The NEGP Weekly, for September 28, 2001

[Negpweek <NEGPWEEK@WESTAT.com>]

*****************THE NEGP WEEKLY*****************
A weekly news update on America's Education Goals 
and school improvement efforts across America from the 
NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS PANEL

Friday - September 28, 2001 -- Vol. 2 -- No. 119
*************************************************

CONTENTS

**STATE POLICY 
1.) Appeals Process For Exit Exam:  Massachusetts Takes A Second Look (Goal
3)
2.) Louisiana's High-Stakes Testing:  Court Gives Green Light (Goal 3)

**COMMUNITY AND LOCAL NEWS 
3.) Streamline Testing:  Districts Cut Back On Exams (Goal 3)
4.) Revised Standards:  Indiana Schools See Passing Grades Lowered (Goal 3)

**FEDERAL POLICY NEWS 
5.) College Loans:  Default Rates Continue To Drop (Goal 6) 
6.) Tolerance:  Paige Urges Schools To Prevent Harassment Of Muslim &
Arab-American Students (Goal 7)

**RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PRACTICE 
7.) Teens Speak Out:  How They Would Improve The Schools (Goal 3)
8.) A Shortage Of Principals:  California Reports (Goal 4)

**FEATURE STORY
9.) Infants And Toddler Care:  Need To Do More (Goal 1)


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


1.) ******** Appeals Process For Exit Exam:  Massachusetts Takes A Second
Look
(Goal Three:  Student Achievement)

The Massachusetts Board of Education is reviewing findings from a task force
that ordered the creation of an appeals process so high school students who
narrowly fail the state exam could still receive diplomas (Hayward, BOSTON
HERALD, 9/25).  "Having an educationally sound and fundamentally fair
performance appeals process for MCAS is essential to the integrity of the
competency determination," said Education Commissioner David Driscoll.  

Under the proposal, a student with passing grades who took the MCAS exam and
its re-tests and scored between 200 and 220 would have the right to ask
local school officials to file an appeal, reports the paper.  School
officials would screen appeal requests before forwarding them to a regional
appeals board.  The regional appeals board would review documentation that
shows MCAS effort, good attendance and demonstration of 220-level work in
classroom projects or on other standardized tests in math and English.

The regional board then would forward their recommendations to the
commissioner's office, where final approval would be granted.

For more information on Massachusetts schools, visit the state department of
education at http://www.doe.mass.edu.


2.) ******** Louisiana's High-Stakes Testing:  Court Gives Green Light
(Goal Three:  Student Achievement)

A challenge to Louisiana's high-stakes testing system met with defeat in the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, reports EDUCATION WEEK (Robelen,
9/26).  According to the paper, Parents Against Testing Before Teaching
argued that flaws in the state's public education that denied students
promotion because of their failure on a state test was a violation of the
due-process guarantees under federal and state law.  

While the group contends it is not against standardized testing, it has
attacked the Louisiana system as "unfair and punitive to students," writes
the paper, because students "have not been adequately prepared to pass the
exams."

In a unanimous opinion, the three-judge panel rejected the plaintiffs
appeal.  The group plans to appeal the ruling.

For more information, visit the U.S. Court of Appeals, fifth circuit, at
http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/.
 

*************************
COMMUNITY AND LOCAL NEWS
*************************


3.) ******** Streamline Testing:  Districts Cut Back On Exams
(Goal Three:  Student Achievement & Citizenship)

School districts nationwide are beginning to curtail testing as new federal
testing is introduced to schools (Galley, EDUCATION WEEK, 9/19).  Already,
Montgomery County, Maryland's, school board has decided to eliminate the
district's tests tied to its own curriculum.  Both Buffalo and Rochester,
New York, school districts also have "streamlined their testing to make way
for more state-mandated exams," writes the paper.

Kathy Christie, a policy analyst for the Denver-based Education Commission
of the States, said that "because [of the] time and money involved in
maintaining a multi-layered assessment system, more districts may decide to
pare down their testing," writes the paper.  

For more information, visit EDUCATION WEEK at http://www.edweek.com and
search for the 9/19 issue.


4.) ******** Revised Standards:  Indiana Schools See Passing Grades Lowered
(Goal Three:  Student Achievement)

Indiana's Governor's Education Roundtable agreed this month to lower the
academic bar for schools, reports the INDIANAPOLIS STAR (Solida, 9/27).  An
Indiana school with only half of its students passing state exams will be
categorized as making acceptable progress, under the "weakened"
accountability plan, reports the paper.  The plan delays implementation of
the accountability plan and changes the labels schools will be given for
their performance.

While educators favored the new plan, business leaders expressed concern.
"I have very deep concerns about this plan," said Chris La Mothe, president
of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and a roundtable member.  "The bar is too
low."

The education community argues, however, that they need more time to adjust
to the higher expectations.

For more information on Governor O'Bannon's education programs, visit
www.obannon-kernan.com.


*********************
FEDERAL POLICY NEWS
*********************


5.) ******** College Loans:  Default Rates Continue To Drop
(Goal Six:  Adult Literacy & Lifelong Learning)

The cohort default rate has fallen to the lowest rate ever:  5.6 percent for
FY99.  U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige credited the colleges and
universities that have worked diligently to reduce default rates at their
institutions. 

To illustrate the positive impact of increased accountability, Paige
announced that, for the first time, all 101 Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCUs) have lowered their default rates sufficiently to keep
them off the department's "watch list." By lowering default rates among
their students, the colleges will maintain their eligibility for financial
assistance, making it possible for the department to continue to offer
federal student aid funds to their students. 

Paige cited several activities that help to reduce default costs. For
example: 
* capture of income tax rebate checks, wage garnishments, legal proceedings,
and other collection tools have recouped over $2.5 billion in FY 2001; 
* the department's new data match with the Department of Health and Human
Services National Directory of New Hires, a database of all persons employed
in the U.S., has proven to be a successful new tool for collection and has
already resulted in an additional $130 million collected in FY 2001 from
defaulted borrowers; 
* the efforts by the secretary's team to improve the management of the
student financial assistance programs so that the programs are removed from
the U.S. General Accounting Office's government-wide list of "high-risk"
programs; 
* private lenders and state guaranty agencies have set up programs, such as
debt management, financial counseling and flexible repayment plans, that
provide assistance to "at-risk" borrowers to prevent default, preventing
more than $10 billion from going into default in FY2000; 
* flexible repayment options, such as graduated and income-sensitive
repayment plans, were enacted by Congress for all Federal loan programs in
the Higher Education Amendments of 1998; 
* the department recently held Default Prevention Day symposiums in cities
across the country to help more than 500 colleges develop successful default
management programs and share practices that have proven effective in
reducing the default rate; and, 
* the Student Loan Repayment Symposium brought together industry experts to
share best practices for improving student repayment and identifying
potential problems with financial aid administrators. 
For more information on individual school default rates, visit the
Department of Education at:
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/defaultmanagement/cdr.html 


6.) ******** Tolerance:  Paige Urges Schools To Prevent Harassment Of Muslim
& Arab-American Students
(Goal Seven:  Safe & Drug-Free Schools)

U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today called on educators to take a
leading role in the prevention of harassment and violence directed at
students perceived to be Muslim or Arab American. Citing news reports of
acts of intolerance, Paige wrote to the leaders of the nation's schools,
colleges and universities urging them to take important steps to protect
students from harassment and violence. 

"We are all committed to making sure our children across America can attend
school in a safe and secure environment free from harassment and threats,"
Paige said. "Today, I call upon school officials to work with students,
parents, and community groups, to ensure that harassment and violence have
no place in our schools." 

In his letter Paige urged school officials to make sure that assemblies,
classroom discussions and other school activities held to honor victims of
the tragedies do not inadvertently foster the targeting of Muslim or
Arab-American students for harassment. 

Paige said educators should: 

* Encourage students to discuss diversity constructively and to express
disagreement over ideas or beliefs in a respectful manner; 
* Have a system in place to intervene if particular students exhibit conduct
that could endanger others; and 
* Encourage all students to report threats of racial or ethnic harassment. 
For more information, visit the Department of Education at
http://www.ed.gov.


*********************************
RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PRACTICES
*********************************


7.) ******** Teens Speak Out:  How They Would Improve The Schools
(Goal Three:  Student Achievement & Goal Seven:  Safe & Drug-Free Schools)

Members of the Phoenix (Arizona) Youth and Education Commission, an advisory
council to the mayor, took part in a discussion with THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC
and 12 News to discuss ways to improve their schools (Bland, ARIZONA
REPUBLIC, 9/17).  Groups across the state are meeting to "talk about what
works and what doesn't in education," writes the paper.

Following are insights from the teens:

* students can't learn unless schools are safe and teachers are happy to be
there;
* teachers at their schools are tired, overworked and taking second jobs to
make ends meet;
* smaller classes would improve schools;
* the statewide AIMS test tests whether teaches can cram specific
information into their heads, not how much they know;
* the teens want up-to-date textbooks, a good library, computers and
enthusiastic teachers, not big-screen TVs in every classroom or huge
football arenas;
* lunch should be longer, at least an hour, with a healthy food choice
One student noted that keeping a closed campus at lunch might be a good
idea.

At her school, the student council plays music and recruits students to play
games and other activities.  She also sees "jocks talking to brainy kids,
Hispanics talking to African Americans."  She suggested that schools "should
do more of this, letting kids paint murals and plant trees," reports the
paper.  "Keep kids involved.  Keep them united, and then you won't have
fights or cliques or shootings," she suggested.

For more information, visit the ARIZONA REPUBLIC at
http://www.arizonarepublic.com.


8.) ******** A Shortage Of Principals:  California Reports
(Goal Four:  Teacher Education & Professional Development)

A survey conducted by the Association of California School Administrators
revealed that 90 percent of districts reported shortages of high school
principal candidates, with 73 percent reporting shortages of elementary 
principal candidates (Bell, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, 9/23).  

According to the report, while the California Commission on Teacher
Credentialing has more than 34,000 people on file with administrative
credentials in California, "more than enough to fill the 23,000 school
administrative positions," many of those educators are seeking
administrative positions as teacher mentors or curriculum directors, jobs
with less overall responsibility.

The paper writes that teachers in California and elsewhere have increasing
responsibilities with little support.  However, the "biggest hurdle" for
recruiting principals is salary, writes the paper.

For more information on school administrators, visit the American
Association of School Administrators at http://www.aasa.org.


*****************
FEATURE STORY
*****************


9.) ******** Infants And Toddler Care:  Need To Do More
(Goal One:  Ready To Learn)

Calling for a new social contract for children under three, some of the
nation's leading experts on early childhood argue for extending parental
leave to all working Americans, providing financial support during leave,
improving the quality of child care for babies and including the youngest
children in school readiness investments.

These are some of the findings and recommendations released in a new report
issued by The David and Lucile Packard Foundation.  "American families need
and deserve a far better array of caregiving options to choose among -
including paid parental leave and child care that is nurturing, trustworthy
and affordable," writes Richard Behrman, M.D., editor-in-chief of The Future
of Children, a journal of The David and Lucile Packard Foundation.  "We
argue that it is the role of government to see to it that families of all
income levels have equitable access to such supports."

The Packard report cites recent studies of the child care provided in
centers and home settings, including caregivers like grandmothers and family
friends.  Nearly half of the care received by infants and toddlers is just
fair or poor.

"It is time for a new social contract to improve care for our children from
birth to three to make sure they are getting the best start in life," said
Mary Larner, PhD, editor of the journal issue.  "The reality is that 61
percent of our nation's mothers work during these early years.  Mothers and
fathers with babies need support in the form of time, money and good child
care options as they make choices about the care their infants and toddlers
will receive.

A key recommendation of the report is that school-readiness investments
earmarked for children of preschool age should encompass the healthy,
well-rounded development of infants and toddlers.  "Children from birth to
three should not be forgotten as decision makers debate and discuss
'school-readiness' for four- and five-year olds," said Larner.  "Experiences
starting at birth shape a child's personality, social skills, and
self-esteem, and these are all factors in children's success in preschool
and beyond."

The report identifies needs of young children that "too often go unmet,"
including:

* babies need plenty of time to bond with mother or father in the first
year, even babies with single parents who are struggling to stay off
welfare;
* small groups are best for babies and toddlers - babies benefit most from
one-on-one time with a caregiver; toddlers need chances to explore, solve
problems and learn about the world
* caregivers of children under three must do more than change diapers and
keep children safe - they must understand how to encourage early learning
and language and recognize signs of developmental problems
"All caregivers - parents in their homes, child care centers and licensed
family child care providers, relatives and family friends - should be given
the informational and financial support they need to care for young
children," said Larner.

For more information visit the David and Lucile Packard Foundation at
http://www.futureofchildren.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 Acting Executive Director: John Barth 
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 Frank O'Bannon, IN (Chair,
2001); Jim Geringer, WY (Chair-elect); John Engler, MI; Jim Hodges, SC;
Frank	Keating, OK; Paul E. Patton, KY; Jeanne Shaheen, NH; Tom Vilsack,
IA;
U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman, NM; U.S. Senator Jim Jeffords, VT; U.S.
Representative George Miller, 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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