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--- Thursday --- December 10, 1998 --- Vol. 3 --- No. 65 ---
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THE UPDATE ON AMERICA'S EDUCATION REFORM EFFORTS
In cooperation with the DAILY REPORT CARD
GETTING READY
The U.S. DoEd is taking steps
to help the education community
address the Year 2000 (Y2K)
computer problem and share
information on this issue. The
Department published a "Year
2000 Readiness Kit" for
postsecondary institutions and
a "Year 2000 Compliance Guide
of Elementary and Secondary
Schools." Ed Sec Richard
Riley: "We're working hard at
the federal level to make sure
our systems are ready for the
Year 2000 and to help others in
the field get information they
need for their own efforts.
Our efforts can help inform
school officials about
resources available to help
them address Y2K issues to
respond to this technology
challenge and ensure a smooth
transition to the next
century."
Earlier this month, the DoEd
hosted a live national broad-
cast on Y2K issues, where
panelists outlined lessons
learned and offered tips to
convert to 2000. Copies of the
Y2K publications are available
free-of-charge by calling 877-
4ED-PUBS, or at www.ed.gov/y2k.
__________ __________
| SPOTLIGHT |
| |
| Y2K GLITCH |
| |
| Fixing computer glitches |
| is not the only year 2000 |
| dilemma facing the nation. |
| A National Education Goals |
| Panel report finds that |
| although many states have |
| made remarkable progress in |
| achieving the National |
| Education Goals, the nation |
| as a whole is unlikely to |
| meet the ambitious agenda |
| set for 2000. |
| |
| Yet, promising practices |
| abound in states where |
| officials are intent on |
| reaching the Goals. With |
| this in mind, the Goals |
| Panel produced a companion |
| report, "Promising |
| Practices: Progress Toward |
| the Goals, 1998," that |
| provides a peek at programs |
| and policies in use by some |
| of the highest-performing |
| and most-improved states in |
| Goal achievement. Lessons |
| learned may be the boost |
| needed to help other states |
| sail into the next century. |
|_____________________________|
============== QUOTE OF THE DAY ==============
"From the beginning, the National Education Goals were designed
to set high expectations for every stage of a learner's life,
from preschool to adulthood. We now have ample evidence that
efforts to reach those expectations in some states are paying
off." Michigan Governor John Engler. (#9)
_______________________________________________________________
| (c) by the Education Policy Network, Inc. |
| 1255 22nd Street NW; Washington, D.C. 202/724-0124 |
| The DRC hereby authorizes further reproduction and |
| distribution with proper acknowledgement. |
| Publisher: Barbara A. Pape |
|
|_______________________________________________________________|
============== TABLE OF CONTENTS ==============
GOAL TWO: HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETION
STILL FORGOTTEN: Non-college-bound youth. (#1)
GOAL THREE: STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND CITIZENSHIP
CAN WE TALK?: The topic is student tests. (#2)
GOAL FIVE: MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE
BUILDING A PRESENCE FOR SCIENCE: Virginia signs on. (#3)
NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS PANEL UPDATE
NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS: Will we reach Goals by 2000? (#4)
===== GOAL TWO: HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETION =====
*1 STILL FORGOTTEN: NON-COLLEGE-BOUND YOUTH
Young people who fail to go on to postsecondary education or
training have a bleak future before them, according to reports
released a decade ago. Today, "the forgotten half" continues to
have dim prospects. "The Forgotten Half Revisited," a follow-up
study by the American Youth Policy Forum, finds an increasing
number of young workers stuck in dead-end jobs or unemployment
(Fox, ED DAILY, 11/30).
"Ten years ago, most young people who were not going to
college were receiving little adult or public assistance and,
only with great difficulty, making the transition to adulthood,"
said Samuel Halperin, editor of the study. "Their situation has
changed only marginally since them."
Labor market and social indicators from 1988 to 1998 are
examined in the study. According to the report, earnings for 20-
to 24-year-old males have dropped by one-third during that
period, while young women earn 16.5% less.
Despite the current economic boom, young people without a
college diploma or training have lost ground on almost every
indicator. "Nearly across the board, education, earnings, social
well-being, home ownership, family formations, health insurance,
employment [and] incarceration -- those with only a high school
education or less than a bachelor's degree have lost considerable
ground versus their counterparts only a decade earlier," said
Halperin.
Other findings from the report:
* The teen birth rate has risen from 31 to 36 births per 1,000
females ages 15 to 17.
* The juvenile violent crime arrest rate has risen from 305 to
507 arrests per 100,000 children ages 10 to 17 between 1985
to 1995.
* The percentage of adult Americans who earned a high school
diploma or GED rose from 28.3% in 1990 to 31.4% in 1997.
* The percentage of students earning a bachelor's degree rose
from 11.4% in 1990.
* High school dropout rates have fallen from 9.5% in 1985 to
7.3% in 1996.
One reason offered for the good news of increasing degrees
earned and decreasing high school dropout rates is that
vocational initiatives and other school reforms are beginning to
take hold. Jack Jennings and Diane Stark Rentner, authors of one
of the ten essays published in the report, claim that "the
forgotten half" is more like the forgotten third because more
high school graduates are beginning postsecondary education or
training, according to Census Bureau figures.
In another essay, former U.S. Commissioner of Education
Harold Howe recommends the expansion of early childhood programs
like Head Start as one solution to social problems. He writes
that an adequate investment in Head Start would help
disadvantaged children begin school ready to learn. Howe: "The
least expensive strategy for [a child's] health, intellectual and
emotional growth is support in their early years, for all
children, not just those whose families can financially provide
it."
"The Forgotten Half Revisited" is available for $15 from
American Youth Policy Forum; 1836 Jefferson Place NW; Washington,
D.C. 20036-2505.
===== GOAL THREE: STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND CITIZENSHIP =====
*2 CAN WE TALK?: THE TOPIC IS STUDENT TESTS
While the American public, including parents, have embraced
standards for what students should know and be able to do, they
are less sanguine about tests. Parental test anxiety is brought
on by what a Public Agenda survey found to be the "lack [of] a
solid grasp of their [child's] school academic goals" as well as
the "information essential to properly evaluate how well their
children and schools are doing."
In an attempt to clear the air and better communicate with
parents, the National Education Goals Panel has produced a report
that provides strategies for state officials to use to help
parents better understand new testing programs. "Talking About
Tests: An Idea Book for State Leaders" underscores the
importance of clear communication with parents on the testing
process and test results. From the report: "If parents are well
informed and made a part of the improvement effort from the
beginning, they are more likely to be the catalyst needed for
change -- they are more likely to support their school's goals
and to demand the instructional changes necessary to meet those
goals."
The publication is divided into four sections, the first
being an introduction. Section II examines how states can more
effectively inform parents so that they become more aware of and
better understand state efforts to improve standards and create
new assessments. Section III examines how states can more
effectively and meaningfully report individual results of
statewide students assessments to parents. Section IV highlights
state agencies and other organizations that are performing these
functions well.
"Talking About Tests" begins by encouraging state leaders to
ponder several questions, including:
* Do parents understand why the state is moving toward higher
standards?
* Do parents know what are the standards?
* Do parents know what types of test questions will be on the
assessment that are linked to the standards? Do they
recognize good (and not-so-good) student performance on
these questions?
* Do parents understand that the scores might be lower than
those on the previous tests? Do they understand why?
* Do parents understand what to do with the results once they
receive them?
Peppered throughout Sections II and III are examples of
states that have:
* built public support for high standards and more rigorous
tests;
* communicated the standards and good performance;
* provided assistance to parents so that achievement can
improve; and
* reported state test results in a meaningful way.
The report also includes advice for state officials who want
to help school districts build public support.
For more information on "Talking About Tests," visit the
National Education Goals Panel's Web site: www.negp.gov
===== GOAL FIVE: MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE =====
*3 BUILDING A PRESENCE FOR SCIENCE: VIRGINIA SIGNS ON
The state of Virginia is joining a national network
developed to improve communications among science educators and
enrich the teaching and learning of science from kindergarten
through 12th grade. "Building a Presence for Science" is managed
by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and now
includes 12 states and the District of Columbia.
Through the "Building a Presence for Science" program, NSTA
works with local science teacher associations, state science
education institutions, and private sector partners to identify
and collaborate with individuals designated "Key Leaders" in each
state and a "Point of Contact" (representative for science) in
every public and private school. The two-year-old program
evolved from an NSTA survey in which classroom science teachers
requested increased training and more interaction with their
colleagues.
Funded by the Exxon Education Foundation, the national
network of science educators advocates for standards-based
teaching and learning. As part of the network, Virginia teachers
will be able to take advantage of special professional
development sessions designed to further their understanding of
the Virginia Science "Standards of Learning" and national
standards in science.
Network science teachers also have access to an on-line site
and newsletter to promote communication among "key Leaders" and
"Points of Contact."
For more information, contact the National Science Teachers
Association; 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22201-
3000, 703/243-7100, www.nsta.org/bap.
==== NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS PANEL UPDATE ====
*4 NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS: WILL WE REACH THE GOALS BY 2000?
In its eighth annual report, the National Education Goals
Panel describes a nation that, in some areas, has made remarkable
progress in meeting the high expectations of the National
Education Goals. Yet, the U.S. as a whole continues to struggle,
and will not reach Goal achievement by the established date of
2000.
The good news centers on Goal 1: Ready to Learn, Goal 3:
Student Achievement and Citizenship, and Goal 5: Mathematics and
Science. According to Goals Panel data:
* The percentage of infants born with health risks has
decreased, while the percentage of 2-year-olds who have been
fully immunized has increased. (Goal 1)
* The percentages of students who are proficient in math have
increased in grades 4, 8 and 12. (Goal 3)
* The proportion of college degrees awarded in math and
science has increased for all students, for females, and for
minorities. (Goal 5)
North Carolina, South Carolina, California, Colorado and
Texas are the states that have improved their performance on most
indicators of progress toward the National Education Goals since
1990. The states most frequently among the top performers on
measures of progress toward the Goals are Maine, Connecticut and
North Dakota.
"From the beginning, the National Education Goals were
designed to set high expectations for every state of a learner's
life, from preschool to adulthood," said Michigan Governor John
Engler. "We now have ample evidence that efforts to reach those
expectations in some states are paying off."
Despite progress made, the report also bears bad news for
the nation:
* The percentage of secondary school teachers who hold a
degree in their main teaching assignment has decreased.
(Goal 4)
* Fewer adults with a high school diploma or less are
participating in adult education, compared to adults with
some post-secondary education. (Goal 6)
* The gap between the percentages of white and black high
school graduates who complete a college degree has grown
larger. (Goal 2)
* Student drug use and the availability of drugs at school
have become more widespread. (Goal 7)
* The percentages of teachers reporting threats or injuries at
school and classroom disruptions have increased. (Goal 7)
The report provides both national and state data. America's
1998 scorecard, which summarizes progress on 26 national
indicators, is reported first, followed by state progress made
toward the National Education Goals. In the state section, data
is provided that shows which states already have achieved the
goal, which states have shown improvement over time, the highest
performing states and the most-improved ones.
For example, national data shows progress made in three
indicators of Goal 1: Ready to Learn:
* Children's Health Index: The U.S. has reduced the
percentage of infants born with 1 or more health risks
between 1990 and 1996 -- from 37% to 34%.
* Immunizations: The U.S. increased the percentage of 2-year-
olds who have been fully immunized against preventable
childhood disease between 1994 and 1997 -- from 75% to 78%.
* Family-Child Reading and Storytelling: The U.S. increased
the percentage of 3- to 5-year olds whose parents read to
them or tell them stories regularly between 1993 and 1996 --
from 66% to 72%.
The report also found no change made in reducing the gap in
percentage points in preschool participation between 3- to 5-
year-olds from high- and low-income families from 1991 to 1996.
In the state section for Goal 1, the Goals Panel reports on
five indicators: children's health index; immunizations; low
birthweight; early prenatal care; and preschool programs for
children with disabilities. Information found in this section,
for example, shows that the New England states of Vermont,
Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine and New Hampshire
consistently are among the highest-performing on the health and
preschool measures of progress toward Goal 1, which calls for all
children starting school ready-to-learn.
The section also reports on specific gains made in the most-
improved states. For example, in 1994, no state had a lower
immunization rate for two-year-olds than Michigan. In three
years time, Michigan increased its rate by 16 percentage points.
Nearly 8 in 10 Michigan two-year-olds are now fully immunized
against preventable childhood diseases.
A companion report, "Promising Practices: Progress Toward
the Goals, 1998" features policies and programs of high-improving
and most-improved states. "It is often said that there's no
problem in American education that is not already solved in some
American school or school system," said West Virginia Governor
and NEGP Chair Cecil H. Underwood. "The pressing need is to
discover those practices that are working, and the lessons we can
all learn as we strive to improve achievement and opportunities
in our own communities."
"Promising Practices" reveals how educators, parents,
business leaders, and others have joined forces to improve
progress in areas ranging from expanding childhood immunization,
to strengthening parental involvement, to boosting the number of
students who graduate from high school.
Connecticut, for example, uses federal funds available
through the 1993 Childhood Immunization Initiative Act to target
high-risk communities, creating a system to make vaccines free-
of-charge throughout the state. In Maine, the state Bureau of
Health uses funds from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) to create a marketing campaign that includes
public service ads on daytime television dramas to reach at-home
caregivers. A one-time reminder to immunize was sent with bills
from several power companies.
The annual "Goals Report," "Promising Practices," and other
Goals Panel publications are available free-of-charge at
www.negp.gov. The public is invited to submit comments on
whether to continue education goals for their nation to the Goals
Panel at: FAX 202/632-0957, or e-mail negp@ed.org.
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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