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--- Wednesday --- October 21, 1998 --- Vol. 1 --- No. 59 --- NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS PANEL NEGP Weekly THE UPDATE ON AMERICA'S EDUCATION REFORM EFFORTS In cooperation with the DAILY REPORT CARD VOUCHERS FOR D.C.: POSTPONED House Majority Leader Richard Armey (R-Texas) reluctantly agreed to drop tuition vouchers from a spending bill in order to win passage of the bill from the White House. The plan would have awarded a few thousand disadvantaged Washington, D.C., students vouchers to attend private schools. An Armey spokeswoman says he agreed to lay aside the plan "in the interest of getting things done and with the realization that we will have a bigger majority next year. He looks forward to leading the charge and succeeding then." REAL WORLD RESEARCH Learning in the Real World, a Woodland, Calif.-based group, recently awarded four universities research grants to answer the questions: "Does education technology work? When is it cost effective? When is it the best choice?" $56,000 is being awarded to Central Michigan U, Stanford, U of California/Santa Barbara and the U of Pittsburgh. For more info: www.realworld.org. __________ __________ | SPOTLIGHT | | | | JOB SEARCH | | | | School districts | | nationwide seeking top- | | notch candidates for | | teacher and principal jobs | | are running up against a | | shortage of qualified job | | candidates. | | | | Some administrators argue | | that the reason for the | | principal shortage is low | | pay. Others contend that | | many would-be candidates | | refuse to deal with the | | myriad responsibilities | | never before laid at the | | principal's door.(#4) | | | | Massachusetts' attempt to | | increase the quality of | | teacher candidates centers | | on the pre-service years: | | Higher admission | | requirements at colleges of | | education and audits of | | teacher education programs | | for colleges that do not | | achieve high pass rates on | | the new teacher | | certification test. (#2) | |_____________________________| ============== QUOTE OF THE DAY ============== "The problems you read about in the paper and see on T.V., they come into school every day, and principals have to manage them. It's a very complex equation." David Hottenstein, high school principal, on the difficulties of being a modern-day principal. (#4) _______________________________________________________________ | (c) by the Education Policy Network, Inc. | | 1255 22nd Street NW; Washington, D.C. 202/724-0124 | | The DRC hereby authorizes further reproduction and | | distribution with proper acknowledgement. | | Publisher: Barbara A. Pape | | |_______________________________________________________________| ============== TABLE OF CONTENTS ============== GOAL THREE: STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND CITIZENSHIP NATIONAL TESTING: Tabled, for now. (#1) GOAL FOUR: TEACHER ED/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THE 20-POINT PLAN: Mass. unveils teacher plan.(#2) T.V. TIME: Training teachers in Prince George's County. (#3) PRINCIPALS: A dying breed? (#4) GOAL FIVE: MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE SciMath(MN): Statewide science education for Minnesota. (#5) ===== GOAL THREE: STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND CITIZENSHIP ===== *1 NATIONAL TESTING: TABLED, FOR NOW President Clinton's voluntary national testing program has been "shelved indefinitely" in Congress (Fox, ED DAILY, 10/19). After winning $1.2B in new funding to reduce class size, the White House caved in to Republican calls for banning the testing program, writes the newsletter. Acting Deputy Education Secretary Mike Smith said, although testing is defeated this year, the Administration will "come back to it" next year. However, GOP leaders hold that testing is doomed for the same fate next year. ED DAILY reports that House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott signed pledges to oppose national testing in any form. As long as the GOP maintains control of Congress, there is little chance that a testing program will pass Congressional muster. "The president's proposal really lost steam early last fall," said Jay Diskey, spokesman for the House Education and the Workforce Committee. "Only seven states signed on, and it got to the point where the White House found it difficult to push politically." Plans to commence a federal pilot test of fourth-grade reading and eighth-grade math this spring now is put on hold. According to the newsletter, it remains unclear whether the development of test questions to be used as part of future assessments will go forward. Smith argues that the National Academy of Sciences is permitted to "study whether test items could be embedded in state and commercial tests to compare scores nationally." However, Diskey counters that "embedding" will not be part of the final bill. ===== GOAL FOUR: TEACHER ED/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ===== *2 THE 20-POINT PLAN: MASS. UNVEILS TEACHER IMPROVEMENT AGENDA Last week, the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education released a 20-point plan designed to improve teacher quality and avoid additional embarrassment over the new statewide teacher certification test. Nearly 60% of teacher candidates failed to pass the first Massachusetts Teacher Test in April 1998. The plan, called "Creating Tomorrow: Preparing the Next Generation of Teachers," is organized around three themes: quality and accountability of teacher education programs; recruitment and retention of highly qualified students and teachers; and a commitment to make ongoing systemic change a major priority for the Commonwealth in the future. Colleges of education have been singled out under the new plan to better prepare teachers. By August 2000, colleges where 80% or fewer students pass the teacher certification test will be put on probation. The percentage increases to 90% by 2001. Only Harvard U and Wellesley College students met the 80% criteria when the test was introduced earlier this year, notes ED DAILY (Fox, ED DAILY, 10/16). Other actions include: Require institutions with 1998 Teacher Test pass rates below the state average of 54.9% to conduct by 30 June 1999 an independent, external assessment of the teacher education program. Raise admission requirements for all teacher education programs. Raise requirements for student teaching. Fast-track alternative certification for second-career professionals. Direct financial incentives to high-achieving students who want to become teachers, targeting those who plan to teach in areas of greatest need. Reward outstanding teachers who make a commitment to teach in Massachusetts. "Creating Tomorrow" was developed with input from legislators, presidents of higher education institutions, deans of colleges and schools of education, teacher education faculty and K-12 teachers. For more information, visit the Board of Higher Education's Web site at www.mass.ed, or call 617/727-7785. *3 T.V. TIME: TRAINING TEACHERS IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY Interactive television is being used in Prince George's County, Md., to help teachers get fully certified (Frazier, WASH POST, 10/19). New guidelines that call for teachers to earn full certification or leave the classroom prompted the high-tech training seminars. "It is an innovative way for the school system to assist our provisional teachers in becoming fully certified," said Susan Hubbard, a school system spokeswoman. "It's cost-effective because we can have different classes taught by one individual." College courses are taught via interactive television after school or on Saturdays at several high schools. Eighty teachers are enrolled in the six interactive television courses offered this semester, reports the paper. Classes also are available at four local colleges, "which all offer education courses at night and on weekends and at a reduced rate for county teachers," writes the POST. County officials also purchased a new computer program that provides sample National Teachers Exam tests to help teachers who must pass the exam. Despite the effort to better prepare teachers for the classroom, State Superintendent Lawrence Leak said he remains concerned about the large number of teachers in the classroom with provisional certificates. According to the paper, 14.4% of the county's 7,259 teachers hold provisional certificates, which means they either lack the required coursework or have not passed the National teachers Exam. *4 PRINCIPALS: A DYING BREED? Superintendents nationwide are scrambling to find qualified principals to lead local schools. In many cases, they are unsuccessful or are forced to reopen the job search (Crouch, Philadelphia INQUIRER, 10/7). "We used to get 60 or 70 applications for a principalship," said Phoenixville (Pa.) Superintendent Robert Urzillo. "Now, we're not even getting half that, and many of them aren't qualified. I really worry about how we're going to find the next generation of building administrators." A study issued earlier this year by the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National Association of Secondary School Principals revealed that more than half of the 403 school districts surveyed "reported a lack of qualified candidates for principal positions," writes the paper. Administrators claim the main reason for the dearth of principal candidates is lack of money. According to the paper, many entry-level principals make only slightly more than teachers, due to "wage increases won by unionized teachers." Michele Ferner, a principal in Camden County, acknowledged that she took a pay cut of over $1,000 when she took a principal position. "And that was not counting the extra money I was making as adviser to the newspaper," she added. "Today, the situation is even worse. It's not hard to see why none of my teachers want to make the jump into administration." Besides financial concerns, some cite the uncontrollable growth of responsibilities as reasons few are willing to step into the principal role. From the paper: "Principals ... routinely work hectic 12- to 15-hour days and spend weekends at school athletic events or doing paperwork. They are expected to go to basketball games, PTA meetings and school plays. They are expected to know how to handle social issues such as child abuse, drug addiction and divorce. And they are expected to know the complicated laws and regulations governing education today." One principal, David Hottenstein, said the job of principals is "probably the most misunderstood position in America." He added: "The problems you read about in the paper and see on T.V., they come into school everyday, and principals have to manage them." It's a very complex equation." Several principal associations are developing innovative programs to help spark interest in the principal post. Cherry Hill Superintendent Morton Sherman said he may create "administrative internships" for teachers, whereby teachers would work side-by-side with principals to "allow them get a feel" for the job, explained Sherman. However, Sherman holds that the best way to increase the number of candidates vying for a principal job is for "society to start giving principals the respect and salaries they deserve," reports the paper. Hottenstein: "Principals are the CEO of a mini-community. They should be treated with that type of status, that type of pay, that type of support. If they were treated that way, more people would consider it." ===== GOAL FIVE: MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE ===== *5 SciMath(MN): STATEWIDE SCIENCE EDUCATION FOR MINNESOTA SciMath, a Minn. coalition for standards-based mathematics and science education, last week announced that the Medtronic Foundation will provide a grant of $150,000 over two years to support SciMath's new statewide initiative to training teachers in standards-based science education (SciMath press release, 10/15). A partnership including SciMath, Medtronic, the National Science Teachers Association, the Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning and the Minnesota Science Teachers Association will work together to identify and train teachers to bring the science program to all public, private and charter schools in the state. Minn. is the 12th state to embrace this national initiative. The program, "Building a Presence for Science," is based on the vision of the National Science Education standards, which offers guidelines for teaching and learning. In Minn., the program also will support teachers in their implementation of the state's science standards. "The 'Building a Presence' program fulfills a need that has not traditionally been met in science education," said Gerry Wheeler, executive director of the National Science Teachers Association. "The program sets up a statewide and national network of individuals who are advocates for good science instruction." The partnership will identify key leaders statewide, each of whom are trained in the standards and best practices in science education. Through regional networks, an advocate for science education will be identified in every school in the state. These individuals will receive training and follow-up support related to standards-based education, the National Science Education Standards, the Minnesota K-12 Science Framework and the Minnesota Graduation Standards. "Participating in 'Building a Presence for Science' will provide local teachers with expanded opportunities for professional development as well as new ideas for curriculum and instruction," said Bob Shaw, a Minn. science teacher and president of the Minnesota Science Teachers Association. "The project also will create a powerful statewide network of science educators who embrace and promote the best teaching practices in science education." Medtronic is a leading medical technology company specializing in implantable and interventional therapies. SciMath is a partnership among business, education and state government charged with improving teaching and learning of K-12 math and science based on national and state standards. _______________________________________________________________ | National Education Goals Panel | | 1255 22nd Street NW; Suite 502; Washington, D.C. 20037 | | 202/632-0957 (Fax); e-mail: negp@goalline.org | | Web site: www.negp.gov | |_______________________________________________________________|
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