NEGP Weekly for September 14, 2000
Negpweek (NEGPWEEK@WESTAT.com)
Fri, 15 Sep 2000 10:06:04 -0400
****INVITATION****
Who: You are invited to join Governor Tommy Thompson (WI), Chair of the
NEGP and Governor Paul Patton (KY), Panel member
Where: Grady High School Theater, Atlanta, Georgia
When: Tuesday, September 19, 1:30 - 4:30 PM
What: Regional field hearing on changing school structures to help all
students reach high standards
Why: Hear current effective practices in use in Florida, Georgia, and
Kentucky as well as researchers and practitioners on this important issue.
This field hearing is the second of four scheduled to be held nationwide as
part of the Panel's 2000 agenda. The hearings are intended to raise public
awareness of the current best practices in helping all students achieve high
academic standards. The NEGP field hearings will be delayed broadcast on
the NEGP web site at http://www.negp.gov. To view these webcasts you will
need the free Realplayer 7 downloaded to your computer. You can download
Realplayer 7 for free by visiting the Goals Panel's web site at
http://www.negp.gov and following the links to the webcast!
*****************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 - September 14, 2000 -- Vol. 2 -- No. 72
*************************************************
CONTENTS
**STATE POLICY
1.) GETTING SERIOUS: CALIFORNIA'S HIGH SCHOOL TEST (Goal 3)
2.) "ACHIEVEMENT COUNTS": MARYLAND BUSINESSES ENCOURAGE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
(Goals 3 and 6)
**COMMUNITY AND LOCAL NEWS
3.) TIME: ON THEIR SIDE IN CHICAGO (Goals 2 and 3)
4.) LARGEST 100: EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT PUBLIC ELEMENTARY AND
SECONDARY SCHOOLS (All Goals)
**FEDERAL POLICY NEWS
5.) GOOD NEWS: DRUG USE DOWN AMONG TEENS (Goal 7)
6.) LAST YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL: WHAT ARE WE DOING? (Goals 3 and 6)
**RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PRACTICE
7.) MOST WANTED: FBI REPORTS ON STUDENT VIOLENCE (Goal 7)
8.) IDEAS ON-LINE: CENTURY FOUNDATION AND EDUCATION (All Goals)
**FEATURE STORY
9.) "TIMES OF TRANSITION": RILEY'S BACK-TO-SCHOOL ADDRESS (All Goals)
***FACT OF THE WEEK***
Between 1991 and 1999, the U.S. and 50 states (out of 51) significantly
increased the numbers of Advanced Placement examinations receiving a grade
o3 or higher (per 1,000 11th and 12th graders.)
--The National Education Goals Report: Building a nation of learners, 1999
http://www.negp.gov/reports/99rpt.pdf
********************
STATE POLICY NEWS
********************
1.) ******** GETTING SERIOUS: CALIFORNIA'S HIGH SCHOOL TEST
(Goal Three: Student Achievement and Citizenship)
High school seniors in California will be required to pass a graduation
test, beginning with the class of 2004 (Kerr, SACRAMENTO BEE/AP, 9/7). The
state Board of Education unanimously voted to approve the test.
The test is being developed by the American Institutes of Research and the
passing grade will be released sometime early next year. Students will be
tested on the state's standards for English and math at the 10th-grade
level, which includes algebra. Some committee members would have preferred
to include geometry, statistics and probability, but conceded that it would
be unfair to test students on what they did not yet learn.
According to the paper, students will be permitted to try the test in ninth
grade and must take it starting in 10th grade. Students will be permitted
to keep taking the test, if they do not pass on the first attempt.
For more information, visit the California Board of Education at
http://www.goldmine.cde.ca.gov
2.) ******** "ACHIEVEMENT COUNTS": MARYLAND BUSINESSES ENCOURAGE STUDENT
ACHIEVEMENT
(Goal Three: Student Achievement and Goal Six: Adult Literacy and Lifelong
Learning)
Maryland business leaders have expanded their campaign to motivate students
to do well in school. Achievement Counts was launched in 1998 by the
Maryland Business Roundtable (MBRT) with the goal to encourage all Maryland
employers to ask for high school transcripts when hiring young people.
Today, the MBR has broadened the initiative to include a Speaker's Bureau in
which young business leaders visit schools to talk to 9th-grade students
about the importance of school achievement - how their school work does
translate into workforce skills.
The group also is engaged in outreach to the business community concerning
the initiative. So far, over 500 employers throughout the state said they
will use school records in the hiring process and 21 local chambers of
commerce have endorsed the Achievement Counts campaign.
For more information, visit the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education
at http://www.mbrt.org.
*************************
Community and Local News
*************************
3.) ******** TIME: ON THEIR SIDE IN CHICAGO
(Goal Two: School Completion and Goal Three: Student Achievement and
Citizenship)
Students struggling to complete high school will have time on their side in
Chicago. City school officials recently unveiled a unique plan to let
students falling behind in their studies to take five years instead of the
traditional four to finish high school (Martinez and Breslin, CHICAGO
TRIBUNE, 9/8). The goal, according to school leaders, is to improve the
city's "staggering" dropout rate, writes the paper. Forty-one percent of
high school students leave school by their senior year. Most leave during
their first two years of school.
Under the new plan, students will have the option to complete first-year
core courses in two years. These new core courses are more rigorous than
before and include algebra, English and science.
Schools chief Paul Vallas defends the controversial plan, pointing out that
in the Chicago school system only a third of students read at grade level
and fewer than half do math at grade level. Critics argue that the plan
will not succeed because of the stigma attached to taking longer to complete
work. Vallas' plan includes an accelerated three-year high school program
for advanced students.
For more information, visit the Chicago schools at http://www.cps.k12.il.us
4.) ******** LARGEST 100: EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT PUBLIC
ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS
(All Goals)
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released its report on
characteristics of the 100 largest public elementary and secondary school
districts in the United States (1998-1999). Information provided in the
report was culled from data reported by state education officials. For
example:
> The 100 largest public school districts, representing less than 1 percent
of all school districts in the nation, were responsible for the education of
22.9 percent of all public school students.
> The 100 largest school districts had larger school sizes than the average
school district (705 compared to 510). They also had higher mean
pupil/teacher ratio, 18.3 to 1 compared to 16.5 to 1 for the average
district.
> While the number of students, teachers and schools has increased between
1988-1989 and 1998-1999, the proportion of the national total that the 100
largest school district comprised was essentially unchanged.
For more information and a copy of Characteristics of the 100 Largest Public
Elementary and Secondary school Districts: 1998-1999, visit
http://www.nces.ed.gov/whatsnew
*********************
Federal Policy News
*********************
5.) ******** GOOD NEWS: DRUG USE DOWN AMONG TEENS
(Goal Seven: Safe Schools)
Illicit drug use among students age 12 to 17 continues to decline, according
to the 1999 Annual National Household Survey released last month by U.S.
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Donna Shalala. According to the
data, an estimated 9 percent of youths age 12 to 17 reported current illicit
drug use in 1999, meaning they used an illicit drug at least once during the
30 days prior to the time of the survey interview. "There is a significant
consistent downward trend over the last three years, from 11.4 percent in
1997 to 9.9 percent in 1998 and 9 percent in 1999," notes an HHS press
release (8/31).
The report includes national data and for the first time state-by-state
estimates.
For more information and a copy of the report, visit the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of HHS at
http://www.samhsa.gov.
6.) ******** LAST YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL: WHAT ARE WE DOING?
(Goal Three: Student Achievement and Goal Six: Adult Literacy and Lifelong
Learning)
The U.S. Department of Education has launched a public-private partnership
to study the senior year in high school. The Commission on the High School
Senior Year, led by Kentucky Governor Paul Patton, will examine the final
year of high school and the transition to college, work and adulthood.
Specifically, the commission will tackle the following issues:
> To what extent is there a convergence in expectations for students going
to college and those going directly into the workforce;
> What is the nature of the disconnect between K-12 and post-secondary
education;
> Should changes be made on the structure of the existing twelve years of
schooling to increase achievement for all students by the end of their
senior year
According to a Department of Education press release, a "broader goal of the
commission is to build partnerships among public and private sectors and
secondary and post-secondary education, laying the groundwork for reforming
the high school experience."
For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Education at
http://www.ed.gov.
*********************************
Research and Education Practices
*********************************
7.) ******** MOST WANTED: FBI REPORTS ON STUDENT VIOLENCE
(Goal Seven: Safe Schools)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) two-year study of school
violence urges school officials to improve their efforts to identify
potentially troubled students. School Shooter: A Threat Assessment
Perspective was developed to encourage a "better understanding of adolescent
violence through threat assessment, intervention and prevention methods,"
according to a FBI press release (9/6).
In May 1998, the FBI's National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime
(NCAVC), Critical Incident Response Group, decided to study the recent spate
of school shootings from a behavioral/threat assessment perspective. The
report is based on a detailed review of specific cases of school shootings
and attempts foiled by officials. Eighteen case studies are described in
the report.
School Shooter also includes a "systematic procedure for threat assessment
and intervention, which should be used judiciously by educators, mental
health professionals and law enforcement agencies," notes the FBI release.
However, some educators and psychologists express concern that what may be
simply "awkward adolescent" behavior could be misinterpreted as more serious
threats, according to the L.A. TIMES (Lichtblau, 9/7). "To simply release a
report like this across the country - into the hands of people in the
schools who are for the most part not well trained in identifying kids with
mental health problems - seems to me an open invitation to stigmatize
children who may simply be expressing opinions that they're entitled to
have," said Laurence Steinberg, psychology professor at Temple University
who specialized in juvenile justice issues.
For more information and a copy of the report, visit the FBI at
http://www.fbi.gov.
8.) ******** IDEAS ON-LINE: CENTURY FOUNDATION AND EDUCATION
(All Goals)
The New York-based Century Foundation continued their new Online Dialogue
Series late last month with a discussion on all-day and all-year schools.
Four educators discussed the topics and their conversations are posted on
the Century Foundation's web site.
Panelists for this online dialogue were: Richard Rothstein, research
associate of the Economic Policy Institute, Jodi Wilgoren, national
education correspondent for the NEW YORK TIMES, Joy Dryfoos, author of
Full-Service Schools: A Revolution in Health and Social Services for
Children, Youth and Families. Ruy Teixeira, senior fellow of the Century
Foundation, moderated the discussion.
The Century Foundation's Ideas2000: New Ideas for a New Century initiative
includes a web site and also features events, information and commentary on
ideas "proffered in the 2000 presidential campaign," according to a Century
Foundation press release (9/6). Issues already explored include
desegregation of schools and universal preschool.
For more information on the Online Dialogue Series, visit the Century
Foundation at http://www.ideas2000.org. Or, send an e-mail to
ideas2000@tcf.org for additional information.
*****************
Feature Story
*****************
9.) ******** "TIMES OF TRANSITION": RILEY'S BACK-TO-SCHOOL ADDRESS
(All Goals)
On the occasion of his seventh annual back-to-school speech, U.S. education
Secretary Richard Riley spoke of the transitions students make throughout
their academic careers and how educators and parents can help make for more
smooth and successful passages. The first transition - beginning school -
is more critical than what once was thought. New brain research clearly
shows the importance of quality care for children age 0 to 5. "The stronger
the start, the better the finish," said Riley.
He urged parents and early childhood educators to focus on the 3R's -
relationships, resilience and readiness. From his speech: " . . . the
single most important characteristic that defines a high-quality early
childhood program is the ability of the teacher to develop a warm, positive
relationship with each child." Riley underscored the importance of ensuring
that every preschool program have on staff a teacher with a bachelor's
degree or with expertise in early childhood education, a key finding of the
National Research Council's report Eager to Learn. He also noted that he
strongly supports voluntary, universal pre-school.
But early childhood also means quality and quantity of time spent with
parents. Riley said he is a strong advocate of extending the Family and
Medical Leave Act 'because it gives parents more time with their newborn
infants." "And I urge parents to spend more time with their children, to
read to them and with them every chance they get," he added. He expressed
surprise that the Department of Education's first national survey of
kindergarten teachers found that less than half of all parents are reading
to their toddlers every day. "So we need to do a much better job of helping
parents understand the enormous difference they can make in helping their
children get ready for school," he said.
In the early grades, "we need to put a much sharper focus on why boys
struggle with reading," commented Riley. He recommends more study of the
connection between prisons filled with illiterate young men and the struggle
some boys experience in elementary school with reading.
The middle years are another important passage. Riley calls on middle
school leaders to "take a second look at what they are hoping to
accomplish." He noted: "There is a real debate going on among middle
school educators as they seek to find a new balance between responding to
the developmental needs of their students and responding to the new demands
for student achievement." According to Riley, "we need to do both and we
cannot lower our expectations about what our children can achieve
academically during these important years."
A more challenging and engaging curriculum and more quality after-school
programs are two policies that would improve the academic and social life of
young teens.
Making the transition to high school is another critical passage for
American youth. Riley stressed the importance of smaller, personalized
schools. "We need to create freshman academies or houses so groups of young
people stay together and have regular contact with the same set of advisors.
And we need to get the message out to every parent that now is not the time
to back out of your teenager's life." Besides parents, Riley calls for more
mentors to serve as role models for young people.
At the end of his address, Riley highlighted his new commission - the
Commission on the Senior Year of High School, led by Kentucky Governor Paul
Patton. Riley expressed concern over the many high school seniors who are
bored and unchallenged and "ready to move on." The commission will embark
on a one-year review of the senior year of high school and of the
disconnects between K-12 and post-secondary education.
Riley concluded: "I have stressed the importance of these transition
periods because we need to prepare for them; we need to recognize that it is
during these transitions that the expectations we set may matter most; and
we need to realize that we must always be listening to our children."
He urged parents, educators and anyone involved in the lives of young people
to "watch over our children as they grow and stretch their minds, and
appreciate the lives of all of our young people as this new school year
begins."
For more information, visit the Department of Education at
http://www.ed.gov.
************************************
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
************************************
The NEGP/ Daily Report Card (DRC) hereby authorizes further reproduction and
distribution with proper acknowledgment.
To subscribe to (or unsubscribe from) the NEGP Weekly, respond to this email
or address an email message to: NEGPWEEK@westat.com and put subscribe or
unsubscribe in the message portion of the e-mail.
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 Tommy G. Thompson, WI (Chair, 2000);
John Engler, MI; Jim Geringer, WY; James B. Hunt, Jr., NC; Frank Keating,
OK; Frank O'Bannon, IN; Paul E. Patton, KY; 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 the Goals Panel or at its web site
http://www.negp.gov. Requests can be made by mail, fax, e-mail, or Internet.
-- 30 --