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--- Monday --- May 13, 1996 --- Vol. 6 --- No. 45 ---
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THE NATIONAL UPDATE ON AMERICA'S EDUCATION REFORM EFFORTS
A service of the National Education Goals Panel
__________ __________
SUMMERTIME READING | SPOTLIGHT |
The Fairfax County (Va.) | |
School Board agreed to send | ALTERNATIVE HEADACHES |
students home this summer with | |
a required summer reading list | The ACLU is taking up the |
(Robberson, WASH POST, 5/8). | cause of two Texas students |
Members voted unanimously to | outraged over being assign- |
require children in grades 5 to | ed to an alternative educa- |
11 to read one book over the | tion program. One student |
summer from a list of suggested | was charged with possession |
fiction and nonfiction. | of marijuana; the other of |
"It's not going to destroy | assaulting another student |
anyone's summer," said School | with a BB gun. |
Board Chairman Kristen | |
Amundson. "We know there's a | ACLU lawyers claim Texas |
strong link between school | policy of mandatory |
performance and the amount of | alternative education |
outside reading a student does. | assignment for students |
It's a one-to-one correlation: | accused of a felony |
Kids who read in their leisure | violates the 14th |
time for more than 15 minutes a | Amendment, which provides |
day just make higher grades." | for due process. |
The policy makes Fairfax the | |
region's largest school system | They also charge that |
to boast a mandatory summer | Arlington (Texas) school |
reading program. | district is the toughest on |
Under the policy, parents | this issue. The district |
must "monitor their child's | only offers an informal |
compliance and sign a note at | meeting with parents before |
the end of the summer stating | banishing students. But |
that their children read at | Arlington Superintendent |
least one book from the list," | Lynn Hale takes pride in |
writes the paper. | the ACLU's too-tough |
Some members questioned | charge. (#2) |
whether one book was enough. |_____________________________|
============== QUOTE OF THE DAY ==============
"Our community expects safe schools, and we will do anything we
can to ensure our schools are safe." -- Arlington Superintendent
Lynn Hale. (#2)
_______________________________________________________________
| 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
COLLEGE ADMISSION: Georgia gets tough. (#1)
GOAL SEVEN: SAFE SCHOOLS
ACLU AND ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION: To the courts. (#2)
CHARTING A NEW COURSE
LEARNING FROM FAILURE: L.A.'s Edutrain charter school. (#3)
FROM COURTHOUSE TO SCHOOLHOUSE
PLAN B: Texas prepares backup for affirmative action. (#4)
STOP THE BUS: Racial balance guidelines end in Cleveland. (#5)
===== GOAL THREE: STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND CITIZENSHIP =====
*1 COLLEGE ADMISSION: GEORGIA GETS TOUGH
Students applying to Ga. public colleges in 2001 would face
tougher admission requirements if the Georgia Board of Regents
approves a new proposal (Walker, THE ATLANTA
JOURNAL/CONSTITUTION, 5/8). The plan was submitted by a task
force of educators and comes at a time "when concern is cresting
over the retention, graduation and remediation rates at Georgia
Colleges," writs the paper.
According to the paper, more than 40% of high school
graduates have enrolled in one or more remedial courses when they
entered a state public college. Another dire statistic: only
40% of freshmen college students will earn a degree within seven
years. "We want students to come to college better prepared to
succeed," said University Chancellor Stephen Portch.
Under the proposal, a fourth year of math would be added to
the college-prep curriculum requirements for high school
students, bringing the total number of required courses to 16 --
four in English, four in math, three in science, three in social
studies and two in foreign language, writes the paper. The plan
also calls for high school juniors to take college-placement
exams in math to determine which math course would be most
beneficial to take their senior year. "We know that students who
take math their senior year [of high school] do better in their
first year of college and do better on entrance exams," said
Sharon James, Portch's special assistant.
Other key components of the proposal: beginning in 2001, no
four-year college could admit students who have not taken the
required courses; creating a freshman index that would combine
the high school grade point average and college-entrance exam
score, "rather than relying on one or the other as do current
standards;" ease admissions requirements for prospective students
who have been out of college five years or more, requiring them
only to take placement tests; and tightening up requirements for
transferring from two-year to four-year institutions, writes the
paper.
===== GOAL SEVEN: SAFE SCHOOLS =====
*2 ACLU AND ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION: TO THE COURTS
Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union have filed
lawsuits in Texas on behalf of students accused of felonies who
are placed in alternative education classes (Berard, Fort Worth
STAR TELEGRAM, 5/6). One student was accused of drug possession,
the other of aggravated assault.
Texas state law mandates the placement of students accused
of felonies in alternative settings, writes the paper. However,
a U.S. district court judge earlier this month ruled that the law
violates the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution providing
for due process. According to school district officials, the
state law does not stipulate whether student must receive a
hearing.
Arlington (Texas) school district officials claim their
policy meets the criteria established by the Legislature. ACLU
attorneys claimed that the Arlington policy is the toughest on
assigning students to alternative education, writes the paper.
Parents and students are granted "informal meetings" before the
students are sent to alternative classes. However, other
distircts provide formal hearings before the school board.
Arlington Superintendent Lynn Hale takes pride in the ACLU's
comment that her district has the toughest discipline policy.
"We do take a strong stance on discipline in the school district
and will continue to do so," said Hale. "Our community expects
safe schools, and we will do anything we can to ensure our
schools are safe."
According to the paper, U.S. District Judge Terry Means is
reviewing a petition urging a permanent injunction against the
Arlington school district so student Amber Flannery can return to
her home school. Flannery is charged with possession of
marijuana and has been in alternative classes since April. She
denies the charges.
Brandon Hueber, another Arlington student, is charged with
aggravated assault for shooting another student with a BB gun.
He also denies the charges. Hueber's mother said she moved him
to a private school when she discovered that the alternative
program did not offer calculus, chemistry or history honors
classes. Heuber was an honors student. However, school
officials said they offered honor classes for Hueber, writes the
paper.
The STAR-TELEGRAM reports that while some legislators admit
the law may be flawed, they doubt it will be "invalidated."
However, they did say it would be "judicious" for school
officials to provide a hearing.
===== CHARTING A NEW COURSE =====
*3 LEARNING FROM FAILURE: L.A.'S EDUTRAIN CHARTER SCHOOL
The failure of Edutrain, a Los Angeles charter school,
proves that charters are "everything they promise -- including
accountable," writes the ST. LOUIS DISPATCH (Sievers, 4/22). Los
Angles Unified School District board members recently rescinded
the school's charter, citing financial mismanagement and low
student enrollment.
Although some observers note that the demise of Edutrain
signals a weakness in charter schools, others claim the school's
failure shows that charters work. "In one sense, the system did
work," explained Dave Patterson, an education consultant with the
California DoEd. "That's what should happen. When something
goes wrong, schools will fail, but it's better that these schools
fail than we fail students."
Edutrain's mission was to teach "hard-core" dropouts,
reports the paper. The school offered shorter schools days,
child care and an on-site probation officer. However, financial
audits revealed that school funds were used to purchase a sports
car for the principal and a secret retreat, writes the paper.
And enrollment was less than school officials stated.
School board members revoked Edutrain's charter in Dec., and
a legal "tussle" followed, according to the paper. A judge
finally ruled in favor of the school district; and the school
closed its doors, forcing its students back to their home
schools. Nearly $1M in debt incurred by the school has yet to be
paid, writes the paper. Edutrain officials claim the district
will pay the bill; but district officials disagree.
===== FROM COURTHOUSE TO SCHOOLHOUSE =====
*4 PLAN B: TEXAS PREPARE BACKUP FOR AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
Texas Higher Education Commissioner Ken Ashworth announced
last week that the state is preparing to draft a backup plan to
assist minority students if the U.S. Supreme Court upholds a
lower court's ban on affirmative action (Stutz, THE DALLAS
MORNING NEWS, 5/8). "We would be foolish not to consider the
possibility that the Supreme Court might sustain the 5th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals," said Ashworth.
The 5th Circuit Court in March ruled in favor of four white
students who charged reverse discrimination when they were denied
admission to the U of Texas law school. The court temporarily
stayed its ruling in April to, "allow universities to resume
admissions that consider race while its earlier decision is
appealed to the [U.S.] Supreme Court," reports the paper. Texas
State Attorney General Dan Morales appealed the case to the
Supreme Court earlier this month.
"We are preparing in the months ahead to work on Plan B
because we would not want to find ourselves without an
alternative plan," if the court rules against the state, said
Ashworth. He plans to appoint a special panel, including
sociologists and demographers, who would draft a substitute plan
for the current "Access and Equity 2000 program," otherwise known
as the Texas Plan. Ashworth did not give specifics on the
direction the backup plan might take; however, he did say it
would eliminate racial and ethnic considerations for admission
and financial aid. University officials would be "encouraged" to
give priority to certain economic, social or cultural classes of
students, reports the paper.
According to the NEWS, a college scholarship program for
minorities under an alternative plan could be redirected to
"educationally disadvantaged" students, which would include low-
income white applicants.
The Texas Plan emerged from a 1970s lawsuit that "charged
several Southern states, including Texas, with operating illegal
dual systems of higher education for blacks and whites," explains
the paper.
*5 STOP THE BUS: RACIAL BALANCE GUIDELINES END IN CLEVELAND
U.S. Senior Circuit Judge Robert Krupansky last week issued
an order that eliminated court-ordered racial balance guidelines
for the Cleveland public schools (Stephens, Cleveland PLAIN
DEALER, 5/10). School officials will no longer consider race
when making school assignments.
"The main difference, because of this ruling this year, is
there is no longer any racial parameters on those choices," said
Richard Nielson, the district's senior executive manager for
desegregation compliance. "No longer when a parent makes choices
do we have to override those choices for certain racial
parameters we have to meet." The plaintiffs in the desegregation
suit are appealing the ruling, reports the paper.
According to Nielson, children will bring home an individual
assignment notice and application form. The notice informs
parents of the school their child will be guaranteed a spot.
Parents can select another option, and their application will go
through a computerized selection process that matches students to
their requests, writes the paper. "We still have a system that's
driven by residence," said Nielson. "You don't get a choice of
every school in the district -- there are practical limitations
on that -- but you get an expanded array of choices." The
district offered a "Schools Choice Night," where parents learned
about the sundry programs available at district schools.
Transportation will continue to be provided to students who
choose a school not near their home, reports the paper. However,
Nielson predicts that cross-town transportation will be
significantly reduced. He added that the state should continue
to send matching desegregation funds, regardless of what the
district saves in transportation. "I don't think we stand to
lose it," he said. "It could provide the district an opportunity
to redirect those funds to educational programs."
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