used as a barometer of how the profession
is evolving," writes the WASH POST (Sanchez, 7/3).
According to the survey, the average age of teachers has
steadily increased from 36 in 1976 to 43 today. Nearly 40% of
teachers surveyed said they have been in schools for at least 20
years, while only 14% of teachers surveyed in 1976 had been
teaching for that long.
"Children attending public schools today are in good hands,"
said Robert Chase, NEA president. "They are begin taught by the
most experienced teachers ever."
However, the POST points to other reports that express
caution over the "graying of the nation's teacher corps," since
it also means that public schools will soon be forced to hire
millions of new teachers.
Other findings from the "Status of the American Public
School Teacher:" 83% are in classroom jobs that match their
college major, an increase from about 70% in the early 1960s;
teachers spend an average of about $400 of their money each year
to purchase school supplies; elementary school teachers have an
average class size of 24 students, while high school teachers
face 31 students; nearly half are teachers in rural areas or
small towns; and 42% classify themselves as Democrats, 29%
Republican, and 29% do not identify with either party.
The report also observes that while the student population
is diverse, teachers continue to be white and mainly female. The
number of male teacher is on a decline -- from 34% in 1971 to 25%
today. Only 8% of teachers are minority, which is the same
figure as in the 1970s. Mary Hepp, director of the Texas State
Teachers Association: "The teaching profession as a whole is
becoming more and more Anglo, because the opportunities have
increased so for minority youngsters."
Emily Feistritzer, president of the National Center of
Education Information in Washington, D.C. commented that the NEA
data is "very consistent with what we find when we survey
teachers and what the U.S. Department of Education finds."
The survey was compiled in 1996 and has a margin of error of
plus or minus 2.3 percentage points.
==== GOAL EIGHT: PARENTAL PARTICIPATION ====
*3 POWER TO PARENTS: FAIRFAX, VA., BOARD WEIGHS IN
Parents may be awarded a stronger governance role in Fairfax
County, Va., public schools. The county school board is
reviewing policies that will give parents a stronger voice on the
seven citizen advisory committees that include teachers, school
employees and parents (Barnes, Fairfax JOURNAL, 7/3).
"Parents are heavily out-numbered by teachers on these
committees and in discussions it does affect the tone of the
committee," explained Ellen Lewis, a parent who serves on the
Language Arts Advisory Committee.
Besides being out-numbered by school personnel, some parents
have requested training to help them better serve their
committees. Some also want their term to be extended from one
year to two.
"We are not using the committees as effectively as we
should," agreed school board members Christian Braunlich. "All
the concerns cited are legitimate concerns and we need to
strengthen the committee and make citizen input a lot stronger."
Fairfax County School Board members plan to vote on the
following proposals by the end of the month: lengthening the
term of appointees to two years; offering appointees an
orientation before they begin to serve on their committee;
increasing the diversity of appointees to reflect the student
population; and requiring that minority reports be approved by
two or more to be appended to the majority report and mandating
that board members hear the minority report at a work session in
which there is a question-and-answer period, writes the paper.
*4 "A COMPACT FOR LEARNING:" INVOLVING PARENTS AND COMMUNITY
A newly released U.S. DoEd guidebook recommends establishing
a learning contract to secure parent, business and community
involvement in schools. Clear goals should be set to enable
parents and others to become active in public education,
advocates the book. "A Compact for Learning," was released last
month during Vice President Al Gore's conference on families.
The five steps are: form a team of teachers, school
administrators, parents, students and community leaders; identify
the school's learning mission, measures of success and parent
involvement; use the compact as a take-off point for discussion
on student achievement, explanation of student standards, helping
develop family involvement programs and providing training for
staff to work with families; evaluate results by identifying
indicators that denote success; and review and revise the compact
yearly.
The report is peppered with examples of compacts used by
schools to garner parent and community involvement. For example,
parents at Signal Hill Elementary School (Long Beach, Calif.)
have agreed to volunteer 10 hours a year at the school. They
also have signed on to reading to their children at least 15
minutes a night and to attend at least one parent-teacher
conference a year.
The school's principal and teachers have agreed to provide
an after-school enrichment program and to keep in touch with
families regarding a student's progress.
All schools receiving TItle I funds are required to develop
a written compact under a provision in the 1994 Improving
America's Schools Act.
Copies of "A Compact for Learning" are available free-of-
charge to all schools. Individual copies also will be available
at the end of the summer by contacting the U.S. DoEd; Partnership
for Family Involvement in Education; 600 Independence Avenue SW;
Washington, D.C. 20202-8173; 800-USA-LEARN.
==== RESEARCH NOTES ====
*5 A REPORT FROM THE CHIEFS: K-12 EDUCATION POLICIES
State-by-state information on various K-12 education
policies are presented in a report issued by the Council of Chief
State School Officers. "Key State Education Policies on K-12
Education" covers topics ranging from high school graduation
requirements and content standards in core subjects to teacher
assessment for new teacher license and year-round schools.
For example, the report notes that states have "taken steps
to increase graduation requirements in all core academic
subjects," since the early 1980s. A chart provides state-by-
state data on state course credit requirements for high school
graduation in the core academic subjects: math, science, English
and social studies. States that require exit tests for
graduation also are noted on the chart.
Other areas presented in the report include: college major
in specific field for new teacher license, professional
development for teacher license renewal, length of school year,
students attendance -- age of entry and exit, and state policies
relating to kindergarten programs.
The report, released in October 1996, is part of a
continuing series by the Council's State Education Assessment
Center on state education indicators and state policies. Data
presented in the report was collected in Spring 1996.
Copies of the report can be ordered for $5.00 per copy from:
Council of Chief State School Officers; Attention Publications;
One Massachusetts Avenue NW; Suite 700; Washington, D.C. 20001-
1431; 202/336-7016. Visit the Council of Chief State School
Officers at www.ccsso.org.
==== NEWS BRIEFS ====
*6 NEWS UPDATE: CHARTERS, TAKEOVERS, AND BIG BUCKS
CHARTER SCHOOLS: La. Gov Foster last week signed into law a
bill that expands charter schools in the state from the current
eight to up to 42 (Anderson, New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 7/2).
Under the law, civic groups or public schools may apply for
charters.
The law also requires that charter schools enroll students
from low-income families in proportion to the number of
disadvantaged families in the district it serves, reports the
paper. One provision of the law calls for an appeals process,
whereby charter school supporters can appeal the rejection of a
charter application by a local school board to state education
authorities, writes the paper.
TAKEOVERS: A recent poll of Conn. residents found that
three out of four approve state takeovers of poorly performing
schools (Hamilton, Hartford COURANT, 7/1). The Institute for
Social Inquiry at the U of Connecticut conducted the 11-18 June
phone survey of 500 residents.
"People pay a fair amount of attention to the quality of
education and do not feel their own interest in public education
extends only up to their town line," said G. Donald Ferree Jr.,
who directed the poll. "This question shows a reasonable
willingness to take what has been historically a drastic step if
it becomes necessary."
Other findings: Only one in five people surveyed said they
had paid a lot of attention to the replacement of Hartford's
elected school board by a panel appointed by the governor and top
legislative leaders; half said the state should come up with more
money for the schools, but the numbers fell "sharply as age
increased;" and nearly one-third of those surveyed said the state
panel now in charge of Hartford schools only should be allowed to
operate for three years, writes the paper.
The COURANT notes that while the Hartford state-appointed
board marks the first time the state has stepped in to run a
school district, 22 states have "varying degrees of intervention
into local school districts," reports the paper.
MINNESOTA'S EDUCATION BUDGET: Minn. Gov Arne Carlson
earlier this month signed into law the largest spending measure
ever approved by a Republican in the state: $6.7B over the next
two years for K-12 schools (Hotakainen, Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE,
7/1). Total school spending will rise 19% over the next two
years, "the biggest increase in state history," notes the paper.
Carlson called the law the "most historic piece of education
legislation." From the paper: "For the first time, Minnesota
will set up a new tax credit that will apply to many school-
related expenses, but not to tuition. Families earning less than
$33,500 will be eligible for the credit of $1,000 per child, with
a maximum of $2,000 per family."
The law also more than doubles the current tax deduction for
education expenses, rising to $1,625 for student in grades K-6
and $2,500 for students in grades seven to 12, writes the paper.
However, the tax breaks do not go into effect until 1998.
Tim Sullivan, an advisor to the governor, said the new law
is "the biggest parental choice program anywhere in the country."
Carlson said he plans to expand his education bill in 1998, his
last year in office. "This journey is going to continue," he
said. "And it's going to grow."
THE NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS
* GOAL 1: READY TO LEARN
All children in America will start school ready to learn.
* GOAL 2: SCHOOL COMPLETION
The high school graduation rate will increase to at least
90 percent.
* GOAL 3: STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND CITIZENSHIP
All students will leave grades 4, 8, and 12 having
demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter including
English, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and
government, economics, arts, history, and geography, and every
school in America will ensure that all students earn to use their
minds well, so they may be prepared for responsible citizenship,
further learning, and productive employment in our Nation' modern
economy.
* GOAL 4: TEACHER EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The Nation's teaching force will have access to programs for
the continued improvement of their professional skills and the
opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to
instruct and prepare all American students for the next century.
* GOAL 5: MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE
United States students will be first in the world in
mathematics and science achievement.
* GOAL 6: ADULT LITERACY AND LIFELONG LEARNING
Every adult American will be literate and will possess the
knowledge and skills necessary to compete in a global economy and
exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
* GOAL 7: SAFE, DISCIPLINED, & ALCOHOL- AND DRUG-FREE SCHOOLS
Every school in the United States will be free of drugs,
violence, and the unauthorized presence of firearms and alcohol
and will offer a disciplined environment conducive to learning.
* GOAL 8: PARENTAL PARTICIPATION
Every school will promote partnerships that will increase
parental involvement and participation in promoting the social,
emotional, and academic growth of children.
_______________________________________________________________
| National Education Goals Panel |
| 1255 22nd Street NW; Suite 502; Washington, D.C. 20037 |
| 202/632-0957 (Fax); e-mail: negp@goalline.org |
| Web site: www.negp.gov |
|_______________________________________________________________|
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