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--- Wednesday --- March 19, 1997 --- Vol. 7 --- No. 27 ---
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THE NATIONAL UPDATE ON AMERICA'S EDUCATION REFORM EFFORTS
A service of the National Education Goals Panel
__________ __________
SCHOOL IS WHERE THE HOME IS | SPOTLIGHT |
Homeschooling rates are on | |
the rise in Howard County, Md., | BUILDING MOMENTUM |
mirroring the increase in the | |
number of students enrolled in | The Clinton |
private schools in the county | Administration last week |
(Texeira, Baltimore SUN, 3/17). | sent legislation to |
(See today's DRC, (#2).) | Congress designed to spur |
According to the paper, one in | school repair and |
360 Howard school-age children | construction in local |
now is home-schooled, com- | school districts. |
pared to a state average of one | |
in 623. Reasons for the | The $55B, one-time |
increase include: strong | appropriation, would target |
religious or political beliefs; | the 100 most needy |
children's health issues, such | districts, with $2.45B sent |
as environmental allergies; and | to schools in those |
personalized instruction. "It's | districts. The federal |
not what public schools lack," | subsidies would pay half |
said Melissa Simmens, a parent | the interest on borrowing |
who home-schools. "It's about | for construction. |
the pluses of home schooling. | |
We are so much closer as a | But the bill may face |
family, and we're not confined | rough sailing in Congress. |
to the school building and the | Some GOP leaders protest |
school schedule." | that the bill "entangles" |
To aid in socialization, | the federal government in |
parents enroll their children | local issues. Others claim |
in outside activities. The | the funds appropriated are |
Patuxent Wildlife Research Area | a drop in the bucket, |
in Laurel, Md, recently began | considering the amount |
offering programs for home- | needed to adequately |
schooled students, which, much | refurbish America's |
to their surprise, filled up | classrooms. (#5) |
immediately. |_____________________________|
============== QUOTE OF THE DAY ==============
"It's like Hamburger Helper for us. We'll be able to do more."
Deputy Superintendent of the Detroit public schools, Arthur
Carter, on Clinton's school construction legislation. (#5)
_______________________________________________________________
| 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 |
|_______________________________________________________________|
============== TABLE OF CONTENTS ==============
GOAL FOUR: TEACHER EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
TEACHER PROTECTION: Va. law grants civil immunity. (#1)
THE PRIVATE EYE
FLEEING TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS: Even in Howard County, Md. (#2)
CHARTING A NEW COURSE
URBAN EDUCATION REMEDY: Charter schools. (#3)
FROM COURTHOUSE TO SCHOOLHOUSE
ANARCHY OR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: Gov condemns prayer order.(#4)
ON THE HILL
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT: Clinton's plan to rebuild schools. (#5)
GENDER GAP
GOING SEPARATE WAYS: Girls and boys in Southington, Ohio. (#6)
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===== GOAL FOUR: TEACHER EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT =====
*1 TEACHER PROTECTION: ALLEN SIGNS LAW GRANTING CIVIL IMMUNITY
Va. public school teachers are protected from frivolous
lawsuits, under legislation signed into law by Gov. George Allen
(R). (Hardy, Richmond TIMES-DISPATCH, 3/15). The new law
protects teachers "when they act in good faith to maintain
discipline or restore order in schools," explains the paper.
According to the TIMES-DISPATCH, it took Allen three
legislative sessions to win passage of his teacher immunity bill.
"We are restoring discipline and order to the classroom, giving
teachers the freedom to do their job and fulfill their noble
mission," he said. "Now a few trouble-makers will no longer
distract our teachers, depriving Virginia's students of the
education they need and deserve."
Allen wants to persuade the Legislature to move up the
effective date of the new law to 2 April, instead of waiting
until 1 July. Lawmakers will consider the emergency-clause
recommendation when they return for a on-day legislative session
on 2 April, reports the paper.
===== THE PRIVATE EYE =====
*2 FLEEING TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS: EVEN IN HOWARD COUNTY, MD.
More Howard County, Md., parents are sending their children
to private schools, despite the relative wealth and success of
Howard County public schools (Texeira, Baltimore SUN, 3/17).
According to the paper, the county boasts the state's highest
test scores.
Observers point to several factors that have caused an
increase in private school enrollment: Howard's population
growth, relative affluence and "a belief among a growing number
of parents that the public schools no longer teach some key
intangibles -- integrity, honesty, discipline, respect," writes
the paper. "They will be better human beings because they'll be
taught the right values and behavior here," said Parlinaz Irani,
a parent who has three children at Columbia Academy, a private
school.
Sarah Donnelly, director of the Association of Independent
Maryland Schools, notes that class size often is brought up as
the reason many parents send their children to private schools.
"But that's always been there," she notes. "Now people are
deciding that we have something that's value-added."
Howard County public school officials argue that parents are
choosing private schools more for religious reasons than for
academic ones, reports the paper. "There are a lot of things
private schools can't provide that we can," said Patti Caplan,
spokeswoman for Howard's public schools, defending the role of
public education. "All the specialized services -- they just
can't do that because the cost can be prohibitive for small
schools. So, there are some benefits to volume."
Joyce Epstein, director fo the Center on School Families and
Community Partnerships at Johns Hopkins U, pointed out that
"studies comparing children from similar family and financial
backgrounds show that public and private school students score on
standardized tests just about he same," writes the paper.
Still, parents who have opted for private schools say they
have done so because of "widespread discipline problems" in
public schools and the inability of public schools to handle
their child's individual needs. "I find it really hard to think
about putting him in a situation where they need lawyers to deal
with the discipline problems," said Mary Williams, who has put
her grandson in Columbia Academy.
"The teacher knows my child in and out," said Irani. "They
know my child's capabilities and understand what he can do. The
result for us is that my children want more homework. They want
to go to the library after school to read."
The SUN TIMES writes that before- and after-school care is
another compelling reason for parents, especially dual-career
families, to send their children to private school.
===== CHARTING A NEW COURSE =====
*3 URBAN EDUCATION REMEDY: CHARTER SCHOOLS
State Rep Michael Fox (R), chairman of the House Education
Committee, last week announced charter school legislation,
designed to boost the poor performance of urban students on
proficiency tests (Lane, Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 3/15). "The
news from Ohio's urban school districts is worse than we
thought," said Fox. "To invest more money in these failed
systems without making a fundamental structural change in the way
these schools do business will not help children,.
Fox released data that found 13% of East Cleveland fourth
graders passed all parts of the proficiency tests, while only
3.7% of sixth graders passed all parts of the exams. The five-
part exam measures student ability in math, reading, writing,
citizenship and science, reports the paper.
Fox's bill would amend the House version of the new state
budget, which includes a pilot charter-school plan for Lucas
County. Under Fox's plan, charter schools could be created in
the "big eight urban districts" and Cleveland's voucher program
would be extended to Youngstown, writes the paper.
"The budget presents us with an opportunity to recognize
that our urban districts have performed so poorly that they have
forfeited their right to hold the franchise on providing
education to Ohio's urban school children," said Fox. However,
he acknowledged that his plan would face an uphill battle in the
Legislature.
===== FROM COURTHOUSE TO SCHOOLHOUSE =====
*4 ANARCHY OR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: ALA. GOV CONDEMNS PRAYER ORDER
U.S. District Judge Ira DeMent last week struck down an Ala.
law that requires school-related events to permit prayer.
However, many are skeptical the ruling will be obeyed, especially
in a state where politicians enthusiastically support prayer in
schools (Weaver, AP/Philadelphia INQUIRER, 3/14). Even Ala. Gov
Fob James Jr. has announced his disapproval of the court order.
"I will be curious to see if the ruling is obeyed," said
Michael Chandler, an assistant principal at Valley Head Middle
School, who challenged the 1993 law that required all school-
related events to allow "nonsectarian, nonproselytizing student-
initiated, voluntary prayer."
According to the paper, DeMent's decision falls on the heels
of an order to ban a judge in Gadsden from conducting prayers at
the beginning of court sessions and to remove a carved display of
the Ten Commandments from behind his bench. James and other
politicians are supporting the judge, and the governor said if
necessary he would send state troupers to support "expressions of
religious faith in Alabama courtrooms," writes the paper.
The Rev. Barry Lynn, director of Americans United for
Separation of Church and State, chided James for ignoring the
court order. Lynn: The governor's position "seem[s] to convey
to everyone, including kids, that anarchy is better than obeying
rules you don't believe in." Lynn's group joined with the
American Civil Liberties Union to file suit challenging the 1993
prayer law.
State Rep. Bill Fuller (D), sponsor of the 1993 law, said
DeMent's decision "devalues the role of prayer." He added: "For
the courts to discourage the advancement of spiritual values, I
think grieves God."
The INQUIRER notes that legislation is working its way
through the State House that would require every teacher to being
the school day by reading a prayer from the Congressional Record.
==== ON THE HILL ====
*5 SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT: CLINTON'S PLAN TO REBUILD SCHOOLS
U.S. Ed Sec Richard Riley sent legislation to Congress last
week that would use federal dollars to give school districts
financial incentives to commence school building repairs or
construction. The Partnership for Rebuilding American's Schools
Act was called for by President Clinton during his State of the
Union address, which stressed the Administration's education
reform proposals.
Under the school construction proposal, the federal
government would "subsidize school construction by $55 billion
over the next four years," explains the Philadelphia INQUIRER
(Mezzacappa, 3/15). The bill is a one-time appropriation that
targets half of the funds for the neediest 100 districts, notes
the WASH TIMES (Ferechio, 3/15).
While Gene Sperling, chairman of the National Economic
Council, said the bill has bipartisan support, the TIMES reports
that the bill faces "stiff opposition" in Congress. Rep Bill
Goodling (R), chairman of the House Education and the Workforce
Committee, and Sen Paul Coverdell (R), head of the GOP's task
force on education, oppose the bill. According to the paper,
Goodling said the money appropriated in the bill is not enough to
have an impact on construction. He also argues that the
legislation also "entangle[s] the federal government in local
responsibilities," writes the paper.
Other Republicans oppose the bill because it would
incorporate the Davis-Bacon law, which demands "prevailing union
wages to workers at any federally funded construction project."
Riley defended the plan, saying the bill would help
stimulate $20B in school construction nationwide, yet avoid "the
brick-and-mortar part of state and local responsibility." Riley
added: "What kind of message do children get when we send them
to schools that are literally crumbling around their heads? They
get the message that we don't care about them or their education,
and America can't afford to have our children believe that."
The HOUSTON CHRONICLE explains how the bill would work
(Markley, 3/15). Under the plan, $2.45B would be sent to the 100
school districts with the largest number of children in poverty.
According to the paper, the federal subsidies would pay half the
interest on borrowing for construction. For example, a school
district that borrowed $1M for school construction at an interest
rate of 5% under current law would be obliged to pay an average
of $2M over 25 years, explained DoEd officials. The new law
would lower the cost to $1.5M.
Houston school chief Rod Paige approved of the new plan.
"This represents for us another opportunity for our revenue-
enhancement initiatives," he said. "We are going to take maximum
advantage of this." The CHRONICLE points out that Houston voters
last May rejected a $390M bond proposal for school construction.
Mike Moses, Texas Education Commissioner: "As with all federal
programs, we look for this to assist us, not dictate to us.
"We'd also like assurances that this program won't cause a
disequalization of funding in Texas."
Deputy Superintendent of the Detroit public schools, Arthur
Carter: "It's like Hamburger Helper for us. We'll be able to do
more. This proposal is probably more significant for Detroit
than for any other school system in the country right now."
==== GENDER GAP ====
*6 GOING SEPARATE WAYS: GIRLS AND BOYS IN SOUTHINGTON, OHIO
Beginning next fall, Southington, Ohio, seventh-grade boys
and girls will attend single sex math and science classes
(AP/Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 3/17). Typically, the goal for
single-sex education is to improve the scores of girls. In
Southington's case, it is the boys' scores that fall short,
writes the paper.
Southington Principal David Wilson said he hopes the single-
sex classes will both improve test scores and allow girls and
boys to be active in class without worrying about what the other
sex thinks. "One of the keys to this system is that it allows
each of the students to be themselves," he said. "you're not
showcasing for another person."
According to the paper, 65% of Southington's sixth-grade
girls passed last year's math proficiency exam, compared with 41%
of boys. In science, 76% of girls passed, while only 44% of boys
did. The exam was the first proficiency test for Ohio's sixth-
graders. The tests also are given in grades 4, 9 and 12.
Walter Smith, an education professor at the U of Akron, said
one reason girls may score higher on exams than boys is that they
typically do better on formal tests, while boys surpass them on
hands-on projects. Single-sex classes give both sexes the
opportunity to perform all aspects of a project and "teachers
would not have to worry about monitoring participation by both
sexes," according to Smith, writes the paper. Smith: "If, in
general, boys are more aggressive about wanting to be called on,
it is very, very difficult for teachers not to call on the boys.
They just demand more of the teacher's attention."
Neighboring North Royalton school district serves as the
model for Southington. The PLAIN DEALER reports that North
Royalton's eighth-grade girls showed a 14% increase in grades
earned in math class since moving to a single-sex class. Boys'
scores rose by 9%. The district intends to expand its single-sex
classes next year, writes the paper.
Smith cautioned that single-sex classes could lead to one
sex receiving an "inordinate amount of attention," similar to
whites-only education of the past, reports the paper. "The
minority students tended to get the smaller end of the
resources," said Smith. "If we had separate-sex classes, we run
the danger of having a lesser education for one or the other."
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