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--- Monday --- March 4, 1996 --- Vol. 6 --- No. 22 ---
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THE NATIONAL UPDATE ON AMERICA'S EDUCATION REFORM EFFORTS
A service of the National Education Goals Panel
__________ __________
GO LEFT, YOUNG MAN | SPOTLIGHT |
President Clinton's attempt | |
to move to the ideological | GOING TO THE DOGS |
center is not working; and | |
education issues illustrate the | Far too many American |
case (Devroy, WASH POST, 3/3). | students live each school |
Stronger forces are pulling | day in a time warp, reading |
him to the left. For example, | outdated texts that reveal |
while Clinton last week | stale historical "facts." |
promoted school uniforms for | For them, the Berlin Wall |
public school students and | stands and Nelson Mandela |
"more wholesome television fare | remains behind bars. (#3) |
for children," he also went on | |
record in opposition to a D.C. | A new survey conducted by |
school-voucher plan that was | the Association of American |
strenuously opposed by teacher | Publishers revealed that |
unions, notes the paper. | 25% of U.S. students use |
GOP leaders claim Clinton | outdated texts. Other |
will "talk the talk" of | findings: nearly 16% of |
political centrism but will not | teachers said students are |
"walk the walk" on the | without textbooks in class; |
legislative battlefield. The | nearly half said they don't |
POST reminds readers that this | assign homework because |
is, after all, a presidential | there aren't enough books; |
election year, and Clinton must | and seven in ten report |
work hard to appease the base | using their own money to |
of the Democratic Party. | buy classroom materials. |
A force to be reckoned with | |
for Democrats is the National | It's a sad state of |
Education Association, writes | affairs, says AAP's Rich |
the paper. Clinton to the NEA | Blake, who pointed out that |
when seeking their endorsement | in 1994 Americans spent |
in 1992: "When I become | $16B for pet food, but only |
president, I won't forget who | $2B for textbooks. |
brought me to the White House." |_____________________________|
============== QUOTE OF THE DAY ==============
"America spends more money on dogfood than on textbooks for our
kids." -- Rich Blake, vice president of the Association of
American Publishers. (#3)
_______________________________________________________________
| 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
THE MIDDLE GROUND: Combined approach to teaching reading. (#1)
MONEY MATTERS
NO SUBS: D.C. superintendent's budget-cut plans. (#2)
TAKING STOCK
TEXTBOOK TRAGEDY: Students struggle without books. (#3)
"BRINGING TOMORROW INTO FOCUS:" Demographic reports. (#4)
FROM COURTHOUSE TO SCHOOLHOUSE
RELIGION AND SCHOOL CHOICE: A constitutional matter. (#5)
HIGHER ED
NEXT CENTURY COLLEGES: Different from today. (#6)
UPDATE
SAY YES STUDENTS: Reality check. (#7)
===== GOAL THREE: STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND CITIZENSHIP =====
*1 THE MIDDLE GROUND: A COMBINED APPROACH TO TEACHING READING
Battles over how to teach reading and writing have not let
up steam over the last few decades. Some argue that phonics
should be used to instruct students, while others claim that a
whole-language approach is superior. Teachers at Beaumonde
Heights Junior Middle School in Etobicoke, Toronto, have adopted
an approach to language arts that combines elements of phonics
and whole language (Lewington, GLOBE AND MAIL, 2/22).
Beaumonde teacher Ellen Raymond uses a reading method that
incorporates direct teacher instruction, phonics, independent
reading, and parental involvement. For example, a lesson on the
letter "S" has Raymond holding up a cue card while her four-year
old junior kindergarten students slither around the class hissing
the letter S and acting like angry geese. Students then trace
the letter in the air and repeat the sound of the letter S in
unison. The lesson also requires students to work on individual
projects and read from a collection of literature books. "Free
flowing exercises look like the embodiment of whole language...
but with a dash of structure," writes the paper.
Dale Willows, a reading specialist at the Ontario Institute
for Studies in Education, explained that "over the past 10 years,
a whole generation of teachers have not known how they should
teach children to read...What's happening at Beaumonde Heights is
that they've gotten back on track in providing a balance of what
one needs."
British teacher Sue Lloyd developed the language arts system
used at Beaumonde. Her method resembles phonics with a twist.
Students learn the 26 letters and 42 sounds of the alphabet. All
letters and sounds are taught with an accompanying activity. For
example, they rub their tummy when they learn the letter M.
Instead of learning the letters in order from A to Z, the
students first learn the letters S,A,T,P,I,N. Theses letters are
taught first so that students can start to form and recognize
words, explains the paper.
Lloyd's method also includes "guided" reading and writing
lessons, activities, and projects, sometimes associated with
whole language. "We've tried to bridge the gap between the two
fighting factions," Lloyd said.
Proponents of whole language are skeptical about the return
to phonics and direct teaching. "Everybody is looking for a
quick fix for something that's incredibly complex," said U of
Manitoba education dean Judith Newman.
As the debate continues, provinces throughout Canada are
experimenting with combinations of the two instructional
techniques. Four Atlantic provinces are developing a curriculum
for literacy that asks teachers to employ a variety of teaching
techniques. Nova Scotia plans to release a document expressing
the appropriate use of phonics. However, Alberta officially
favors the use of phonics, although "teachers are also expected
to teach using semantics ... syntax ... and visual cues," notes
the paper.
===== MONEY MATTERS =====
*2 NO SUBS: D.C. SUPERINTENDENT'S BUDGET-CUT PLANS
D.C. School Superintendent Franklin Smith has proposed
eliminating substitute teachers as well as a variety of other
cuts in order to deal with the $27M school budget shortfall
(Brown, THE WASH POST, 2/29).
Smith's proposal to eliminate substitutes starting Monday
caused a panic, notes the paper. Without substitutes, students
could sit in auditoriums supervised by administrators or aides.
"Eliminating substitutes would have the same impact other cuts
will have: Children will not learn," complained school board
member Bernard Gray (Ward 6). "Not only will they have people
there who are not teaching them anything, we won't even have
someone there to baby-sit them."
Smith also proposed to end spending on professional
development and pre-kindergarten. He also called for closing 12
schools by June 1997 and increasing class size. Other items on
Smith's chopping block: out-of-town travel and conference fees
and educational aides except computer lab and attendance aides.
Smith's proposals are a response to last week's D.C. financial
control board's order to cut $17M from the budget by 1 Oct.
School board member, Jay Silberman said "obvious cuts" have
been made. "We are now looking at measures that directly affect
the classroom. I suppose we could not do any of those things and
close down schools early. These are 'Sophie's choice'-type
options that the city should not be facing."
"I know we are in a crisis here, and I know [the
superintendent] is trying to cut everywhere he can," said school
board Vice President Sandra Butler-Truesdale. "I'm not sure we
want to freeze substitutes. What would happen if someone is
sick?... What do we do for that class? Already, we are talking
about increasing the student teacher ratio. I think that would
be unfortunate."
Delabian Rice-Thurston, executive director of Parents
United, a school advocacy group: "These are very horrible
times...We've seen the results of what happens to children in
larger classes. They don't get the kind of attention they need."
Meanwhile, Democrats and Republicans in Congress continue to
argue over a school voucher proposal that would allow District
parents to use public money to pay for private school tuition,
reports the paper. Republicans maintain that vouchers would
force improvements in the public schools due to increased
competition. Democrats counter that vouchers would drain tax
money desperately needed by public schools.
===== TAKING STOCK =====
*3 TEXTBOOK TRAGEDY: STUDENTS STRUGGLE WITHOUT BOOKS
More than a quarter of American students use outdated
textbooks, and many have no books at all, according to a survey
released last week by the Association of American Publishers
(Innerst, WASH TIMES, 3/1). "Our survey found that America has a
terrible textbook shortage," said Rich Blake, vice president of
the AAP school division., "Maybe it's a case of mistaken
priorities -- America spends more money on dog food than we spend
on textbooks for our kids."
The TIMES writes that for many students "Germany is divided,
America and the Soviet Union are in a Cold War, and Mr. [Nelson]
Mandela is behind bars." The survey also revealed that: nearly
16% of teachers surveyed said students are without textbooks in
class; nearly 40% reported that not all of their students have
textbooks to take home; almost half said that they are unable to
assign homework because there are not enough books; 25% said they
are using textbooks more than 10 years old; and seven in ten
state that they use their own money to purchase classroom
supplies, writes the paper.
"I have to scrounge, beg, borrow or buy materials for my
class," said one Calif. teacher. "I spend about $2,000 of my own
money each year in my class," noted a Fla. teacher.
Teachers surveyed reported that "learning suffers when
textbooks are lacking," according to the TIMES. For example, 43%
of teachers said classroom disruptions occurred when students
were required to share books. More than a third of teachers said
they lose class time because they are forced to read aloud or
write on the chalkboard when there are not enough books for all
students.
The study also revealed that N.J. ranks first in per capita
textbook spending at $70.67, followed by N.M at $62.46. The
national average is $41.90, which includes private and public
schools, notes the paper.
The AAP survey of 2,000 elementary and secondary school
teachers was conducted from August to November 1995. The
National Education Association assisted in the survey design and
data collection.
Information on how to receive a copy of the survey will be
given in the Wed., 6 March DAILY REPORT CARD.
*4 "BRINGING TOMORROW INTO FOCUS:" DEMOGRAPHIC REPORTS
A peek into a demographer's crystal ball finds that America
is becoming less white and more ethnically diverse and ethnically
mixed, that the haves are diminishing and the have nots
escalating and that women are forced to combine the roles of
parent and breadwinner, writes Harold Hodgkinson in his new
report "Bringing Tomorrow Into Focus." "The present usually
blinds our view of the future," he pens. "But demography gives
us a way to peer over the present into the future."
The report touches on world demographics, changes in the
U.S. population, including the American family, aging, diversity,
community and work and Hodgkinson's "three economies" and social
indicators.
Hodgkinson, co-director of the Center for Demographic Policy
in Wash. D.C., declares that the U.S. is becoming the first world
nation, where "the racial/ethnic lines that divide us are
becoming blurred and scientifically nonsensical, even as we
continue our belief in them." He writes that "while we have been
a nation of whites and blacks," record-high immigration rates is
pushing America to become a world nation. Only 15% of recent
immigration is from Europe, he reports. The remaining immigrants
hail from South and Central America and Asia.
The success rates of these new immigrants are similar to
those of European immigrants arriving in the U.S. from 1900-1910.
According to Hodgkinson, over 30% of black and Hispanic
households are "solidly in the middle class and living in the
suburbs." Asian rates are even higher. Hodgkinson predicts that
by 2030, most of America's schoolage chidlren will be "minority,"
as will most Americans by 2050.
Another trend in America is the number of people who move
each year. According to Hodgkinson, eighty million Americans
moved between 1985 and 1990. Most of these movers left small
towns, rural areas and center cities to move to the suburbs,
"where over half of Americans now live." Hodgkinson points out
one rule of demographics: "'movers' are younger and better
educated than 'stayers.'"
An increase in the number of single-parent families is the
biggest family change in America, notes Hodgkinson. One in three
babies born in 1993 had a single mother; in 1980, the rate was
one in five, he writes. Half of the single mothers in 1993 were
never married, while the vast majority of single mothers in the
past were divorced. Hodgkinson: "Thus, for large numbers of
people, marriage is no longer a precondition for procreation."
Economic necessity is one of the major reasons for this
change in family structure, according to Hodgkinson. Yet,
trouble arises when there is no "spare adult" to keep a watchful
eye on children home from school. Hodgkinson cites a National
Institute for Drug Abuse report that found a doubling of the risk
of involvement in dangerous drugs among children left home alone
for 10 hours a week, regardless of ethnic background, household
income or location. Hodgkinson: "Seen in this light, flextime
programs are not just a convenience. They are a necessity if we
are to reduce the number of kids involved with drugs including
alcohol."
Hodgkinson also points out that most Americans are
uninterested in youth issues, primarily because: the percentage
of our society that is under 18 has declined from 34% in 1970 to
26% in 1990 and only one household in four has a child in public
school.
Another finding: "In 1993, for every new job for a computer
programmer, the U.S. generated 11 new jobs for cashiers, or 10
new jobs for janitors." Hodgkinson notes several of the
occupations that employed the largest number of U.S. workers in
1994, including retail salespersons, janitors, maids, room
cleaners and general managers. "With the exception of general
managers, all of the rest of the largest job categories can be
performed by high school dropouts," he writes.
Hodgkinson also points out a burgeoning gap between the
wealthy and the working poor, as the "middle of the income stream
is declining." While that trend causes more parents to insist
their children enroll in college, Hodgkinson finds that colleges
can no longer be seen as a "condition for the good life." And
enrollment caps often preclude minority high school graduates
from entering college.
Hodgkinson and Janice Hamilton Outtz also published
"Hispanic Americans: A Look Back, A Look Ahead." The report
presents data on the rapidly growing Hispanic-American
population, including information on where Hispanic Americans
live, labor force participation and occupation and the Hispanic
family. One section covers Hispanics and the education system.
"Bringing Tomorrow Into Focus" and "Hispanic Americans" are
available for $15.00 each by contacting the Institute for
Educational Leadership, Inc.; 1001 Connecticut Ave. NW;
Washington, D.C. 20036.
===== FROM COURTHOUSE TO SCHOOLHOUSE =====
*5 RELIGION AND SCHOOL CHOICE: A CONSTITUTIONAL MATTER
State ex rel Tommy G Thompson v. Jackson and Milwaukee is
the latest case before the Wisconsin Supreme Court concerning the
struggle of inner-city parents to achieve greater choice in their
children's education, editorializes Marshall Breger and Robert
Destro, professors at the Columbus School of Law, The Catholic U
of America (W.S. JOURNAL, 2/28 ). According to the professors,
parents have learned if they do not have control over the money
that buys their child's education then they do not have much
control over the education their child receives.
The case raises a key legal question: How much choice shall
Milwaukee's parents have in the education of their children?
state the authors. In 1992 the Wisconsin Supreme Court, in Davis
v. Grover, supported the decision to let disadvantaged parents
have the same right to buy their child's education as more
affluent Milwaukee residents. However, the one caveat was that
parental choice was limited to public and private non-religious
schools. The Thompson case questions whether complete freedom of
choice is forbidden by either the Wisconsin or U.S.
constitutions, explains the authors.
Public school monopolists cling to the First Amendment,
separation of church and state, as an argument against full
freedom of choice, pen Breger and Destro. However, the Supreme
Court asserts that when a student or parent makes a choice of
school and the program is open to all "without regard to the
choice of otherwise qualified educational institutions available,
the First Amendment does not require that religious affiliated
institutions be treated like pariahs," Breger and Destro write.
As long as the parent or student (if college aged) is making
the decision about where money will be allocated, the choice of a
religiously affiliated school, versus a private or public
institution should not matter, they claim . For example, in
Witters v. Washington Department of services for the Blind, the
U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment did not
prohibit the state of Wash. from paying tuition for a blind
student who choose to attend divinity school who otherwise was
qualified for public financial assistance.
Breger and Destro hold that the Wis. state constitution
should be interpreted in the same manner as the U.S. Constitution
in the Witters case. If the Wisconsin Supreme Court rejects the
current choice plan that includes parochial schools, it must
prove that the state constitution requires religious
discrimination. This logic clearly violates state and federal
constitutions, writes the authors. That is, if the state allows
school choice to all schools but those that include religion as a
component of education of the young then the state is making an
unconstitutional claim about the role of religion in education,
according to Breger and Destro.
The only appropriate argument for opposing Wisconsin's
proposed school choice plan is to claim that the concept of a
state-run public school is the only institution capable of
propagating our shared traditions, culture and commitment to
democracy, according to Breger and Destro. However, since people
running public, private and parochial schools are all Americans
dedicated to education, then why not work together to create a
core curriculum that will support the central elements of our
society, they query.
===== HIGHER ED =====
*6 NEXT CENTURY COLLEGES: DIFFERENT FROM TODAY
College students of the future will not need to leave their
rooms to attend class, and they may take classes from professors
in another state or country via the Internet. Higher education
experts predict there will be more college students with greater
ethnic diversity that will take classes in venues "unheard of a
generation earlier." (Richardson, SACRAMENTO BEE, 2/11).
In the Sacramento area, the number of new students in the
next century is expected to be approximately 133,000. This
estimate may increase by 28,500 each decade as the population
continues to grow, writes the paper. How colleges and
universities deal with population growth is critical to both
students and the economy, notes the paper.
Colleges historically have served as a means to achieve
higher socio-economic status. Experts concur that this trend
will continue and intensify as people rely on schools for
workforce retraining programs targeted to people who more often
change careers and adapt to new technologies, reports the paper.
However, colleges and universities will face more
competition in the future due to the growth in numbers of
vocational and technical training institutes, according to the
BEE. As a result, students will have more choices. The paper
writes that some choices will not be based on campus buildings
and governing boards of trustees, rather students may attend
"virtual schools" through computers and TV networks.
California State U Sacramento has joined 16 universities in
Asia and Europe to produce an economic development class taught
via the Internet. Los Rios Community College already holds
classes at 100 non-campus sites, including shopping centers and
workplaces. And CSU Sacramento intends to transmit classes to
schools in Northern California starting next semester, at a cost
of $2.4M. Rising costs are and will continue to be a challenge to
institutions as they try to meet future high-tech demands, writes
the paper.
Colleges and universities also will pursue creative
financing methods and continue to seek large private donations
form industry and entrepreneurs, predicts the paper. For
example, CSU Sacramento is running a $50M fund-raising campaign.
Los Rios recently agreed to train technicians for Ford and
Toyota.
"Universities will play a far more significant role in the
cultural life of the region," said Donald Gerth, president of CSU
Sacramento.
=== UPDATE ====
*7 SAY YES STUDENTS: REALITY CHECK
Nine years ago, multi-millionaire George Weiss and his wife
Diane created the Say-Yes to Education Program to provide college
tuition for 112 students from Philadelphia's Mantua area. The 112
students were sixth-graders at Belmont Elementary School when the
Weisses extended their offer. Today, of the 30 students who were
accepted to college, only 16 are enrolled in four year colleges.
The Weisses wanted to help disadvantaged students achieve
the dream of a college education. They modeled "Say Yes" after
the "I Have a Dream" program established by Eugene Lang, a New
York manufacturer, that offered free college education to the
graduates of the East Harlem elementary school that he had
attended. They selected Belmont Elementary, located in an
"economically and socially ravaged," neighborhood in Mantua, fit
the criteria, writes the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER (Mezzacappa,
2/25).
However, the Weisses did not anticipate many of the problems
they would confront, writes the paper. For example, out of the
112 sixth-grade students selected for the program 44 were in
special education. Inaccurate assumptions about available
resources also created stumbling blocks for the Weisses. For
example, they presumed that community social services would work
with them to achieve program goals. They also assumed that the
school district would give the Belmont students extra help and
attention. Another false assumption was that families would
support the students and help them achieve the dream of a college
education, according to the paper. The reality: Say Yes had to
pay for tutors, counselors, SAT prep teachers, job internships
and other unexpected, but necessary services.
Despite the valiant efforts of the Weisses and their support
staff, plus the $3.5M Weiss has spent in the last nine years, the
road to college has proven to be long, difficult and almost
impossible for the 112 Belmont students, notes the paper. One of
the biggest barricades to college-bound students was the
inadequacy of their public school educations, according to the
paper. All 30 students required at least one remedial course,
usually in basic English composition.
Many Belmont collegians also lacked the emotional maturity
and responsibility necessary to succeed in a university setting.
Yet, some students did succeed in college. Most notable is
Jarmaine Olivary who is pursuing a double major in physics and
aerospace engineering at Tuskegee U. He maintains a 3.4 grade-
point average and plans to pursue a Ph.D. at CalTech or MIT. Like
other students who have succeeded in college, Jarmaine has a very
supportive parent.
In a recent article, Say Yes Executive Director Norman
Newberg Say Yes acknowledged that Belmont students had too many
problems that impeded the path to college. However, Newberg
called the program a success because 55% of the Belmont Say Yes
students graduated from high school compared to the 28% high
school graduation rate of the preceding Belmont class that did
not participate in Say Yes.
Debra Weiner of the Philadelphia Scholars Fund said maybe
the Weisses were "naive...They thought that given the right kind
of support and financial incentives, any kid could develop
aspirations for college. None of the other college-prep programs
take on that population."
Jarmaine Ollivierre would probably disagree with Weiner's
statement. "People say,'I'm from this type of neighborhood, I
have the right to be this way.' This is not intelligent
thinking... You make who you are-the environment does not make
who you are."
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