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NEGP Weekly for March 9, 2000
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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 - March 9, 2000 -- Vol. 2 -- No. 46
***************************************************
CONTENTS
**STATE POLICY
1.) DOUBLE GRADING SYSTEM PROPOSED IN COLORADO: TEST
SCORES AND SAFETY (Goals 3 and 7)
2.) KENTUCKY: SCHOOL REPORT CARDS ISSUED FOR FIRST TIME (Goals 3 and 4)
**COMMUNITY AND LOCAL NEWS
3.) A LITTLE RESPECT: WHAT TEACHERS NEED (Goals 3 and 4)
4.) SAT TEST PREP: MANDATORY IN WOODBURY (N.J.) DISTRICT (Goal 3)
**FEDERAL POLICY NEWS
5.) MAIN STREET: WHERE REPUBLICANS MEET (All Goals)
6.) "NURTURING READERS:" DoEd TOWN HALL TOPIC (Goal 4)
**RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PRACTICE
7.) MIND MAPPING: STUDENTS CHART THEIR COURSE (Goal 3)
8.) NBPTS: LOOKING FOR A BROADER PARTNERSHIP (Goal 4)
**FEATURE STORY
9.) CHILD CARE IN AMERICA: NEW FINDINGS FROM URBAN INSTITUTE (Goal 1)
***FACT OF THE WEEK***
Based on 1998 data, the state with the highest percentage of public school
8th graders who scored at or above Proficient in writing was Connecticut
(44%).
--The National Education Goals Report: Building a nation of learners, 1999
********************
STATE POLICY NEWS
********************
1.) ******** DOUBLE GRADING SYSTEM PROPOSED IN COLORADO: TEST SCORES AND
SAFETY
(Goal Three: Student Achievement and Citizenship and Goal Seven: Safe
Schools)
Colorado Governor Bill Owens recently introduced legislation that would
mandate school report cards with two grades: one based on test scores and
the other on safety records (Sandham, EDUCATION WEEK, 3/8) Schools would
receive grades ranging from A to F based on results of the Colorado Student
Assessment Program. A separate grade would be given based on factors such
as the number of assaults, fights and classroom suspensions.
While Owens said his report card bill is his number one priority, some
lawmakers express concern that the bill would "violate Colorado's
long-standing tradition of local control," writes the paper. Other
lawmakers applaud the bill, stating that the report cards would "clearly
communicate a school's strengths and weaknesses to the public," said Senator
Norma Anderson.
The Senate education committee passed the bill on 17 February and is
awaiting amendments in the Senate appropriations committee.
For more information, visit the Colorado Legislature and Governor's Office
at http://www.state.co.us
2.) ********KENTUCKY: SCHOOL REPORT CARDS ISSUED FOR FIRST TIME
(Goal Three: Student Achievement and Citizenship and Goal Four: Teacher
Education and Professional Development)
The first round of school report cards ever sent to Kentucky parents were
issued in January (Blackford, Lexington HERALD-LEADER, 3/9). Information
noted on the report cards include test scores, safety records, per-pupil
spending and teacher qualifications.
Already the report cards are being revised to include the percentage of
classes taught by teachers with majors, minors or professional development
in their field and a clarification of the per-pupil spending data.
School report cards went home to every parent. A more detailed report was
available for parents upon request.
Visit the Lexington HERALD-LEADER at http://www.kentuckyconnect.com
*************************
Community and Local News
*************************
3.) ********A LITTLE RESPECT: WHAT TEACHERS NEED
(Goal Three: Student Achievement and Citizenship and Goal Four: Teacher
Education and Professional Development)
Montgomery County, Maryland, teachers want respect as professionals,
according to a survey conducted by the county Board of Education (Schulte,
WASHINGTON POST, 3/9). The survey of more than 200 teachers found that the
second most important need is better compensation.
Teachers surveyed also reported a need for smaller class sizes, mentoring
for new teachers, more planning time and more professional development.
James Williams, deputy superintendent for personnel and staff development
and training, said the county is investing between $16 million and $18
million next year for professional development. "That's unheard of in other
school districts," he said.
For more information on Montgomery County Public Schools visit
http://www.mcps.k12.md.us.
4.) ********SAT TEST PREP: MANDATORY IN WOODBURY (N.J.) DISTRICT
(Goal Three: Student Achievement and Citizenship)
All 10th-grade students in the Woodbury (N.J.) school district are required
to take "English 100," which stresses vocabulary and test-taking skills
(Avril and Ciotta, Philadelphia INQUIRER, 2/17). "We try to prepare all
students, not just a certain segment of the population [for college]," said
Jane Plenge, district curriculum supervisor.
The mandated course appears to be a success. According to the paper,
Woodbury students who took the test during the 1998-1999 school year were
first among schools with similar socioeconomic backgrounds. They also were
well above the state average of 1,009 points on the SAT out of 1,600.
Woodbury students' combined verbal-math scores averaged 1,042.
Data on the SAT scores were made available at the release of New Jersey's
annual School Report Card. The INQUIRER reports that the report card
"features everything from a district's total spending per pupil to the
percentage of its faculty who have earned advanced degrees.
The complete school report card can be found at http://education.philly.com.
*********************
Federal Policy News
*********************
5.) ********MAIN STREET: WHERE REPUBLICANS MEET
(All Goals)
The Republican Main Street Partnership recently released an issue brief that
attempts to define the role of the federal government in education (Cooper,
WASHINGTON POST, 3/9). "I had a hard time finding anything that defined the
federal role in education," said Steve Gunderson, the group's executive
director and a former House member from Wisconsin. "We have had huge
debates over strategies, tactics, formulas and specifics in each of these
reauthorization debates," he added. "We have never talked about what is the
federal mission."
The paper spells out six guiding principles for the federal government,
beginning with "support our public schools." Other principles include:
help to produce better teachers; provide research and technical assistance
on what works to improve school safety; promote academic standards; help
train skilled workers able to compete in a global economy; and "dramatically
increase funding for education research."
Gunderson noted that applying the six principles would produce a
"well-defined and somewhat limited federal role" in education.
The WASHINGTON POST can be found at http://www.washpost.com.
6.) ********"NURTURING READERS:" DoEd TOWN HALL TOPIC
(Goal Four: Student Achievement and Citizenship)
The creation of successful community reading programs is the topic of an
upcoming U.S. Department of Education Satellite Town Meeting. "Nurturing
Readers: Building and Sustaining Community Reading Programs" will be hosted
by Secretary Richard Riley on 21 March from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. EST. Riley
and guests will examine ways to build a quality reading program, sustain
community literacy efforts and evaluate their success. For more information
on registration, visit http://www.ed.gov/registerevent.
The DoEd also has available "School-Home Links Reading Kits." The four
separate kits - one for kindergarten through grade 3 - provide guidance on
creating and maintaining school-family partnerships as well as provide
insights into helping children learn to read. For more information, visit
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/CompactforReading/
*********************************
Research and Education Practices
*********************************
7.) ********MIND MAPPING: STUDENTS CHART THEIR COURSE
(Goal Three: Student Achievement and Citizenship)
Mind mapping is a technique designed to help students take notes and
organize thoughts; a strategy that is becoming more popular throughout
classrooms nationwide, writes the WASHINGTON POST (Wax, 2/29). The strategy
is deemed highly successful for students who are more artistic than verbal.
Mind mapping also is known as "webbing" and was introduced by British
researcher Tony Buzan during the 1960s. "I felt very limited [when trying
to take notes as a graduate student at the University of British Columbia],"
said Buzan. "I couldn't remember anything I was writing down." He soon
realized that he required visuals and symbols of association in order to
remember and organize facts, writes the paper.
Using mind mapping, students draw lines and pictures to help them organize
and remember information. The POST gives an example of a student drawing a
mind map of the day's activities, which also is presented in Mapping Inner
Space: Learning and Teaching Mind Mapping, by Nancy Marguiles, Zephyr
Press, P.O. Box 66006, Tucson, Arizona 85728-6006.
Visit the WASHINGTON POST at http://www.washingtonpost.com.
8.) ********NBPTS: LOOKING FOR A BROADER PARTNERSHIP
(Goal Four: Teacher Education and Professional Development)
A "broader partnership" among the National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards (NBPTS), K-12 schools and colleges of education is critical for
producing high quality teachers, according to Betty Castor, president of
NBPTS (EDUCATION WEEK, 3/8). Castor holds that teacher-preparation programs
that are based on the rigorous NBPTS standards would guarantee that teacher
candidates would succeed in the classroom.
National Board certification requires candidates to participate in a
yearlong assessment that calls on them to demonstrate competencies through
portfolios, classroom evaluations and writing samples. Already George
Washington University (Washington, D.C.), George Mason University (Fairfax,
Virginia) and Arizona State University (Tempe, Arizona) have incorporated
the board's standards into their college program. ED WEEK also reports that
California State University officials are considering aligning their
curricula with the NBPTS benchmarks.
Visit NBPTS at http://www.nbpts.org.
*****************
Feature Story
*****************
9.) ********CHILD CARE IN AMERICA: NEW FINDINGS FROM URBAN INSTITUTE
(Goal One: Ready To Learn)
Three-quarters of all young children of employed mothers are in non-parental
child care arrangements while their mothers work, according to an Urban
Institute study. Two out of five are in child care more than 35 hours a
week and nearly as many rely weekly on more than one caregiver.
"These initial findings reveal remarkable variation across states in child
care arrangements for young children,' said Gina Adams, who led the team of
Urban Institute researchers for this study. "For example, Alabama,
Minnesota and Mississippi have twice the proportion of young children in
center-based care as does California," she added.
The 44,000-household survey oversamples the low-income population. In-depth
analyses of data were conducted in 12 states: Alabama, California, Florida,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York,
Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.
Researchers examined center-based child care, care by a nonrelated person in
his or her home (family child care), care by a relative, care by a nanny or
babysitter and care by a parent. Findings from the survey include:
> high state variation in rates of nonparental child care
> infants and toddlers or low-income children most likely in relative or
parent care
> three- and four-year-olds in child care more hours per week than infants
and toddlers
> multiple child care arrangements common
> combinations of "formal" and "informal" multiple arrangements common
"Our research demonstrates the importance of child care in the lives of
America's families," said Jeffrey Capizzano, a member of the Urban Institute
child care research team. "The tremendous differences between states
illustrate the unique child care challenges that state policymakers and
administrators face."
The study, Child Care Arrangements for Children Under Five: Variation
Across States, is divided into three policy briefs available at the Urban
Institute's web site at http://www.urban.org.
************************************
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
************************************
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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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