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NEGP WEEKLY for October 5, 2000
*****************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 - October 5, 2000 -- Vol. 2 -- No. 74
*************************************************
CONTENTS
**STATE POLICY
1.) COLLEGE BOARD AND FLORIDA: PARTNERS FOR LEARNING (Goal 3)
2.) THE ARTS ARE ALIVE IN KENTUCKY: ART EDUCATION FLORISHES (Goal 3)
**COMMUNITY AND LOCAL NEWS
3.) LOOPING: MAKES THE GRADE IN PITTSBURGH (Goal 3)
4.) "LINKS TO THE WORLD:" A CALIF. SCHOOL'S READING PROJECT
(Goal 3)
**FEDERAL POLICY NEWS
5.) IT'S A SMALL WORLD: INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION WEEK (Goal 3)
6.) PREVENTING DRUG USE: WHITE HOUSE AND NEA UNITE (Goal 7)
**RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PRACTICE
7.) WHAT IT TAKES: SUPPORTING ADOLESCENT LITERACY (Goal 3)
8.) TEACHER TALK: TUNE IN TO TEACHER RADIO (Goal 4)
**FEATURE STORY
9.) TOP-NOTCH SCIENCE: MINNESOTA SOARS (Goal 6)
***FACT OF THE WEEK***
Between 1993 and 1997, 1 state, Nevada, significantly reduced the percentage
of public high school students reporting that they were in a physical fight
on school property at least once during the past 12 months.
--The National Education Goals Report: Building a nation of learners, 1999
********************
STATE POLICY NEWS
********************
1.) ******** COLLEGE BOARD AND FLORIDA: PARTNERS FOR LEARNING
(Goal Three: Student Achievement and Goal Four: Teacher Education and
Professional Development)
The College Board and the state of Florida have formed a partnership to
bring the College Board System of programs and services to high schools
across the state. Florida will provide an $8.2 million grant to the College
Board for the initiative, which will bring additional resources and staff to
schools statewide. However, special attention will be paid to the state's
62 most challenged high schools. The effort also will begin to reach middle
school students to help them get prepared for future academic success.
The College Board's Advanced Placement programs and Pacesetter, a program
that integrates course frameworks, teacher preparation and assessment in
English, math and Spanish, will be made available at the schools. Teachers
and administrators from high-priority middle and high schools will receive
intensive training to bring the programs to the schools. Academic support
for students, including tutoring and SAT test preparation, will be made
available to students.
For more information on the College Board, visit www.collegeboard.org.
2.) ******** THE ARTS ARE ALIVE IN KENTUCKY: ART EDUCATION FLORISHES
(Goal Three: Student Achievement And Goal Four: Teacher Education and
Professional Development)
Kentucky's 1990 education reform act required that the arts are part of
every school's academic program and the law reinforced that mandate via a
statewide exam. The CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR reports on the influence the
Kentucky Center for the Arts (KCA), a state- and privately funded
organization, has had on bringing arts education to the classroom (Newcomb,
10/3). Jeffrey Jamner, director and founder of KCA, offers schools several
options for developing artistic talents and appreciation among students.
KCA provides daylong events that link educators with artists, two-week
seminars for educators and long-term relationships with schools to help
build strong arts programs, writes the MONITOR.
For example, KCA staff helps teachers use field trips to become an arts
trip. "We went to a working farm, circa 1850," explains Jamner. "We all
square-danced by the barn [as the original occupants would have]. We had
teachers improvising drama exercises."
For more information on the Kentucky Center for the Arts, visit www.kca.org.
*************************
Community and Local News
*************************
3.) ******** LOOPING: MAKES THE GRADE IN PITTSBURGH
(Goal Three: Student Achievement)
Sometimes called teacher-student progression or multiyear instruction,
looping, where a teacher and her class advance from one grade level to the
next, is becoming popular in Pittsburgh public schools (McKay, Pittsburgh
POST-GAZETTE, 10/3). According to the paper, some educators claim that
"teachers in the second year of a loop can gain upwards of six weeks of
instructional time at the beginning of the school year because they don't
have to start from scratch, learning a new set of names and personalities
and going over classroom rules and expectations." Another benefit is the
added time given to students to learn new skills. "There's no rush of, oh,
it's January, I have to be at this point," said Trish Rygalski, a
second-grade teacher at Fort Pitt Elementary. "Students who don't work up
to their potential that first year can suddenly blossom in the second, and
usually do."
The paper also reports on a 1996 national survey conducted by University of
Florida education professor Paul George, who found that 90 percent of
teachers surveyed said that achievement improved for less successful pupils
because teachers were better able to figure out what they needed. Of those
surveyed, 93 percent said they were more likely to get in touch with a
parent about a pupil who was having trouble.
However, tradition is the primary reason more schools are not experimenting
with looping, explained Linda Darling-Hammond, Stanford University professor
and director of the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future.
"People are most comfortable doing what they grew up with," she said.
For more information, visit the Pittsburgh POST-GAZETTE at
www.post-gazette.com.
4.) ******** "LINKS TO THE WORLD:" A CALIFORNIA SCHOOL'S READING PROJECT
(Goal Three: Student Achievement)
The George B. Miller Elementary School in La Palma, California, next week
will launch a reading contest to see who can read the most books during the
school year (Borgatta, L.A. TIMES, 10/4). Called "Links to the World," the
reading initiative will run throughout the school year and students will
fill out passports as they read books about people and places around the
world.
Students from a nearby high school and college will be available to help
students who want tutors.
For more information, visit the L.A. TIMES' program called "Reading by Nine"
at www.latimes.com.
*********************
Federal Policy News
*********************
5.) ******** IT'S A SMALL WORLD: INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION WEEK
(Goal Three: Student Achievement and Citizenship)
U.S. Education Secretary Richard Riley announced the first-ever
International Education Week - the week of November 13-17. "I strongly
believe that the growth of democracy, economic prosperity and social
stability throughout the world is linked to the advance of international
cooperation and education," said Riley.
International Education Week is a joint venture by the Departments of
Education and State in response to a presidential directive aimed at
increasing support for international education.
Riley has invited all of the ambassadors serving in the U.S. to visit a
school or college during the special week. The State Department has asked
U.S. ambassadors abroad to visit an educational institution in their area.
For more information on International Education Week visit
http://exchanges.state.gov/iep.
6.) ******** PREVENTING DRUG USE: WHITE HOUSE AND NEA UNITE
(Goal Seven: Safe Schools)
The White House's drug czar and the National Education Association (NEA),
teachers' union, have launched a campaign to help educators prevent drug use
and related harmful behaviors among their students.
The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign of the White House Office of
National Drug Control Policy and the NEA already have produced a satellite
broadcast featuring two communities - one in Hartford, Connecticut, the
other in Beaverton, Oregon - and their effort to help students resist
negative behavior, including turning to drugs. The broadcast, "Safer
Schools: Helping Students Resist Drugs," is the fifth show in a nine-part
video series, "NEA Safe Schools Now Network," geared to disseminate
effective strategies to promote school safety.
The campaign also will create substance abuse prevention materials geared to
school employees, middle school students and their families. The NEA plans
to use print, satellite and the Internet to deliver anti-drug messages as
part of its work to promote school health and safety.
Fore more information, visit www.safeschoolsnow.org. Or, visit
www.teachersguide.org to find Office of National Drug Control
Policy-supported drug prevention curricula.
*********************************
Research and Education Practices
*********************************
7.) ******** WHAT IT TAKES: SUPPORTING ADOLESCENT LITERACY
(Goal Three: Student Achievement)
The International Reading Association has listed a series of recommendations
for focusing on the literacy needs of adolescent learners. These
suggestions are based on the premise that literacy develops along a
continuum, and ongoing literacy development for adolescents requires more
attention than it has been given.
Several of the recommendations are:
>provide adolescents with access to a wide variety of reading material that
appeals to their interests
>conduct assessments that show a students strengths as well as needs
>tap expert teachers who model advanced literacy skills land provide
explicit instruction applicable across the curriculum
>ensure that there are reading specialists who assist students trying to
learn complex materials
Currently, most schools do not stress reading instruction for adolescent
students, instead placing emphasis on "subject content," notes the IRA.
"Let's reverse this situation. Adolescents deserve more," writes the IRA.
For more information, visit the IRA at www.reading.org.
8.) ******** TEACHER TALK: TUNE IN TO TEACHER RADIO
(Goal Four: Teacher Education and Professional Development)
Scholastic Inc. has kicked off "Teacher Radio," a half-hour, magazine-style
program that will air Monday through Thursday via the Internet, premiering
on October 2. Each show will focus on topics of interests to teachers,
including interviews with authors and education experts, advice and
inspiring stories from other teachers, education news and reviews of books
and software.
Teacher listeners can contribute commentary and teacher tips. The show is
co-hosted by Nina Jaffe, faculty member of the Bank Street College of
Education and an internationally known storyteller and Lou Giansante, a
Peabody award-winning radio producer and former educator.
"Teacher Radio" uses the latest streaming audio technology so educators can
listen at any time just as they do a tape or CD.
For more information, visit Scholastic at www.scholastic.com.
*****************
Feature Story
*****************
9.) ******** TOP-NOTCH SCIENCE: MINNESOTA SOARS
(Goal Six: Math and Science)
The National Education Goals Panel's (NEGP) latest case study shows what it
takes for eighth-grade students to become top performers in science.
Minnesota & TIMSS, Exploring High Achievement in Eighth-Grade Science
provides in-depth information on why eighth graders in Minnesota were second
only to Singapore in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study
(TIMSS).
The authors note several characteristics unique to science education in
Minnesota:
>High expectations for all students. In Minnesota, all seventh- and
eighth-grade students are expected to take the same rigorous science
courses.
>Focus and coherence in curriculum. Unlike other American junior high
science programs, Minnesota classes cover far fewer topics, while devoting
more time to developing them in-depth.
>Alignment fostered by the existence of de facto science standards. A
consensus emerged among classroom teachers, teacher educators and state
officials as to what constituted good science instruction.
>Continuity. Minnesota's statewide science program has its origins in the
1960s and teachers, administrators and state leaders have had ample time to
develop a consensus, align professional development and perfect instruction.
>Capacity within the teaching profession. The statewide science program
that has emerged was developed and has evolved from within the teaching
profession.
"This Minnesota study shows that high expectations for all students coupled
with a focused, coherent curriculum and alignment with the system can
produce world-class performance for students," said Governor Tommy Thompson
(R-WI), chairman of the NEGP. "These are the goals of standards-based
reform, and I think this study says that we are on the right course."
In the report, Dr. William Schmidt, executive director of the U.S. National
Research Center at Michigan State University, provides an in-depth analysis
of the Minnesota and other TIMSS data. Senta Raizen, of the National Center
for Improving Science Education, comments on lessons learned from
Minnesota's performance. Dr. Frances Lawrenz, a University of Minnesota in
Minneapolis professor, examines Minnesota's math and science policies.
Finally, Bill Linder-Scoler, executive director of SciMath MN, offers
commentary on the benefits and lessons learned from Minnesota's
participation in TIMSS.
"We have learned from TIMSS that we are moving in the right direction by
implementing high standards statewide in math and science,' said Minnesota
Governor Jesse Ventura (I). "If students in Minnesota can perform so well
with hard work, dedication and good standards, students everywhere should
perform just as well."
For more information, visit the Goals Panel at www.negp.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
www.negp.gov
************************************
The NEGP/ Daily Report Card (DRC) hereby authorizes further reproduction and
distribution with proper acknowledgment.
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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
www.negp.gov. Requests can be made by mail, fax, e-mail, or Internet.
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