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--- Wednesday --- February 7, 1996 --- Vol. 6 --- No. 12 ---
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THE NATIONAL UPDATE ON AMERICA'S EDUCATION REFORM EFFORTS
A service of the National Education Goals Panel
__________ __________
HOME ON THE WEB | SPOTLIGHT |
A new Web site is opening its | |
doors. The U.S. Departments of | A FUNDAMENTAL LESSON |
Labor and Education announced a | |
School-to-Work World Wide Web | Reading is fundamental |
site at http://www.stw.ed.gov. | for Texas Gov. George Bush. |
It will connect School-to-Work | Unfortunately, 25% of Texas |
state and local grantees, | elementary school students |
employers, schools, labor | are not able to pass the |
groups, parents, students and | state's reading tests. |
the general public "as they | |
work together to develop and | The Bush plan: A |
implement School-to-Work | literacy campaign that |
systems across the nation," | calls for creating reading |
writes a DoEd/DOL press | academies in public |
release. | schools; a training center |
The School-to-Work on-line | for reading teachers and a |
service includes: current news | statewide testing system |
and announcements about school- | that measures the reading |
to-work; school-to-work related | ability of students in the |
articles and publications; | early elementary years. |
access to other school-to-work | |
related Internet sites; | While Bush has not |
information on federally | written off adults, his |
approved school-to-work | focus clearly is on nipping |
technical assistance service | illiteracy in the bud. (#1) |
providers; and a "chat" room | |
for people interested in | However, the National |
school-to-work. | Institute for Literacy is |
For more information contact | awarding grants to programs |
The National School-to-Work | that reach out to illiter- |
Learning & Information Center; | ate adults. One purpose is |
400 Virginia Ave SW; Room 210; | to better connect adults to |
Wash., D.C. 20024; 800/251- | the world of work. (#3) |
7236; e-mail: stw-Ic@ed.gov. |_____________________________|
============== QUOTE OF THE DAY ==============
"We spend millions on remedial classes in high school, but that
is too late to fix the problem." -- John Cole, president of the
Texas Federation of Teachers, on illiteracy. (#1)
_______________________________________________________________
| A service of the National Education Goals Panel |
| Published by the Education Policy Network |
| 1255 22nd Street NW; Wash, D.C.; 20037; 202/632-0952 |
| The DRC hereby authorizes further reproduction and |
| distribution with proper acknowledgement. |
| Publisher: Barbara A. Pape |
Staff Writer: Elizabeth Gage |
|_______________________________________________________________|
============== TABLE OF CONTENTS ==============
GOAL THREE: STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND CITIZENSHIP
FIGHTING ILLITERACY: Gov Bush launches statewide effort. (#1)
GOAL FOUR: TEACHER EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
MAKING TEACHING A PROFESSION: NBPTS makes grants. (#2)
GOAL SIX: ADULT LITERACY AND LIFELONG LEARNING
NIFL: Strengthening the school-to-work connection. (#3)
GOAL SEVEN: SAFE SCHOOLS
SCHOOL DISCIPLINE: Stricter policies proposed in Md. (#4)
STATESIDE
SHIFTING SANDS: From local to state. (#5)
INCLUSION
PENNSYLVANIA SPECIAL ED INITIATIVE: It takes teamwork. (#6)
TIME AND LEARNING
YEAR-ROUND SCHOOLS: Md. may okay extending the year. (#7)
===== GOAL THREE: STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND CITIZENSHIP =====
*1 FIGHTING ILLITERACY: GOV BUSH LAUNCHES STATEWIDE EFFORT
Texas Gov George Bush (R) last week unveiled an aggressive
plan for tackling the state's illiteracy problem (Stutz, DALLAS
MORNING NEWS, 2/1). "Too many school children in Texas cannot
read," said Bush, referring to the quarter of Texas students who
are unable to pass the state's reading exams.
Bush called on schools to aspire to have all students read
at grade level by the end of the third grade, notes the paper.
Key Bush initiatives to assist each school's efforts to promote
literacy include: $35M from the state to create "reading
academies" in public schools to serve children struggling to
achieve literacy skills; $25M from the federal Goals 2000 program
to teach reading and basic skills to low-achieving kindergarten
through fourth-graders, with bonuses directed to schools that
demonstrate results; $1M of federal money targeted to a training
and development center for reading teachers; and development of a
testing system to "measure the reading ability of students in the
early elementary grades," reports the paper.
Bush called on the state to administer a grant from the
Barbara Bush Foundation, a philanthropy that supports family
literacy programs. The governor also urged volunteers from the
business community to provide assistance to the literacy effort.
Bush concedes that his plan focuses on the early grades, but
adds that schools "must do what they can for older students who
are deficient in literacy skills," reports the paper.
The NEWS notes that Bush's initiatives met with general
approval. "We spend millions on remedial classes in high school,
but that is too late to fix the problem," explained John Cole,
president of the Texas Federation of Teachers. State Board of
Education member Rosie Sorrels congratulated Bush for promoting
reading skills. "We have refused to set the right priorities for
too long," she said. "Reading has to be the first priority
because reading is the foundation of everything else that you
learn in school."
According to the HOUSTON CHRONICLE, Bush intends to
"blitzkrieg" the state with his message of literacy and quality
education (Walt, 1.21). Bush aide Karen Hughes explained that
those two issues will be the governor's top priorities during the
1997 legislation season, writes the CHRONICLE.
===== GOAL FOUR: TEACHER EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT =====
*2 MAKING TEACHING A PROFESSION: NBPTS MAKES GRANTS
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
(NBPTS) recently announced a $1,610,617, one-year contract
renewel to the Center for Educational Research and Evaluation in
the School of Education at the University of North Carolina
Greensboro (UNCG) (NBPTS Press Release 1/24/96).
The extended funding was granted to The Technical Analysis
Group (TAG) to continue a project to conduct research and provide
technical assistance to the NBPTS on teacher assessment and
certification issues. Dr. Richard Jaeger, a UNCG Excellence
Professor and director of the Center, is directing TAG.
TAG will work with assessment development laboratories that
are creating assessments for different subject areas including:
early childhood/generalist, middle childhood/generalist, early
adolescence, adolescence and young adulthood/art, adolescence and
young adulthood/mathematics.
The NBPTS seeks to establish high and rigorous standards for
what master teachers should know and be able to do, to develop
and operate a national, voluntary system to assess and certify
teachers who meet these standards, and to advance related
education reforms for the purpose of improving student learning
in American schools.
===== GOAL SIX: ADULT LITERACY AND LIFELONG LEARNING =====
*3 NIFL: STRENGTHENING THE SCHOOL-TO-WORK CONNECTION
The National Institute For Literacy has bestowed eight one-
year grants aimed at ensuring that literacy programs prepare
adults to fulfill their duties as parents, citizens and workers
(NIFL Newsletter, 12/95). The grants are part of a multi-year
initiative that will begin by reaching a consensus on what adults
need to know and be able to do.
Organizations that received the grants will use a framework
of four purposes for adult literacy, including: to gain access to
information; to give voice to ideas; to make decisions and act
independently; and to learn how to learn. These purposes are part
of a trend to strengthen the school-to-work connection, notes the
newsletter. They deviate from traditional definitions of adult
literacy by including skills used in the work place such as,
critical thinking, problem-solving, communication and team work.
Grantees will work with each other and with the NIFL to
develop long-range plans for reforming adult literacy programs.
The plans will address problems noted in the General Accounting
Office report to Congress entitled "Adult Education: Measuring
Program Results Has Been Challenging."
According to the newsletter, each plan will include a
process for using the our purposes to: define a set of
expectations for adult literacy; develop reliable methods of
assessing skills, knowledge and ability; identify the most
effective ways to help adults develop; and to establish
performance standards as a measure of a program's effectiveness.
The grantees will communicate through a special listserv on
LINCS, the NIFL's Literacy Information and Communication System.
For more information, contact Sondra Stein at (202) 632-
1508.
===== GOAL SEVEN: SAFE SCHOOLS =====
*4 SCHOOL DISCIPLINE: STRICTER POLICIES PROPOSED IN MD.
Teachers support legislation proposed by Maryland Gov.
Parris Glendening (D) to get tough on disruptive students
(Dishneau, THE WASHINGTON TIMES, 2/5). "We will no longer allow
one student to keep an entire class from learning. We will give
teachers back control of their classrooms," Glendening said in
his January State of the State address.
The law would give teachers a greater role in discipline
decisions, double the maximum suspension time to 10 school days,
and require counties to provide alternative classes and
counseling for students with chronic behavior problems. Senate
Bill 221 also would impose a code of student conduct, allow
searches for cigarettes, drugs and weapons, require restitution
for property damage and increase liability protection for staff
members who use physical force to prevent student violence,
reports the paper.
Proponents of the bill, including the state teachers union
believe the legislation would make schools safer by "attacking
bad behavior," according to the paper. Opponents of the bill
include county school boards concerned about cost, administrators
who do not want to share disciplinary power and civil
libertarians.
Frederick County, Md., offers an example of how the
Glendening administration plan would work. Disruptive students
who do not improve after suspensions and conferences are sent to
Heather Ridge, an alternative school for middle and high school
students operated by the county school board. Similar programs
exist in Baltimore City and 10 of Maryland's 23 counties. Some
counties deal with students with chronic discipline problems by
sending them to in-school learning centers, suspension rooms or
night or weekend classes. In addition some students are taught
at home by public school teachers, notes the paper.
The proposed legislation requires that a principal would
have to consult a student's teachers, counselors and parents or
guardians before allowing the student to return to class.
===== STATESIDE =====
*5 SHIFTING SANDS: FROM LOCAL TO STATE
A proposal floating in the Ohio Legislature calls for a
constitutional amendment to abolish most of the local property
tax that currently supports education, replacing it with funding
from the state income and sales taxes (Lane, Cleveland PLAIN
DEALER, 2/2). "The public -- whether in high-, medium-, or low-
property-wealth school district -- is convinced that the
residential and agricultural property taxes for schools are
unfair and produce inequity among districts," said Rep. Joan
Lawrence (R), sponsor of the plan. "I am convinced that this
amendment is needed to ensure equity for school children and
fairness for property taxpayers." Lawrence intends for her
amendment to be placed on a statewide ballot.
According to the paper, Ohio's current school finance plan
depends on both local and state taxes. However, property rich
districts are better adept at allocating a higher per-pupil
expenditure than disadvantaged communities. The resulting
spending inequalities caused a judge in 1994 to declare the
state's funding system unconstitutional. The decision currently
is under appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court, writes the paper.
Many lawmakers are skeptical of Lawrence's plan. "There's
some sympathy with the frustration over property taxes felt by
the citizenry," explained state Assistant Budget Director Paolo
De Maria. "But it doesn't sound as if this is the right
solution. We would have some reservations about the feasibility
of doing something like that," he added. Lawrence conceded that
her proposal would face "tough sledding" in the Legislature,
notes the paper.
Specifically, the Lawrence plan would finance public
education from an "education trust fund" that depended on 50% of
the state income tax, 40% of the state sales tax, lottery profits
and all business property tax, "to be levied at a uniform
statewide rate, on industrial commercial and public utility
property," reports the paper. All residential and agricultural
property tax for schools, save 18.5 mills, would be repealed,
under the proposal.
Lawrence maintains that no statewide tax hike would be
needed. However, DeMarie and Scott Borgemenke, top aide to
Senate Republicans, are doubtful that the state could handle the
entire financial responsibility for K-12 public education without
additional funds, reports the PLAIN DEALER.
==== INCLUSION ====
*6 PENNSYLVANIA SPECIAL ED INITIATIVE: IT TAKES TEAMWORK
Changes in Pennsylvania's special education regulations in
1990 called for schools to develop Instructional Support Teams
(ISTs) (Kovaleski, Tucker, & Stevens, EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP,
2/96). The teams were created to mobilize school resources to
better meet the needs of students with academic, social-emotional
or behavioral problems.
The Instructional Support Team Program (ISTP) is designed
to: assure that regular education services are properly used
before referring students for special education; provide peer
support for teachers; screen students who may need
multidisciplinary evaluation; and assist teachers who have
students with special needs.
ISTs work with students and other education professionals to
help teachers find solutions to instructional challenges,
explains the magazine. They do this through classroom-based
assessment and collaborative problem solving. IST were created by
educators and policymakers who claim that a student's inability
to succeed often is due to a lack of coordination between school
and community based services.
ISTs include the principal, the student's teacher, a support
teacher, parents and other specialist if needed. IST training
is "cost-effective, efficient, and transportable" because team
members are trained on-site by consultants from the Pennsylvania
DoEd, reports the magazine.
According to regulations, the ISTP is evaluated by on-site
visits by a three-person team in the school's second year in the
program. The evaluations are used to determine if schools or
districts need additional training. Schools that meet basic
requirements are able to use state special education funds for
IST expenses. So far, 98% of reviewed schools have met basic
validation requirements, according to ED LEADERSHIP.
IST schools must report outcome data as part of the state
validation process. Results to date reveal that: the longer a
school is involved in the program the more likely its teachers
will use the process; schools using ISTs have referral rates that
are on-third to one-half those of schools without the program;
and during a three-year period IST schools have reduced retention
rates by as much as 67%.
The Feb. issue of EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP is devoted to
students with special needs. For more information, contact the
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1250 N.
Pitt Street; Alexandria, Va. 22314-1453; 703/549-9110.
==== TIME AND LEARNING ====
*7 YEAR-ROUND SCHOOLS: MD. MAY OKAY EXTENDING THE YEAR
Local school districts in Md. may be given the option of
extending the school year, under a plan recommended by
Superintendent Carol Parham (Childress, WASH POST, 2/6). The
school board will hear the details of the plan this afternoon,
which Parham offered primarily as a way to increase student
achievement.
Md. has a history of experimenting with year-round
schooling, according to the paper. Former Gov William Donald
Schaefer's administration offered grants to schools systems that
piloted year-round schools. Six school systems in Feb. 1994
accepted the grants -- Allegany, Anne Arundel, Calvert, Howard,
Montgomery and Baltimore. The POST notes that Anne Arundel,
which received a $98,000 grant, is the first of the state's
Washington suburbs "to consider the plan solely as a way to make
academic improvements, rather than as a way to cut costs or ease
crowding." Baltimore's Robert Coleman Elementary School
implemented a year-round program. "For a variety of different
reasons, in other counties it was not seen as viable," said state
spokesman Charles Herndon. Nicole St. Pierre, an Anne Arundel
school board member conceded that "the downside of [year-round
schooling] is probably getting the community support for it."
However, parents from Van Bokkelen Elementary, near Fort
Meade, are interested in year-round schools as a way to get extra
help for their children. According to the paper, Van Bokkelen
was named one of the state's worst schools las month.
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