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--- Monday --- April 22, 1996 --- Vol. 6 --- No. 37 ---
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THE NATIONAL UPDATE ON AMERICA'S EDUCATION REFORM EFFORTS
A service of the National Education Goals Panel
__________ __________
THE FLYING NUN | SPOTLIGHT |
Enrollment in Catholic | |
schools is soaring, according | TRAINING IS EVERYTHING |
to the National Catholic | |
Educational Association | Computers in the |
(Ponessa, ED WEEK, 4/17). | classroom, extended class |
Sister Catherine McNamee, | time and other education |
president of the 200,000-member | innovations are all for |
group, announced that 2.6 | naught if teachers are not |
million students are enrolled | properly trained. |
in Catholic schools this year, | |
an increase of nearly 17,000 | While more and more |
students over the last year. | schools are getting wired |
The NCEA survey also found | for computers, that does |
that Catholic pre-school | not ensure the technology |
enrollment skyrocketed by more | will be used in the class- |
than 459% since the 1982-1983 | room. "Teachers will have |
school year. | to get as comfortable with |
Other findings: minorities | computers as blackboards, |
comprise 25% of Catholic school | or it all will be a waste |
enrollment; over 90% of | of money," says Richard |
Catholic school teachers are | White, of the Chicago |
laypeople; nearly half of the | public schools. (#5) |
teachers surveyed hold graduate | |
degrees; and teachers listed | Another hot trend is |
"gospel values" and "parental | extending class time from |
involvement" as the two most | the traditional 50 minutes |
important benefits of a | to 90 minutes. But |
Catholic school education. | teachers have found that |
"... Even though we have a | unless they are prepared to |
vast majority of laypeople, | develop lessons that offer |
they reflect the ideals and | more than lectures, the |
strong mission" of Catholic | students will "eat you |
schools, said an NCEA | alive. (#6) |
spokeswoman. |_____________________________|
============== QUOTE OF THE DAY ==============
"We felt that public education really needed a kick in the butt."
-- Roger Sitkin, a San Carlos, Calif., parent, whose children now
attend a charter school. (#4)
_______________________________________________________________
| 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
"WORKING WELL:" Minn.'s enrollment options program. (#1)
STATESIDE
DANIELS VERSUS EDGAR: Ill's House Speaker wins on ed bill.(#2)
HIGHER EDUCATION
MINORITY SCHOLARSHIPS: Beginning of the end in Texas?. (#3)
CHARTING A NEW COURSE
COMING HOME: Charters pull kids back to public schools.(#4)
BYTES AND PIECES
A REVOLUTION-IN-WAITING: High tech in the classroom. (#5)
TIME AND LEARNING
MORE TIME FOR CLASS: An emerging school trend. (#6)
===== GOAL THREE: STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND CITIZENSHIP =====
*1 "WORKING WELL:" MINN.'S POST-SEC ENROLLMENT OPTIONS PROGRAM
A recent investigation conducted by the Minn. legislative
auditor's office found that the state's post-secondary enrollment
options program is "working well," notes Joe Nathan, director of
the Center for School Change at the U of Minnesota's Humphrey
Institute of Public Affairs (SAINT PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 3/11).
The Enrollment Options program emerged as part of Gov Rudy
Perpich's 1985 "Access to Excellence" legislative package of
school reforms. Under the program, the state's 11th- and 12th
grade public school students can enroll in nonsectarian courses
at post-secondary schools at state expense. Students and their
parents must complete an admission application form and present
the form plus their high school transcript to their postsecondary
school of choice. It is up to the postsecondary school to accept
or reject the high school student. A student can choose to
enroll for postsecondary or secondary credit; however, the state
will only pay for secondary credit.
Nathan notes that the program was criticized by some public
school administrators who were dismayed that their district would
lose state dollars attached to the high school students who
decided to attend a college or university. Nathan: "But the
report found that fewer than one-third of the 401 secondary
administrators surveyed said it had an 'overall negative impact
on secondary schools.'"
According to the report, 52% of public school administrators
said the program increased cooperative efforts between school
districts and post-secondary institutions. Nathan reports on St.
Paul's Highland Park High School, which developed cooperative
courses with the U of Minn in 1985. Pete Holden, a Highland Park
counselor, remarked that most of the students who participate in
the program are high achievers who may be seeking more challenge.
Holden: "They're much more comfortable at college."
Nathan also reports on the experience of Duluth Central
students and administrators. Jim Turchi, a Duluth Central
counselor, agreed that the "program works well for students who
have run out of courses at high school, or who can't fit
something into their schedule." However, he also noted that some
parents "pressure" students to participate in the program to save
money, writes Nathan. Turchi cautions parents that "college is
different. Students are on their own. Young people who are not
ready for college can have real problems."
Other findings from the report: 73% of participating
students said they were "very satisfied" with their experience;
95% of parents of participating students would encourage their
children to do it again; and students have a higher grade point
average than freshmen at all post-secondary institutions, except
technical colleges, writes Nathan.
The report recommends that more information be made
available about the program for students, especially
disadvantaged students. Rep. Mindy Greiling (DFL) lauded a
program sponsored by the Urban Coalition and the U of Minnesota's
Center for School Change that "helped students who had dropped
out of school learn about educational options, including the
post-secondary program," writes Nathan.
Nathan concludes that the post-secondary enrollment options
program "has helped students and helped produce broader
improvements. Not bad."
===== STATESIDE =====
*2 DANIELS VERSUS EDGAR: ILL'S HOUSE SPEAKER WINS ON ED BILL
Ill. House Speaker Lee Daniels (R) emerged the winner in a
battle with Gov Jim Edgar (R) over school-funding issues. The
state House last week passed Daniel's $500M school funding plan,
which unlike Edgar's would not raise taxes (multi cites). Edgar
charged that Daniels' plan is based on "smoke-and-mirrors"
budgeting.
Daniels' comes up with the $500M needed to fund his plan by
delaying payment of state bills, keeping less cash in reserves
and hiring fewer state employees than Edgar requested, writes the
Chicago SUN TIMES (McKinney, 4/17). The bill provides for $412M
to be set aside for basic grants of $225 to $250 per pupil for
local school districts to allocate to technology or classroom
programs or give back to residents as property-tax relief,
reports the Chicago TRIBUNE (Christian, 4/9).
An Edgar aid said the governor has "serious problems with
this proposal," mainly because it does not guarantee property-tax
relief. Mike Lawrence, the Edgar spokesman, added that the
Daniel proposal "does nothing to make school funding more
equitable. I don't believe it will end up on [Edgar's] desk."
The SUN TIMES reminds readers that last month Daniels
"helped scuttle" Edgar's proposed constitutional amendment that
would have "laid the groundwork" for a $1.9B tax increase to be
used for $1.5B in property tax cuts and $400M in school funding
increases. Daniels bill is labeled as a "politically safe option
that does not call for a tax increase," according to the TRIBUNE.
However, the paper also claims that the Speaker's bill "fails to
address the fundamental funding problems plaguing the state's
school districts," nor does it "alleviate the state's over
reliance on local property taxes to fund schools." The TRIBUNE
describes Edgar's plan as one that "called for a state income-tax
hike, partially offset by property-tax relief."
Daniels' bill now is in the Senate.
===== HIGHER EDUCATION =====
*3 MINORITY SCHOLARSHIPS: BEGINNING OF THE END IN TEXAS?
Texas Commissioner of Higher Education Kenneth Ashworth's
decision last week to discontinue the state's minority
scholarship program underscores the feeling of uncertainty in the
higher education world over the future of affirmative action.
Ashworth's ruling came on the heels of a "landmark" federal court
decision that outlaws public universities in Texas, La., and
Miss., to use race-based admission policies "to create a racially
diverse student body," writes the WASH POST (Sanchez, 4/17).
Last month, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected
the U of Texas law school admission process, which means the
state no longer can "implement its federally imposed plan to
desegregate its higher education system," reports the HOUSTON
CHRONICLE (Ackerman, 4/15). "We have to abide by the new law,
but I don't like it," said Ashworth. "If the ruling holds and we
don't find some way to work around it, Texas will be badly
damaged, given the role our program plays in enrolling minorities
who will go on to make up so much of the state's 21st century
workforce."
"I think [Ashworth] is going overboard," complained Al
Kauffman, head of the Mexican-American Legal Defense Fund in San
Antonio. "The 5th Circuit ruling said the UT law school
admissions process was discriminatory. It didn't say that no
government body in Texas can consider race in their scholarship
decision," he added.
Texas Southern U President James Douglas also was dismayed
over Ashwoth's decision, according to the CHRONICLE. According
to the paper, TSU, an historically black college, "benefit[s]
greatly" from extra funds it receives under the Texas Access and
Equity Plan.
The POST reports that although the court ruling applied only
to the admissions process of colleges in three states, many
higher education officials predict the ruling will have a ripple
effect on colleges and universities nationwide. "There's a lot
more apprehension out there now about trying to preserve
affirmative action," said Gay Clyburn, spokeswoman for the
American Association of State Colleges and Universities. "It
seems to be getting more and more difficult."
Ga.'s state attorney general last week cited the 5th Circuit
Court of APpeals' ruling when he recommended public universities
eliminate all race-abased admission and student financial aid
policies, writes the paper.
David Merkowitz, a senor official with the American Council
on Education, said there is uncertainty about "where the Supreme
COurt will come down on this issue." He added: "And even with a
favorable ruling, that won't necessarily stop the political
attacks we're seeing on affirmative action."
Ashworth described the bind he was in to follow two
competing directives: the court ruling and the U.S. Office of
Civil Right's edict to address the vestiges of a dual higher
education system, reports the CHRONICLE. He decided to take the
side of the court ruling since it is more current. He also
expressed his concern that violators of the ruling would not
receive state immunity, writes the paper.
Ashworth said he would restore the Texas Plan if the state
wins a stay while the case is under appeal to the U.S. Supreme
Court.
===== CHARTING A NEW COURSE =====
*4 COMING HOME: CHARTERS PULL STUDENTS BACK TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Charter schools in Calif. are luring many students back into
the public school system, according to the New Orleans TIMES
PICAYUNE (Aratani, 4/14). "We felt that public education really
needed a kick in the butt," said Roger Sitkin, a San Carlos,
Calif. "And it's getting that in San Carlos."
Five families whose children were either home-schooled or
attended private schools have enrolled their children in the San
Carlos Charter Learning Center, and 140 parents of private school
students have re-enrolled their children in Palisades public high
school, located near Los Angeles. "Parents feel things are
happening, things are getting done," said Palisades Principal
Merle Price.
Charter schools were developed to free public schools from
traditional constraints, and to give parents, teachers and
administers the flexibility of self-government which allows them
to better serve the communities' needs, notes the paper.
Several research organizations report positive findings on
charter schools, writes the paper. According to a study by
WestEd, a San Francisco education research group, "charter
schools experiment with innovative teaching more than other pubic
schools," the paper writes. The Washington, D.C.-based Hudson
Institute concluded that charters show an "uncommon level of
commitment to their educational approaches."
Charter schools have sundry missions and methods of
teaching, reports the paper. For example, San Carlos parents
helped write the curriculum and are required to spend time in the
classroom. The center also offers daycare before and after
school and sometimes on school holidays. A biologist with a
masters degree and professional experience, but no teaching
credential, is on staff.
However, many of the characteristics parents say they value
such as enthusiastic teachers, technology and strong parent
involvement can be found at regular public schools, the paper
reports. Former state Senator Gary Hart (d), who sponsored
legislation in 1992 authorizing charter schools in Calif.,
acknowledged that there are "some outstanding public schools."
He added: "But there are a lot that are perceived by the public
as not having much to offer. In some cases it's an unfair,
impression but it's there."
Calif. has fulfilled the 100-campus cap on charter schools
and there is a waiting list of schools seeking charter status.
However, proposals to increase the cap have been attacked by
teacher unions who oppose charters because they "aren't subject
to collective bargaining agreements," reports the paper.
===== BYTES AND PIECES =====
*5 A REVOLUTION-IN-WAITING: HIGH TECH IN THE CLASSROOM
The promised high-tech revolution in American classrooms
"isn't upon us," despite efforts by educators and politicians to
give every student a ride on the Information Highway (Kaplan and
Rogers, NEWSWEEK, 4/22). However, the problem is not computers
themselves, writes the magazine. "If a child can't read and do
his math at the end of the year, would you blame the pencil?"
queries Apple vice president Terry Crane.
Instead, the magazine claims the "crisis of computers and
education" can be blamed on the "good old 20th century problem of
lousy planning and bad management." An obvious problem is the
lack of training for teachers, most of whom are not yet
sophisticated computer jocks. "Teachers will have to get as
comfortable with computers as blackboards, or it all will be a
waste of money," said Richard White, technology administrator for
Chicago public schools.
A quandary faced by educators and the "sugar-daddy
companies" that want to wire every school is how best to use
computers in the classroom, reports the magazine. From NEWSWEEK:
"They know that making students proficient players of 'Doom'
isn't the goal. But what is? Drill-and-kill memorization in
arithmetic and spelling? Learning how to design a warm house in
Antarctica? Or just making fourth graders more computer-literate
entrants in the job market in 2010?" Another dilemma faced by
teachers: how to measure computer success. "A lot of people
advocating the new technologies haven't thought real hard about
the goals," said Martha Stone Wiske, co-director of Harvard's
Educational Technology Center. "They're well-meaning folks who
simply think computers are a stepping stone to modernity."
NEWSWEEK cites one class at Riviera Middle school in
suburban Miami that "devoted its 20 new Macintoshes not to
gathering information but to designing cooler report covers."
The teacher, who blamed herself, said "If I didn't say,'Save
graphics until the very end,' they'll spend the whole time
playing with fonts." From the magazine: "Educators agree that
computer literacy doesn't necessarily generate the traditional
kind."
Studies show that teachers are not getting the training they
need, reports the magazine. A 1995 federal report revealed that
states currently allocate about 15% of their "edutech" budgets
toward staff development. The report recommended that the
percentage be doubled.
Besides teacher training, another classroom-technology
problem is what to buy, writes the magazine. NEWSWEEK: "The
technology changes so quickly that by the time the bureaucrats
make a decision the equipment they buy is obsolete." And few
schools are constructed to allow for the demands of installing
high-tech equipment. Chicago's DuSable High School, located in a
disadvantaged community, is an example of a school that is fully
wired, with every students set up with an Internet account,
reports the magazine.
NEWSWEEK includes a brief guide for parents to assess
whether their child's school knows what to do with computers.
Questions for parents to ask include: "Can the teachers use the
equipment?; What are the computers used for? Skip drill-and-kill
applications. Look for problem-solving and exploration; Is there
full access to the Internet?; and is the technology up to date."
==== TIME AND LEARNING ====
*6 MORE TIME FOR CLASS: AN EMERGING SCHOOL TREND
More schools are experimenting with changes in class
schedule in an attempt to boast student achievement (O'Harrow and
Bates, WASH POST, 4/22). According to the paper, "the idea is to
interrupt the school day as little as possible, tone down the
frenetic pace of high school life and widen the range of learning
techniques."
Several examples of Washington, D.C.-area classrooms that
are moving away from the traditional 50-minute class include:
West Springfield High School in Fairfax County, Va., where
juniors in an American civilization take part in a 90-minute
American civilization class; Prince George's (Md.) Potomac High
school, where in a lengthened social studies class students
"heard a lecture about the federal court system and then worked
in small groups to talk about the death penalty and start[ed]
writing speeches on the issues covered;" and D.C.'s Wilson High
School, where a sophomore biology class discussed cell
respiration on the same day they conducted an experiment, writes
the POST. "You cover more in a 90-minute period," said Wilson
biology teacher Gloria Gibson. "It provides consistency. It
makes for a much better presented lesson."
According to the POST, more than 40 Washington area high
schools have discarded the old block-schedule system in favor of
longer classes. The paper also notes that students take only
four classes, instead of the typical seven- or eight-class day,
when class time is extended. Some educators criticize this
trend. "In mathematics, we have so much to cover in so little
time," said Hazel Orth, a math teacher at Langley High School in
Fairfax County, Va. "It takes more work to keep [students] from
turning off."
Even advocates concede that the new scheduling has its
drawbacks. "The teacher has to plan more meticulously," said
Glynn Bates, principal at West Springfield. "You can't stand and
lecture for 90 minutes. What teachers found is you don't
survive. The kids eat you alive."
Ron Maggiano, a history teacher, and Sandy Lind, an English
teacher, both at West Springfield, depict what teachers need to
do to make extended classes work. According to the paper, they
"create lessons that force students to participate actively
through group discussions, presentations to the class and
independent research in the library." "It allows [students] to
brainstorm, to get together and talk about what they were doing,"
explained Lind. "We would never have been able to do this in 47
minutes."
Robert Lynn Canady, an education professor at the U of
Virginia predicts that the extended class schedule will be the
"most popular approach in the country by the end of the decade."
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