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--- Wednesday --- March 6, 1996 --- Vol. 6 --- No. 23 ---
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THE NATIONAL UPDATE ON AMERICA'S EDUCATION REFORM EFFORTS
A service of the National Education Goals Panel
__________ __________
CORNERSTONE FOR THE FUTURE | SPOTLIGHT |
First Lady Hillary Rodham | |
Clinton this Fri. will lead a | FASHION STATEMENT |
discussion on issues affecting | |
women and girls with students | School safety is a topic |
at Luther Jackson Middle School | hotly covered by the press |
in Falls Church, Va. Clinton's | and of great concern to the |
visit is in celebration of | general public, according |
International Women's Day. | to recent surveys. During |
At the event, Clinton will | 1993-1994, the installation |
preview a video made for middle | of metal detectors and em- |
and high school students that | ployment of security police |
highlights last Sept.'s Fourth | in public schools dominated |
World Conference on Women. The | the news in this area. |
video, "Cornerstone for the | |
Future," and the event are | This year's school safety |
sponsored by the National | trend is alternative |
Education Association, the | schools for disruptive |
Center for Policy Alternatives | youngsters and mandatory |
and the Sare Lee Foundation. | school uniforms. Public |
| schools nationwide are |
RIPPED TO SHREDS | studying the example of |
Mass. Senate President Thomas | Long Beach, Calif., which |
Birmingham ripped apart Gov | resorted to uniforms to |
William Weld's plan to cut | curb violence among stu- |
education spending by almost | dents over attire. |
$100M to create tax cuts | |
(Paige, BOSTON HERALD, 3/2). | So far, only anecdotal |
Birmingham called Weld's plan | evidence validates uniforms |
"shortsighted" and "counter- | as a deterrent to crime. |
productive." This latest | And critics contend that |
"salvo" is part of a battle | uniforms are unlikely to |
between Democratic lawmakers | improve lagging test |
and Weld over the governor's | scores. (#2) |
government reorganization plan. |_____________________________|
============== QUOTE OF THE DAY ==============
"Our intent is that if you cannot serve the Boston public
schools, we will let you go." -- Boston Deputy Superintendent
Janice Jackson, as the district begins principal evaluations.
(#6)
_______________________________________________________________
| 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 ONE: SCHOOL READINESS
SEPARATION ANXIETY: Head start splits from child-care. (#1)
GOAL SEVEN: SAFE SCHOOLS
UNIFORM UPDATE: More schools on board. (#2)
MONEY MATTERS
PLAY THE FLORIDA LOTTERY: Proceeds purchase textbooks. (#3)
CHARTING A NEW COURSE
CHARTER SCHOOLS: Legislation stalls in Ohio. (#4)
TIME AND LEARNING
SCHOOL PERFORMANCE: Georgia report cards track progress. (#5)
GOVERNANCE
PRINCIPAL EVALUATIONS: Ready, set, go, in Boston. (#6)
ACCOUNTABILITY COUNTS
STAGGERED SCHEDULE: A Cleveland experiment. (#7)
===== GOAL ONE: SCHOOL READINESS =====
*1 SEPARATION ANXIETY: HEAD START SPLITS FROM CHILDCARE
Moving New York's Head Start child-care program from the Human
Resources Administration to the city's new Administration for
Children's Services has released a barrage of criticism from
opponents who warn that the move could jeopardize both Head Start
and the program that provides comprehensive child care for the
city's poor (Sexton, THE NEW YORK TIMES, 3/3).
"Across the country, the trend is to build bridges between
Head Start and day-care programs, and now the opportunity for
doing that stands to be lost for the city," said Nancy Kolben,
executive director of Child-Care Inc., a nonprofit advocacy
organization. "It makes no sense to separate Head Start and day-
care programs. Keeping them together, in fact, is critical for
any serious effort at meaningful early-childhood development."
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani (R) changed the name of and
expanded the Child Welfare Administration to the Administration
for Children's Services (ACS). According to Nicholas Scoppetta,
the commissioner of the newly created ACS, the mayor gave the new
agency responsibility for Head Start because he considered the
program to be "children's services" and the day-care programs are
"public assistance programs," writes the paper.
Critics argue that placing Head Start, a federally funded
preschool education and health program, with the "enormous and
scandal-plagued child protection agency" could leave Head Start
underfinanced and neglected, reports the paper. They also fear
the move will reverse years of work aimed at merging federal and
city initiatives designed to provide low-income families with
better child care services. In addition, critics claim that
separating Head Start from the day-care programs would create
duplicate, costly bureaucracies, which contradicts Giuliani's
promise to streamline government, according to the TIMES.
Giuliani's move also runs counter to recommendations made
last month by a joint child-care task force convened by the City
Council and City Hall. The conflict has led some officials to
question whether the mayor has a coherent plan for accomplishing
his goal to care for and protect the city's children, writes the
paper.
"The decision to move Head Start flies in the face of the
city task force's recommendations," declared Sandy Socolar, a
child-care expert and member of the task force. The task force
completed its work last month and released its report Friday.
===== GOAL SEVEN: SAFE SCHOOLS =====
*2 UNIFORM UPDATE: MORE SCHOOLS ON BOARD
Public schools across the country are experimenting with a
uniform policy with the goal of restoring order and discipline to
classrooms (THE HARTFORD COURANT/AP, 3/3). "While it's clearly a
decision that has to be made community-by-community, and perhaps
building-by-building, there appears to be some anecdotal evidence
that they achieve more order, more discipline," said Hal Seamon,
deputy executive director of the National Association of School
Boards.
According to the paper, some parents, teachers and students
agree that uniforms help "curb" disputes that emerge over popular
clothes or tennis shoes. Others point out that uniforms "foster
discipline, self-esteem and school pride," writes the paper.
However, critics counter that uniforms are a fad that have
minimal impact on improving public schools. "It's not the
wearing of the uniform, but the shared vision and commitment to
making the school a better place," explained Robert Walter,
education professor at Temple U. The impact of uniforms on
student achievement may be difficult to assess because schools
that impose uniform policies also may put in place other reforms
that could lead to higher scores, notes the paper.
President Clinton elevated the uniform issue by supporting
it in his Jan. State of the Union address. Although he does not
intend to mandate public school uniforms or make federal funds
available for that purpose, he has issued a six-page primer about
model school uniform program across the country, writes the
paper. The U.S. DoEd prepared the report.
The National Association of Secondary School Principals'
also endorsed school uniforms. Seventy percent of the 5,500
principals in attendance "said uniforms would lower the incidence
of discipline and violent behaviors in their school," reports the
paper.
The COURANT highlights Long Beach, Calif.'s, 1994 decision
to mandate school uniforms. Last week a group of disadvantaged
families who claimed the policy discriminated against poor
children who could not afford the uniforms settled out of court
with the district over the uniform policy. District officials
agreed to do more to help students get uniforms and to inform
families of the option for an exemption from the uniform
requirement, reports the paper.
Although Chardon Middle School, located in Chardon, Ohio,
does not have a school uniform policy, school officials recently
banned students from wearing "baggy, droopy jeans," reports the
Cleveland PLAIN DEALER (Achkar, 3/4). Assistant Principal Hugh
Terrell last week sent a notice informing parents of the school's
decision, including notice of a federal court decision that
upheld a N.M. school's policy of outlawing baggy pants.
===== MONEY MATTERS =====
*3 PLAY THE FLORIDA LOTTERY: PROCEEDS PURCHASE TEXTBOOKS
Fla Gov. Lawton Chiles (D) is seeking a $73M increase for
books and instructional materials for the state's public schools
(Mailander, THE HERALD, 2\29). "It is time for Florida and
America to make a commitment to the most basic kind of education
reform -- providing textbooks and resource materials to children
in the classroom," Chiles said.
To avoid raising taxes to pay for the new materials, Chiles
wants to use state lottery profits. Chiles then wants to require
school officials to allocate more funds for textbooks and other
classroom materials, a requirement that reduces discretionary
spending for local schools, notes the paper.
A coalition of education groups support Chiles' textbook
initiative, including: the Florida PTA, Florida Education
Association/United, FLorida School Boards Association and the
Florida Association of District School Superintendents, writes a
Chiles press release (2/29). The release also notes that the
state spends on average about $44.51 per student for textbooks.
Chiles plan is partially a response to a national survey
conducted by the Association of American Publishers in which two
in five teachers report they do not have enough books for their
students. (See DRC 3/4) According to the survey, more than on in
six Fla. teachers use classroom textbooks that are more than 10-
year-old and nearly half report that many of their students do
not have texts to take home, making it difficult to assign
homework.
However, some educators note that books are not the only
valuable learning resource. "The trend is now that the textbook
is not the Bible," said Pines Middle School Principal Janet Holt.
Teachers now can facilitate student learning by using computer
links and first-hand student learning experiences, such as
discussing with real-life astronauts the orbiting space shuttle.
Despite the possibility of alternative learning resources,
educators speculate that most of the proposed money will be spent
on books, because it is still the preferred learning tool for a
majority of teachers.
Copies of the Association of American Publishers textbook
survey are available by calling Leila Keen at 212/255-0200.
===== CHARTING A NEW COURSE =====
*4 CHARTER SCHOOLS: LEGISLATION STALLS IN OHIO
The Ohio State House already has passed a controversial bill
establishing "community schools" also known as charter schools.
However, the Senate is delaying action on the bill (Lane, PLAIN
DEALER, 2/28). Gov. George V. Voinovich (R) decided to play
mediator, hoping to resolve conflicts over the proposed bill,
reports the paper.
Charter schools currently are allowed in 19 states. They
are public schools that develop their own teaching methods,
curriculum and budget "free from most of the state regulations
that govern other public schools," writes the paper.
Voinovich supports the legislation. However, opponents
including the Ohio Education Association fear that charter
schools would drain the limited funds available in the present
school system. The State Board of Education also is worried about
funding charter schools; they wonder which public authorities
would sponsor and monitor the new schools, notes the PLAIN
DEALER.
==== TIME AND LEARNING ====
*5 SCHOOL PERFORMANCE: GEORGIA REPORT CARDS TRACK PROGRESS
Ga.'s Council for School Performance last week released a
guidebook that can help parents find a five star education for
their children (White, THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 2/29). The
reports are "just what parents need," said former state PTA
President Janice West, who helped devise the content and format
of the report cards.
Ga.'s school systems are rated in 125 different categories
from dropout rates to math achievement in the first report cards
issued by the Council. "In each category, the district is rated
in relation to the state average and ranked on a scale of one to
five stars, comparing its performance to systems with similar
size, poverty levels and growth," writes the paper. Preparing
the report cards has taken two years because some districts could
not or would not provide all of the necessary information. For
example, scores were lower in Cobb, Henry, Decatur and Marietta
counties because school officials failed to report attendance
rates and discipline records.
The report cards revealed statewide strengths, including:
the top quarter of Ga. elementary pupils score as well as the top
quarter of pupils nationwide; though school safety problems are
highest in metropolitan areas of the state, they are low overall;
black students are equally likely to drop out of school as white
students, writes the paper.
Statewide weaknesses also were detailed in the report
cards. For example: one-fourth of all elementary school
students and one-third of all middle and high school students
miss 10 or more days of school each year; the average Ga. school
district loses 6.4% of its students in grades seven through 12 --
which may mean that 37% of entering seventh-graders drop out
before graduation; black students' academic achievement is
significantly lower than their white counterparts, and socio-
economic status does not completely account for the difference,
according to the paper.
The detailed reports are available for each district at the
local school board office, any regional library or the local
chamber of commerce. They are intended to be used with the state
DoEd's school-by-school reports.
==== GOVERNANCE ====
*6 PRINCIPAL EVALUATIONS: READY, SET, GO, IN BOSTON
Boston School Superintendent Thomas Payzant has begun
reviewing the performance of all public school principals and
will begin firing those who are not effective in May (Avenonso,
THE BOSTON GLOBE, 2/21). The assessment process, which began two
weeks ago, is part of a larger plan to reorganize school funds
and staff. "It's a reality check and I'm a little nervous, but
it's also a balanced, holistic way of looking at our
performance," said Alfredo Nunez, principal of the Louis Agassiz
School in Jamaica Plain.
Last month, Payzant outlined the review process that will be
used to renew principals' contracts. Principals are required to
write a 500 word essay describing their vision for their schools.
School administrators then discuss principals' performance with
parents, school staff and community members. In addition, the
schools' attendance records and student test scores are examined
by school officials, notes the paper.
Once schools have been reviewed, targeted schools will be
visited by "assessment teams" of educators and business leaders.
Principals on the verge of loosing their jobs will be interviewed
by Payzant or Deputy Superintendent Janice E. Jackson. "By doing
a deep review, we'll find out if something can be fixed or
whether we should cut the cord," Jackson said. "Our intent is
that if you cannot serve the Boston public schools, we will let
you go."
Past school superintendents have refrained from firing
principals due to strict union contracts that provided tenure to
school principals, explains the paper. However, Massachusetts'
1993 Education Reform Act removed principals from the collective
bargaining process, giving them the right to negotiate their own
one- to three-year contracts.
Principals are apprehensive about the review process because
school sources speculate that up to 20 of the system's 117
principals may be fired. "In the past, evaluation was one of
those things where you just get check marks on a paper," said
Charles McAfee, principals of the Clarence Edwards Middle School
in Charles town. "People often felt that principals could do
whatever they wanted and stay tenured."
Payzant's larger reorganization plan includes eliminating
middle managers and organizing elementary, middle and high
schools into school clusters that would be supervised by
principals. The plan would cut 55 administrative and support
service jobs located outside of schools. In addition, Payzant's
proposed 1997 budget calls for eliminating 112 school based jobs.
==== ACCOUNTABILITY COUNTS ====
*7 STAGGERED SCHEDULE: A CLEVELAND EXPERIMENT
The Chagrin Falls (Ohio) District may establish a staggered
high school schedule that offers three starting times and three
ending times (Grant, PLAIN DEALER, 2/28). The plan would allow
longer class periods that would mean more learning time for
students, reports the paper. In addition, the proposed schedule
would give teachers more time to spend with low-performing
students.
Principal David Abner is preparing the proposed schedule
that would coordinate the district's 532 high school students
and 42 teachers. Students would be on one of three schedules.
Some would start at 6:35 and finish school at 1:44. Others would
start at 7:28 and leave at 2:37. Some students would start at
8:23 and finish at 3:30. If the new schedule can be implemented
without having to hire more than two new teachers, it will go
into effect this fall, writes the paper.
The plan would extend class periods from 43 to 50 minutes.
Teachers would be able to cut their student load from 120 to 100
children. Other outcomes of the new schedule include: cafeteria
and study hall duties would be monitored by aides rather than
teachers, which would allow teachers to work with students who
needed extra help; the new schedule could spur innovations such
as "trans-disciplinary" instruction between classes that are
scheduled back-to-back, according to the paper.
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