NEGP Weekly for February 24, 2000

[NEGPWEEK@westat.com (NEGPWEEK)]

  ****APRIL 13, 2000 GOALS PANEL NATIONAL TELECONFERENCE ON USING BUSINESS
PRINCIPLES, TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND THE BALDRIGE CRITERIA IN EDUCATION.
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*******************THE NEGP WEEKLY****************
A weekly news update on America's Education Goals 
and school improvement efforts across America from the 
NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS PANEL

Thursday - February 24, 2000 -- Vol. 2 -- No. 44
***************************************************

CONTENTS

**STATE POLICY 
1.) TEACHER QUALITY: RATING THE STATES (Goal 4)
2.) STANDARDS LEGISLATION: SURVEY REPORTS MIXED RESULTS (Goals 3 and 4)

**COMMUNITY AND LOCAL NEWS 
3.) IN SHORT SUPPLY: SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS (Goal 4)

**FEDERAL POLICY NEWS 
4.) KINDERGARTNERS:  READY TO LEARN (Goal 1)
5.) ACCESS INTERNET: FULL SPEED AHEAD (Goal 5)

**RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PRACTICE 
6.) PARENT INVOLVEMENT: STEEPED IN TRADITION (Goal 8)
7.) EDU.POWER: BELL SOUTH TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM (Goals 4 and 5)

**FEATURE STORY
8.) "SETTING NEW EXPECTATIONS:" RILEY'S STATE OF EDUCATION (All Goals)
 

***FACT OF THE WEEK***
Between 1993 and 1997, 4 states (out of 24) significantly reduced the
percentages of public high school students reporting that they carried a
weapon such as a gun, knife, or club on school property at least once during
the past 30 days.  These states were North Carolina (data for North Carolina
were collected in 1993 and 1995), South Carolina, Wisconsin, and American
Samoa.

--The National Education Goals Report: Building a nation of learners, 1999


********************
STATE POLICY NEWS
********************


1.) ******** TEACHER QUALITY: RATING THE STATES
(Goal Four: Teacher Education and Professional Development)

TEACHER MAGAZINE, a sister publication of EDUCATION WEEK, features the five
states deemed top performers for improving teacher quality by EDUCATION WEEK
in its report QUALITY COUNTS. The full report is available on-line at
http://www.edweek.com.  

Connecticut, South Carolina, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Kentucky all
earned the grades of B or B-, according to the magazine.  For each state,
the magazine presents vital statistics (number of students, average teacher
salary), brief background on teacher-related issues, specifics on issues for
which the state received high marks, what the state does best in terms of
increasing teacher quality and what needs work.  "These are by no means
straight-A do-gooders," writes TEACHER MAGAZINE.  "No state scores higher
than a B."  But the magazine predicts that state legislatures are primed to
forge ahead this spring on teacher issues.

Visit http://www.teachermagazine.com for more information.


2.) ******** STANDARDS LEGISLATION: SURVEY REPORTS MIXED RESULTS
(Goal Three: Student Achievement and Citizenship and Goal Four: Teacher
Education and Professional Development)

"The standards legislation that has been passed appears to be having mixed
results in changing the day-to-day lives of teachers and students," said
Deborah Wadsworth, executive director of Public Agenda.  Wadsworth made her
comments upon releasing Reality Check 2000, an annual education survey.  

According to the survey, about half of teachers say that their state or
school district guidelines have not led them to expect any more from their
students.  Only 44 percent of teachers say they expect more from students
because of guidelines.  Almost half of teachers (48 percent) say their
colleagues still pass students based on effort instead of how much they
learn, while the other half (48 percent) say that promotion is tied
exclusively to achievement.  These numbers have not changed significantly
over the past two years.

"There is no doubt that there are positive developments in many areas, but
this research is a warning that change will not filter down to the classroom
automatically," said Wadsworth.

Reality Check 2000 was published by EDUCATION WEEK in its 16 February issue.
It also can be found at http://www.publicagenda.org.


*************************
Community and Local News
*************************


3.) ******** IN SHORT SUPPLY: SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS
(Goal Four: Teacher Education and Professional Development)

School superintendents are becoming an endangered species, with fewer people
in line waiting to take the posts left by retiring superintendents,
according to a new report issued by the American Association of School
Administrators (AASA).  Career Crisis in the Superintendency is based on a
national survey conducted in cooperation with the AASA and the National
Center for Education Statistics.

Findings include:
>  nearly 70 percent of superintendents surveyed were between 50 and 59
years of age; almost 11 percent were 60 or older; 20 percent were 40-49 and
less than 1 percent were 20-39; 57 was the average age
>  88 percent of those polled agreed that the shortage of  applicants is a
"serious crisis in American education," while 92 percent worried about the
effect high turnover had in keeping strong leaders in the superintendency
>  the average respondent to the survey had been in his or her current post
for seven years, and in the education field for about 30
>  only half said they were willing to consider a good job in another
district, and only 18 percent would be willing to take a position in a large
urban district - a key reason was the lack of portability among state
pension programs

Superintendents pointed to a series of issues that could dissuade some
educators from pursuing leadership positions, including the need for more
training and counseling from universities and other institutions and the
need for more support from districts and higher pay.  AASA President Joe
Cirasuolo, superintendent of the Wallingford, Connecticut schools, said the
current governance system of schools also is a disincentive to potential
school administrators.  "Superintendents are held accountable for results,
as they should be, but not given sufficient authority to achieve results
under the current system," he said.

For more information, visit AASA at http://www.aasa.org.


*********************
Federal Policy News
*********************


4.) ******** KINDERGARTNERS:  READY TO LEARN
(Goal One: Ready To Learn)

Most children who enter kindergarten have beginning reading skills and know
nearly all numbers and shapes.  They also possess good social skills and are
in good health, according to a new report issued last week by the U.S.
Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
The NCES study provides first-time national data on children attending
public and private kindergarten, their families and their classrooms.  

Although findings for the population as a whole were positive, there are
several groups of children that may be at risk of school failure.  "Possibly
the most important finding in the base-year of the study is that many of the
differences we see between groups of students in elementary and secondary
school are already there when the children enter kindergarten," said Gary
Phillips, acting commissioner of education statistics.  "Differences in
children's reading, math and social skills and health that are related to
poverty, parents' education and race and ethnicity are already there upon
entering kindergarten."  

The study, America's Kindergartners, will continue to follow the same sample
of children (22,000 children from the kindergarten class of 1998-1999)
through the fifth grade.  "The study will reveal whether differences that
exist when children enter school persist or change over time," writes NCES.

America's Kindergartners is available on the NCES web site at:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2000070.


5.) ******** ACCESS INTERNET: FULL SPEED AHEAD
(Goal 5 Math and Science)
Internet access is available in nearly all schools nationwide and classroom
hook-ups have increased 20-fold since 1994, according to a new U.S.
Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
report.  Internet Access in U.S. Public Schools and Classrooms: 1994-1999,
reports that between 1994 and 1999 public schools also upgraded their
network connections and the speed at which they are able to connect.  

Other survey findings include:
>  The ratio of students per instructional computer with Internet access
decreased from 12 to nine from 1998 to 1999.  However, medium-sized and
large schools had more students per computer with Internet access than small
schools - nine in 10 students compared to six students. 
>  While 74 percent of classrooms in low-poverty schools are connected to
the Internet, only 39 percent of classrooms in high-poverty schools have
Internet access.

The two-page survey is can be found at http://nces.ed.gov.


*********************************
Research and Education Practices
*********************************


6.) ******** PARENT INVOLVEMENT: STEEPED IN TRADITION
(Goal Eight: Parent Involvement)

Different countries and cultures approach the role of the parent in a
child's education from various vantage points, according to the CHRISTIAN
SCIENCE MONITOR (Chaddock, 2/15).  In the U.S., parents are expected to be
involved in their child's school life.  The paper points to a recent Gallup
survey that ranked "lack of parental involvement" as the number two obstacle
to improving American public schools, slightly behind school funding.

Japanese parents, while expected to be engaged in their child's academic
life, do not cross the boundary by volunteering to help out in the
classroom.  "There is a division of labor assumed in Asian cultures between
parents and teachers," explained James Stigler, professor of psychology at
the University of California, Los Angeles.  "Asians see teaching as a
profession.  Americans expect parents to teach and teachers to be parents."
He added "parents in China and Japan are not teaching their kids academic
skills in the early years.  They focus on nurturing and building up the
emotional well-being of their children."

According to the paper, establishing "boundaries between schools and a new
generation of activist [U.S.] parents is the next frontier of school
reform."  However, educators prefer that parents stick to helping with
homework and raising funds, rather than "lobby to overthrow the math
curriculum."

Visit the Christian Science Monitor's "Learning" section at
http://www.csmonitor.com


7.) ******** EDU.POWER:  BELL SOUTH TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
(Goal Four: Teacher Education and Professional Development and
Goal Five: Math and Science)

The BellSouth Foundation last year launched edu.pwr, a three-part technology
initiative designed to help schools "take control of the power that
technology can bring to their classrooms." (BellSouth press release)  The
two-year, $10 million initiative is organized around three tiers: Power to
Lead, Power to Teach and Power to Learn.

Power to Lead offers seminars to superintendents built around a customized
simulation of the superintendent's role in integrating technology into their
schools.  It also offers superintendents assistance grants.  Power to Teach
makes grants to rural, suburban and urban school districts in every state
BellSouth services to help teachers gain maximum benefit from their current
technology resources.  And, Power to Learn provides grants to three to five
schools in the South, whose leadership already has committed to
comprehensive professional development strategies and technology integration
plans 

For more information, visit BellSouth at http://www.bellsouth.com/education.


*****************
Feature Story
*****************


8.) ******** "SETTING NEW EXPECTATIONS:" RILEY'S STATE OF EDUCATION
(All Goals)

Calling a quality education for every child a "new civil right for the 21st
century," U.S. Education Secretary presented his seventh annual State of
American Education address at Southern High School in Durham, North
Carolina.  He sounded a positive note about the direction of education:
"The state of American education is changing for the better," he said.  "I
see a strong commitment to accountability and high standards and a growing
spirit of innovation and flexibility."  

While touching on the importance of student standards and early childhood
education, Riley also trumpeted a unique plan - elevate teaching to a
year-round profession.  "We can no longer get teachers on the cheap," he
said.  According to Riley, the extra time "should be used for intensive
professional development and it certainly should be used to give more
students the extra help they need in the summer months."    Teachers should
be paid for the extra months they work, which for the average teacher means
an 18 percent payroll increase, reports the WASHINGTON POST (Cooper, 2/23).


Riley's speech also touched on cultivating more top-quality principals,
character education and closing the achievement gap and digital divide.  He
called on the opening up of a dialogue between postsecondary officials and
their K-12 counterparts to better connect on matters including student
achievement and college admission.

Riley concludes:  "I believe we can meet the many challenges of our times if
we set new expectations for our children, our schools and our nation. . . .
With optimism and determination let us go forward together to create a
'democracy of excellence' in this new century."

Secretary Riley's speech can be found at http://www.ed.gov.


************************************
The NEGP WEEKLY is a publication of:
The National Education Goals Panel 
1255 22nd Street NW, Suite 502 
Washington, DC 20037; 
202-724-0015 

NEGP Executive Director: Ken Nelson 
Publisher: Barbara A. Pape 
http://www.negp.gov 
************************************

The NEGP/ Daily Report Card (DRC) hereby authorizes further reproduction and
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WHAT IS THE NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS PANEL? 
The National Education Goals Panel is a unique bipartisan body of state and
federal officials created in 1990 by President Bush and the nation's
Governors to report state and national progress and urge education
improvement efforts to reach the National Education Goals. 

WHAT DOES THE GOALS PANEL DO?
The Goals Panel has been charged to: 
* Report state and national progress toward the National Education Goals. 
* Work to establish a system of high academic standards and assessments. 
* Identify promising and effective reform strategies. 
* Recommend actions for state, federal, and local governments to take. 
* Build a nationwide, bipartisan consensus to achieve the Goals. 

WHAT ARE THE NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS? 
There are eight National Education Goals set for the year 2000. They are: 
1) All children will start school ready to learn. 
2) The high school graduation rate will increase to at least 90%. 
3) All students will become competent in challenging subject matter. 
4) Teachers will have the knowledge and skills they need. 
5) U.S. students will be first in the world in math and science achievement.
6) Every adult American will be literate. 
7) Schools will be safe, disciplined, and free of drugs, guns and alcohol. 
8) Schools will promote parental involvement and participation. 

WHO SERVES ON THE GOALS PANEL AND HOW ARE THEY CHOSEN?
Eight governors, four state legislators, four members of the U.S. Congress,
and two members appointed by the President serve on the Goals Panel. Members
are appointed by the leadership of the National Governors' Association, the
National Conference of State Legislatures, the U.S. Senate and House, and
the President. The number of Republicans and Democrats are made even by
appointing five governors from the party that does not control the White
House.
 
The current Panel Members are Governors Tommy G. Thompson, WI (Chair, 2000);
John Engler, MI; Jim Geringer, WY; James B. Hunt, Jr., NC; Frank Keating,
OK; Frank O'Bannon, IN; Paul E. Patton, KY; Cecil H. Underwood, WV;
Secretary of Education Richard Riley; Michael Cohen, U.S. Assistant
Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education; U.S. Senator Jeff
Bingaman, NM; U.S. Senator Jim Jeffords, VT; U.S. Representative William F.
Goodling, PA; U.S. Representative Matthew G. Martinez, CA; Representative G.
Spencer Coggs, WI; Representative Mary Lou Cowlishaw, IL; Representative
Douglas R. Jones, ID;
Senator Stephen Stoll, MO. 

The annual Goals Report and other publications of the Panel are available
without charge upon request from the Goals Panel or at its web site
http://www.negp.gov. Requests can be made by mail, fax, e-mail, or Internet.


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