NEGP Weekly for February 10, 2000
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*******************THE NEGP WEEKLY****************
A weekly news update on America's Education Goals
and school improvement efforts across America from the
NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS PANEL
Thursday - February 10, 2000 -- Vol. 2 -- No. 43
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CONTENTS
**STATE POLICY
1.) TESTING TEACHERS: IT MAY ADD UP IN MASSACHUSETTS (Goal 4)
2.) MIDDLE SCHOOL CERTIFICATION: A MUST FOR TEXAS TEACHERS (Goal 4)
**COMMUNITY AND LOCAL NEWS
3.) TOUGH ON TRUANTS: DETROIT GOES TO COURT (Goal 2)
4.) CAREER ACADEMIES: STUDY SAYS THEY KEEP KIDS IN SCHOOL (Goal 2)
**FEDERAL POLICY NEWS
5.) BEHAVIOR AND DISCIPLINE: WHAT WORKS (Goal 7)
6.) IS IDEA WORKING?: SCHOOLS AND THE DISABLED (Goal 3)
**RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PRACTICE
7.) SMALL SCHOOLS: AN ADVANTAGE FOR DISADVANTAGED KIDS (Goal 3)
8.) OBSERVING YOUNG CHILDREN: A TEACHING TOOL (Goals 1 and 4)
**FEATURE STORY
9.) PROMISING PRACTICES: GOALS PANEL RELEASES SUCCESSFUL STORIES (All Goals)
***FACT OF THE WEEK***
Between 1990 and 1997, out of 55 states and outlying areas, only the
District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands significantly reduced the
percentages of infants born at low birthweight (less than 5.5 pounds).
--The National Education Goals Report: Building a nation of learners, 1999
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STATE POLICY NEWS
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1.) ******** TESTING TEACHERS: IT MAY ADD UP IN MASSACHUSETTS
(Goal Four: Teacher Education and Professional Development)
Massachusetts Governor Paul Cellucci called on the state board of education
to administer math exams to middle and high school teachers from schools
where more than 30 percent of students are failing the math portion of the
state test (ED WEEK, 2/2). In 8th grade, about 40 percent of students
failed the math portion, while more than half of the state's 10th-grade
students failed the test. School board members are discussing the
governor's proposal.
"The most important thing is that the governor's proposal is not at all
punitive," said James Peyser, chairman of the board of education. "It is
designed to be diagnostic, to identify teachers who need more work
developing their knowledge." Although the test data would be made public,
teachers would not be "subject to any disciplinary or job-related action,"
explains ED WEEK. The intent of the proposal, according to an aide to the
governor, is to focus the teachers' attention to where they may need
additional training.
Last year, Cellucci proposed to have all of the state's teachers tested.
His plan was defeated in the Legislature.
For more information from the Massachusetts' Governor's Office or the
Massachusetts State Board of Education, visit http://www.state.ma.us
2.) ******** MIDDLE SCHOOL CERTIFICATION: A MUST FOR TEXAS TEACHERS
(Goal Four: Teacher Education and Professional Development)
The Texas State Board of Educator Certification last month voted to require
teacher candidates for middle and junior high school to be specially
certified to teach grades 4-8 (Gladfleter, ED DAILY, 2/1) Texas now joins 33
other states that require a middle school certificate.
According to Stephanie Korcheck, the state board's director of
communications and government relations, the purpose of the new policy is to
streamline teacher preparation throughout the state and align education
programs with student learning standards. John Cole, president of the Texas
Federation of Teachers, is pleased with the new certificate. "The skills
and knowledge needed to teach early adolescents are different" from those
necessary to teach elementary or high school students. Current Texas policy
allows teacher candidates to earn an elementary certificate, which covers
preschool through eighth grade; or a secondary certificate, for grades 6-12,
reports the paper.
For more information, visit http://www.sbec.state.texas.us.
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COMMUNITY AND LOCAL NEWS
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3.) ******** TOUGH ON TRUANTS: DETROIT GOES TO COURT
(Goal Two: School Completion)
Reducing Detroit's truancy rate is the "cornerstone" of the city's school
reform efforts, writes the DETROIT FREE PRESS (Walsh-Sarnecki and Kresnak,
2/4). City officials are using established truancy laws that have never
been tested before. Students with the worst records as truants and their
families are being hauled to court in an attempt to reduce the high rate of
truancy that plagues the city - nearly 40% of the district's 167,400
students.
The most egregious cases of truancy are scheduled for a meeting with a
prosecutor. If the truancy continues or families skip the meeting, they are
called before the Wayne County Family Court. Typically, youths are ordered
not to drive until the judge is satisfied they are attending school on a
regular basis or required to wear electronic tethers to alert authorities if
they are not in school. In some cases, parents are told they could be
sentenced to up to 90 days in jail if they fail to make sure their children
who are younger than age 16 are in school.
David Adamany, the schools' interim chief executive: "In the end, this use
of the courts for prosecution of parents is only for the hard-core truants.
We need to have additional efforts within the school district. There have
been no consequences for non-attendance in the past. You weren't held back.
You didn't get a lower grade in your class, or there wasn't an automatic
penalty. When things have no consequences, people don't do them."
Visit the DETROIT FREE PRESS at HTTP://www.freep.com
4.) ******** CAREER ACADEMIES: STUDY SAYS THEY KEEP KIDS IN SCHOOL
(Goal Two: School Completion)
Students at risk of dropping out of high school are more likely to stay in
school and graduate if they attend one of the "close-knit" career academies,
according to a study released by Manpower Demonstration Research
Corporation, a New York-based nonprofit group (Mathews, WASHINGTON POST,
2/3). Manpower examined nine career academies in California, Texas,
Pennsylvania, Florida, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
The study found that among students who have failed courses and had numerous
absences from the school, the dropout rate was 21 percent in the academies
compared with 32 percent in the regular school population. In the
academies, average attendance was 82 percent for those students, while the
average attendance for students in regular programs was 76 percent. Forty
percent of academy students met graduation requirements, compared with only
26 percent outside the academies. However, academies that were "more
loosely organized" and do not encourage "strong relationships between the
same students and teachers year after year" did not show the same
improvement in attendance and graduation rates.
Researchers found no significant difference in the grades and test scores of
academy and non-academy students.
For more information, visit the Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation
at http://www.mdrc.org.
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Federal Policy News
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5.) ******** BEHAVIOR AND DISCIPLINE: WHAT WORKS
(Goal Seven: Safe Schools)
Early intervention and positive support are two promising practices
highlighted by the U.S. Department of Education to promote better student
behavior and safer schools. Department of Education officials presented
findings of two studies at a conference, Better Behavior, Better Schools: A
National Summit on Children's Behavior and Safe Learning Environments, which
included researchers and school administrators.
The first study followed a group of toddlers for 25 years. Researchers
found that parents who used an approach called the Regional Intervention
Program generally had positive experiences in getting their children "back
on track toward a successful life." The program is based on the following
recommendations to parents:
> state expectations in advance;
> catch your children being good;
> present limited, reasonable choices and show the rewards and consequences
of those choices;
> get used to saying, "when," so you're stating the behavior you expect and
the privilege that will be earned when completed -avoid begging, bribing or
threatening; and
> stay in control.
The other strategy featured is called Positive Behavioral Support. It calls
on the entire school community to work together to create safe learning
environments by setting expectations for behavior that are understood by
all. Principles of behavior are instilled uniformly throughout the school.
Students are grounded in values and expected to know what good behavior
means.
Information on the Regional Intervention Program can be found at
http://members.aol.com/RIPNASHTN/contacts.htm. Visit http://www.pbis.org
for information on the Positive Behavioral Support.
6.) ******** IS IDEA WORKING?: SCHOOLS AND THE DISABLED
(Goal Three: Student Achievement and Citizenship)
Back to School on Civil Rights, a report released by the National Council on
Disability, evaluates nearly two and a half decades of the Individuals with
Disabilities Act and finds all states lacking to some degree on enforcement
of the federal program for disabled students. In addition to non-compliance
in every state, the NCD found that parents of the disabled spend "endless
resources confronting obstacles to their child's basic right" to an
appropriate education, and the Department of Education needs to more
effectively use sanctions to obtain compliance with IDEA.
The report's recommendations include:
> the Departments of Education and Justice develop national compliance
standards, improvement measures, and enforcement action triggers for
consistency and clarity in the IDEA enforcement process;
> Congress authorize more funding for technical assistance programs to
support the development of state-level technical assistance networks,
self-advocacy and monitoring training for students and parents, as well as
free and low-cost legal services for families.
> Congress and the President appropriate the necessary funds for
enforcement and technical assistance.
For more information, visit the National Council on Disability at
http://www.ncd.gov.
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Research and Education Practices
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7.) ******** SMALL SCHOOLS: AN ADVANTAGE FOR DISADVANTAGED KIDS
(Goal Three: Student Achievement and Citizenship)
Smaller schools are key to helping students from disadvantaged communities
achieve at higher levels, concludes a study conducted by education
researchers at Ohio University and Marshall University (Stutz, DALLAS
MORNING NEWS, 2/4).
Researchers examined schools in Georgia, Montana, Ohio and Texas. The Rural
School and Community Trust, a national nonprofit organization that works to
improve rural education, commissioned the study.
In Texas, for example, researchers looked at student scores on the Texas
Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) to determine how school size affected
results. Possible reasons for higher academic achievement are greater
parental involvement, more community support and better tutorial
relationships between students and teachers, according to Marty Strange,
policy director for the Trust.
Several recommendations emerged from the report, including:
> States should consider placing size limits on schools, particularly in
lower-income communities.
> States concerned about reinvesting in deteriorating schools should not be
eager to increase school size in most instances.
> Many schools serving moderate- to low-income communities would probably
produce higher scores if they were made smaller.
The report did not exam class size.
The DALLAS MORNING NEWS can be reached at http://www.dallasnews.com
8.) ******** OBSERVING YOUNG CHILDREN: A TEACHING TOOL
(Goal One: Ready To Learn and Goal Four: Teacher Education and Professional
Development)
Watching children learn how to best select appropriate materials, plan
activities and guide young children through the learning process is a
critical skill for teachers in early childhood education, and the theme of
The Power of Observation, a recent publication of Teaching Strategies, Inc.
The 134-page book offers teachers guidelines and strategies to observe
children in the classroom. Included are strategies for making day-to-day
decisions about observing that fit individual teaching styles and
personalities, tips on getting started and making observation a habit, and
using information gleaned from observation to individualize instruction.
Observation also helps teachers build relationships with children and their
families.
The book is available for $19.95. Visit Teaching Strategies Inc.'s book
shop at www.teachingstrategies.com, or call (202)362-7543.
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Feature Story
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9.) ******** PROMISING PRACTICES: GOALS PANEL RELEASES SUCCESSFUL STORIES
(All Goals)
A new report issued by the National Education Goals Panel "tells the story
behind the data," said Kentucky Governor Paul Patton, chairman of the Goals
Panel. "The National Education Goals Panel sees Promising Practices as a way
for state policymakers to identify successful practices and borrow ideas
from the states making the most progress," added Patton.
Promising Practices: Progress Toward the Goals in 1999 is rooted in data
from the Goals Panel's annual report on progress the nation and states are
making to achieve the eight national education goals. For example, the 1999
Goals Panel Report finds that eight states significantly improved
fourth-grade reading achievement on the National Assessment of Educational
Progress (NAEP), a Goal 3 indicator. The accompanying Promising Practices
adds flesh to the bones by reporting on the development and impact of state
reading initiatives and professional development underway in Connecticut,
Colorado and Maryland - the nation's highest-performing or most-improved
states in that indicator.
One indicator for each Goal is highlighted in Promising Practices. Officials
in states that performed well or showed dramatic improvement on these
indicators were asked to explain why they thought their state may have done
so well in that particular area. The policies and programs credited with
the improvements are described in Promising Practices, along with contact
information and a resource list. One caveat: This report is not intended to
be comprehensive; many states and policies not mentioned in the report also
may be deemed "promising" toward reaching the Goal.
Among the states featured in the report, Connecticut stands out for its high
level of achievement and significant improvements on a variety of
indicators. Connecticut made statistical improvement on 13 measures and
ranked among the top-performing states on 20 measures. In addition to
Connecticut, the following states' promising practices are described in
Promising Practices:
> GOAL 1: READY TO LEARN: New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Georgia and New
Mexico.
> GOAL 2: SCHOOL COMPLETION: New Jersey and Hawaii.
> GOAL 3: STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN READING: Colorado, Connecticut and
Maryland.
> GOAL 4: TEACHER EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Kentucky,
California and Connecticut.
> GOAL 5: MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE: Minnesota, Iowa and Montana.
> GOAL 6: ADULT LITERACY AND LIFELONG LEARNING: Washington and Indiana.
> GOAL 7: SAFE SCHOOLS: South Dakota, Vermont and Nevada.
> GOAL 8: PARENTAL PARTICIPATION: North Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming.
"It is said that there is no problem in American education that is not
already solved in some American school," said Ken Nelson, executive director
of the Goals Panel. "The pressing need is to discover these success stories
and learn from them," said Emily Wurtz, senior education associate with the
Goals Panel and author of Promising Practices.
The stories included in Promising Practices are based on the NEGP Monthly, a
publication found on the Goals Panel's web site: http://WWW.NEGP.GOV.
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The NEGP WEEKLY is a publication of:
The National Education Goals Panel
1255 22nd Street NW, Suite 502
Washington, DC 20037;
202-724-0015
NEGP Executive Director: Ken Nelson
Publisher: Barbara A. Pape
http://WWW.NEGP.GOV
************************************
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WHAT IS THE NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS PANEL?
The National Education Goals Panel is a unique bipartisan body of state and
federal officials created in 1990 by President Bush and the nation's
Governors to report state and national progress and urge education
improvement efforts to reach the National Education Goals.
WHAT DOES THE GOALS PANEL DO?
The Goals Panel has been charged to:
* Report state and national progress toward the National Education Goals.
* Work to establish a system of high academic standards and assessments.
* Identify promising and effective reform strategies.
* Recommend actions for state, federal, and local governments to take.
* Build a nationwide, bipartisan consensus to achieve the Goals.
WHAT ARE THE NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS?
There are eight National Education Goals set for the year 2000. They are:
1) All children will start school ready to learn.
2) The high school graduation rate will increase to at least 90%.
3) All students will become competent in challenging subject matter.
4) Teachers will have the knowledge and skills they need.
5) U.S. students will be first in the world in math and science achievement.
6) Every adult American will be literate.
7) Schools will be safe, disciplined, and free of drugs, guns and alcohol.
8) Schools will promote parental involvement and participation.
WHO SERVES ON THE GOALS PANEL AND HOW ARE THEY CHOSEN?
Eight governors, four state legislators, four members of the U.S. Congress,
and two members appointed by the President serve on the Goals Panel. Members
are appointed by the leadership of the National Governors' Association, the
National Conference of State Legislatures, the U.S. Senate and House, and
the President. The number of Republicans and Democrats are made even by
appointing five governors from the party that does not control the White
House.
The current Panel Members are Governors Paul E. Patton, KY, (Chair, 1999);
John Engler, MI; Jim Geringer, WY; James B. Hunt, Jr., NC; Frank Keating,
OK; Frank O'Bannon, IN; Tommy G. Thompson, WI; Cecil H. Underwood, WV;
Secretary of Education Richard Riley; Michael Cohen, U.S. Assistant
Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education; U.S. Senator Jeff
Bingaman, NM; U.S. Senator Jim Jeffords, VT; U.S. Representative William F.
Goodling, PA; U.S. Representative Matthew G. Martinez, CA; Representative G.
Spencer Coggs, WI; Representative Mary Lou Cowlishaw, IL; Representative
Douglas R. Jones, ID;
Senator Stephen Stoll, MO.
The annual Goals Report and other publications of the Panel are available
without charge upon request from t he Goals Panel or at its web site
www.negp.gov. Requests can be made by mail, fax, e-mail, or Internet.
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