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--- Wednesday --- December 11, 1996 --- Vol. 6 --- No. 95 ---
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THE NATIONAL UPDATE ON AMERICA'S EDUCATION REFORM EFFORTS
A service of the National Education Goals Panel
__________ __________
SWEAT DREAMS | SPOTLIGHT |
A mother who said her "night | |
owl" son does not like to go to | LASSIE, COME HOME |
bed early was placed on 90 days | |
probation because the boy was | Some parents and |
repeatedly late for | politicians may want |
kindergarten. Caroline Edens, | Hollywood to re-play the |
an underwriter for an insurance | past, with shows that |
company, was charged with | promote family life -- 50s- |
truancy. The judge ordered her | style. Others want the |
to put her five-year-old to bed | entertainment industry |
at a "proper time," wake him | simply to share responsi- |
and take him to class. She | bility for raising today's |
also must take a parenting | children by providing |
class. (AP/WASH POST, 12/11). | responsible programming |
Edens, from Plano, Texas, | with contemporary themes. |
said her son was late no more | |
than 10 times. She also | A new study released by |
protested that it is not up to | the Kaiser Family Founda- |
the courts or school district | tion and Children Now |
to tell her how to raise her | examines three decades of |
child. | sexual content on network |
| TV programs during the |
CHILDREN AND POVERTY | family hour. Not surpris- |
The rate of poverty for young | ingly, today's shows that |
children has skyrocketed over | air during that time slot |
the past two decades, from 18% | are more sexually active |
of all children under 6 in 1975 | than those of yesteryear. |
to 25% in 1994. | |
Researchers at Columbia U's | The study laments that |
National Center for Children in | few shows mention topics |
Poverty point to changes in the | related to the risks and |
economy and the rise in single- | responsibilities of sexual |
parent families as the primary | activity. (#6) |
culprits. |_____________________________|
============== QUOTE OF THE DAY ==============
". . . it's clear that all of us need to pay attention to the
kinds of messages we're sending kids about sex -- including the
entertainment industry." -- Victoria Rideout, director of the
Children & The Media Program at Children Now. (#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: Rosemary Polanco |
|_______________________________________________________________|
============== TABLE OF CONTENTS ==============
GOAL FOUR: TEACHER EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMEN
TEACHING SCIENCE: Certification on the way. (#1)
GOAL EIGHT: PARENTAL PARTICIPATION
AT HOME AND SCHOOL: Tips to help parents and teachers. (#2)
STATESIDE
NEWS BRIEF: That giving spirit. (#3)
STANDARD BEARERS
NEWS BRIEF: Standards campaign. (#4)
PARTNERS IN EDUCATION
NEA KUDOS: Urban grants to aid school reform. (#5)
CHILDREN AND TELEVISION
T.V'S FAMILY HOUR: Its x-rated. (#6)
===== GOAL FOUR: TEACHER EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT =====
*1 TEACHING SCIENCE: CERTIFICATION ON THE WAY
The National Science Foundation awarded the National Board
for Professional Teaching Standards a $2M grant to develop a
National Board Certification assessment for science teachers
(NBPTS press release, 12/5). The assessment will be for teachers
of studnts age 14-18 and older.
"We have already developed the high and rigorous standards
in this field and we encourage all science teachers to read them
and incorporate them into their teaching," said James Kelly,
president of the NBPTS. "These high standards will drive the
development of this assessment package to create a very powerful
professional experience for all science teachers," he added.
According to the release, development of the science
assessment will occur over a three year period. A series of
pilot tests will be conducted nationwide. The project will focus
on the development of scoring procedures and strategies to manage
the assessment and train the assessors. NBPTS personnel will
work with WestEd (formerly Far West Laboratories) on the
development of the assessment, and the Educational Testing
Service will prepare the assessment for delivery during the 1997-
1998 school year.
Teachers who seek National Board Certification take part in
a two-part, year-long assessment of their knowledge, abilities
and skills as measured against the only nationwide standards for
accomplished science teaching. Part one of the assessment
requires candidates to compile a portfolio of their teaching
during the course of a school year, which can include student
work, essays on what works and what does not in the classroom,
work with colleagues on lesson planning and classroom management
and videotapes of classroom instruction.
The second part takes place at an assessment center, where
candidates complete exercises related to science instruction,
writes the release.
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is
located in Southfiled, Michigan, and can be reached at 810/351-
4444.
==== GOAL EIGHT: PARENTAL PARTICIPATION ====
*2 AT HOME AND SCHOOL: TIPS TO HELP PARENTS AND TEACHERS
The Council of the Great City Schools, the Home and School
Institute and Kraft Foods unveiled a new kit, "Making the Grade
At Home and School." Based on the research of Dorothy Rich,
president of the Home and School Institute, the kit provides
parents, guardians, teachers, community leaders and others with
tips and activities that help children succeed at home and in
school.
According to the three groups, the habits, behaviors, and
attitudes for student success displayed in the kit form
MegaSkills, the foundation for a training model that many school
districts use to increase parental involvement and improve
students' life-skills, writes the kit. The Council of Great City
Schools intends to pilot some of the training models in their
member school systems during this school year.
MegaSkills help children develop several traits, including:
confidence, motivation, effort, responsibility, initiative,
perseverance, caring, teamwork, common sense and problem solving.
The kit notes that MegaSkills programs, which operate in 47
states, train teachers to conduct workshops and provide home
learning "recipes" for families, such as setting up a current
events wall.
One of the tips included in the kit urge parents to "start
with a few good ruled." For example, parents could "start with
one good, long-term rule" such as "you must straighten your room
every Saturday before you go out to play."
A Question and Answer section is part of the kit, with
questions such as "How can I help my children get ready for math
and science" and "How can I help my children limit TV watching
and have more time for school work?"
The activities are provided from The Home and School
Institute Programs. The kit is color-coded for easy use, and
includes the Q and A about children's education from preschool to
junior high; tip sheets on school/home concerns; and samplers of
activities from the MegaSkills Programs. Also included is an
overview of research supporting family involvement, a list of
organizational resources and contacts and comments from parents
on their experiences with family education activities.
For more information, contact the Home and School Institute;
1500 Massachusetts Avenue NW; Washington, D.C. 20005; 800/MEGA-
USA; e-mail: HSIDRA@erols.com.
===== STATESIDE =====
*3 NEWS BRIEF: THAT GIVING SPIRIT
The N.J. Senate Budget Committee is reviewing legislation to
add funds for educating low-income children to the $4B the state
already has allocated for education. According to the
PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, the bill is an attempt to meet a state
Supreme Court mandate for the state to provide more funding for
disadvantaged students (12/9).
Gov. Christie Whitman (R) is seeking an additional $235M in
funding, half of which would be targeted to the state's 28
"special needs" districts.
==== STANDARD BEARERS ====
*4 NEWS BRIEF: STANDARDS CAMPAIGN
The Milwaukee school district recently unveiled a campaign
to inform city residents of the need for high standards. "High
Standards Start Here" is the district's theme, which is on
display throughout the city -- from banners attached to school
buildings, to bumper stickers and coffee mugs.
The campaign comes on the heels of the district's education
reform efforts, which include new graduation requirements, a
school-to-work program and rigorous math and writing proficiency
exams (Council of the Great City Schools, URBAN EDUCATOR,
Nov./Dec. 1996).
===== PARTNERS IN EDUCATION =====
*5 NEA KUDOS: URBAN GRANTS TO AID SCHOOL REFORM
The National Education Association has announced the winners
of its 1996 NEA Urban Grants Program. Begun in 1985, this year's
program awards 20 grants of $4000 each to NEA local affiliates to
support their reform efforts.
"There are children, parents, and educators who are doing a
wonderful job in our urban pubic schools," said Bob Chase, NEA
president. "The National Education Association salutes them
because they give us all hope."
The following is a sampling of the winners and their
education reform initiatives:
ALABAMA: The Huntsville Education Association is creating a
peer assistance program for high school students who may be
experiencing or at risk for substance abuse, delinquency, teen
pregnancy, suicide, violence, or dropping out of school. The
program will provide training for peer listeners, peer mediators
and peer tutors.
COLORADO: The Colorado Springs Education Association is
establishing a charter high school based on "Civic Values"
education, which stresses integrity, courage, concern, curiosity
adn leadership. Teachers, students, and parents will agree to
live and work by these values in order to maximize their
potential in developing critical thinking skills, positive group
interaction, creative problem solving and public/personal
responsibility.
FLORIDA: The Excambia Education Association is creating The
Center for Integrating Technology in Education in the Oakcrest
Elementary School. In this program, teachers will learn how to
incorporate education software into the curriculum and parents
will be brought up-to-date on the uses of technology.
ILLINOIS: The Schaumburg Education Association and the
Schaumburg Education Employees Organization are expanding their
previous restructuring efforts by examining time as it relates to
the school day and the teaching and learning needs of the
district's students. Site teams will be formed at two diverse
elementary schools. A team of students, parents, staff members
and community members from the two school communitites, along
with leadership teams representing the associations, the school
board and district administration will assess the appropriateness
fo the traditional school day.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: The Manchester Education Association is
launching the "Love of the Arts" project. The MEA office will
transform into a public, student art gallery and arts performance
center. An MEA Arts Advisory Team, composed of students,
parents, teachers and community artists, will coordinate all art
displays, receptions, performances adn exhibits. The team also
will solicit arts and community sponsors.
An NEA press release notes that over 100 Urban Grants have
been awarded by the NEA since the program's inception.
==== CHILDREN AND TELEVISION ====
*6 T.V'S FAMILY HOUR: ITS X-RATED
Sexually explicit programming is common fare during
television's family hour, according to a new report issued by the
Kaiser Family Foundation and Children Now. Three out of four
family-hour programs on the networks today contain some sexual
content, compared with 65% of the shows in 1986 and 43% in 1976.
The three-part study contains a content analysis reviewing
three decades of sexual content on network television during the
family hour, a survey of parents focusing on the sexual content
of television today, and focus groups of children and parents
about how children respond to sexual messages on television.
Researchers measured two types of sexual content on
television: "talk about sex" and "sexual behavior." According
to the report, both have increased "substantially" over the past
two decades. Today 61% of family-hour shows contain sexual
behavior -- ranging from kissing to intercourse. In 1986, 48% of
the programs showed sexual behavior, while only 26% did in 1976.
Other findings: there were an average of 8.5 sexual
interactions per hour of programming during the family hour in
1996, one-third involving talk about sex and two-thirds involving
physical behaviors; most of the sexual behavior is relatively
modest; "only 9% of the scenes that depicted sexual content in
1996 had any mention of issues relating to sexual risks or
responsibilities, such as condoms, abstinence, abortion, AIDS or
STD;" 12% of all sexual interactions in the 1996 sample of shows
involved teens, and were almost entirely limited to talk about
sex, flirtation or kissing.
The survey of parents found that more than 43% were
concerned "a great deal" about how much sex their children see on
TV, compared to 39% who worry about violence. Parents surveyed
also stated that television could play a more positive role in
helping children make responsible decisions about sex -- 35% said
T.V. can help "a lot," and another 43% said it can help at least
"a little."
Researchers also found that not much of the sexual innuendo
present in the programs goes over the heads of children who
participated in the focus groups. Children viewed several clips
of shows and most often identified shows with clear and positive
messages about sex as their favorites. For example, children
often choose as their favorite episode one that featured a teen
who thinks about becoming sexually active but decides against it.
Several children said the show "taught me something," or that the
girl "stood up for what she believes in -- she wasn't ready to
have sex, and she told him."
"As evidenced by the television shows already doing so, an
opportunity exists for the entertainment media to play a more
positive role in communicating important messages about sexual
issues," said Matt James, vide president-communications and media
programs, Kaiser Family Foundation. Victoria Rideout, director
of the Children & The Media Program at Children Now added: ". .
. it's clear that all of us need to pay attention to the kinds of
messages we're sending kids about sex -- including the
entertainment industry."
Copies of "Sex, Kids and the Family Hour" are available by
calling the Kaiser Family FOundation's publications request line
at 800/656-4KFF (ask for package #1209).
In addition, the Kaiser Family Foundation adn Children Now
are offering a guide, "Talking with Kids About Touch Issues, to
help parents and others discuss sensitive topics including sex,
drugs and violence with young children. The booklet comes with a
special section on "Television as a Tool: Talking With Kids
About TV." Single copies are free-of-charge by calling
800/CHILD44.
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