The NEGP Weekly for December 14, 2000
Negpweek (NEGPWEEK@WESTAT.com)
Fri, 15 Dec 2000 09:40:20 -0500
*****************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 - December 14, 2000 -- Vol. 2 -- No. 84
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CONTENTS
**STATE POLICY
1.) CALIFORNIA'S HIGH SCHOOL EXIT EXAM: MADE EASIER (Goal 3)
2.) ALGEBRA: TOUGH TEST IN TEXAS (Goal 5)
**COMMUNITY AND LOCAL NEWS
3.) PHILADELPHIA STORY: VIOLENCE CONTINUES TO REIGN IN SCHOOLS (Goal 7)
4.) TESTING CITIES: IN NEED OF STUDY (Goal 3)
**FEDERAL POLICY NEWS
5.) TEACHER PREPARATION AWARDS: OUTSTANDING PROGRAMS (Goal 4)
6.) TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF A GOOD IDEA: FEDERAL PROGRAM PRAISED (Goal 3)
**RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PRACTICE
7.) RISKY BUSINESS: SCHOOL PERFORMANCE AND AT-RISK BEHAVIOR (Goal 7)
8.) QUALITY NOW: A REPORT ON RACIAL DISPARITIES (Goal 3)
**FEATURE STORY
9.) JUMPSTART: COLLEGE KIDS TEAM UP WITH THE PRESCHOOL SET (Goal 1)
***FACT OF THE WEEK***
Between 1991 and 1996, the U.S. and 38 states (out of 53) significantly
increased the percentage of degrees earned by minority students that were
awarded in mathematics or science.
--The National Education Goals Report: Building a nation of learners, 1999
http://www.negp.gov/reports/99rpt.pdf
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STATE POLICY NEWS
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1) ******** CALIFORNIA'S HIGH SCHOOL EXIT EXAM: MADE EASIER
(Goal Three: Student Achievement)
Facing possible legal challenges, California Governor Gray Davis won
the approval of the State Board of Education to shorten and make easier the
state's new high school exit exam (Groves, L.A. TIMES, 12/8). The state's
main concern is that high numbers of students would fail the exam, a
probability reported by several researchers who have examined the issue.
According to the paper, legal challenges in Florida and Texas revolved
around whether students have been adequately taught the material covered on
the states' graduation tests. John Mockler, Davis' interim education
secretary, said California was "learning from other state's troubles,"
writes the paper.
Changes in California's exam include elimination of many high-level
algebra questions, a delay in when the test will begin to count and when the
passing mark will be established. The paper notes that several states,
including Wisconsin, Maryland and Arizona, have postponed exit exams or have
created easier tests "rather than face high failure rates."
For more information, visit the California Board of Education at
www.cde.ca.gov/board/ or the L.A. TIMES at www.latimes.com.
2) ******** ALGEBRA: TOUGH TEST IN TEXAS
(Goal Five: Math and Science)
Local school officials in Texas are concerned about the majority of
students who fail the state's algebra test (Markley, HOUSTON CHRONICLE,
12/4). State officials are informing local school leaders that a student's
end-of-course algebra test score is a strong indicator of how well students
will do on the revised state test, the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills
(TAAS).
The paper reports on efforts underway in several school districts to
improve student performance on the algebra test. For example, Fort Bend
school officials will offer a tuition-free summer school program for
ninth-grade students who failed algebra. Another district, plagued by high
teacher turnover rates, is beginning to pay bonuses to encourage math
teachers to stay. In Houston, training is being provided not only to
algebra teachers, but also to math teachers in lower grades.
Susan Hull, of University of Texas' Charles A. Dana Center, which
trains teachers to improve their math instruction, pointed to a critical
problem statewide. "There is a disconnect between what is going on in the
classroom and what the kids are being required on the test to master," she
said.
For more information, visit the University of Texas' Charles A. Dana
Center at www.utdanacenter.org.
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COMMUNITY AND LOCAL NEWS
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3) ******** PHILADELPHIA STORY: VIOLENCE CONTINUES TO REIGN IN SCHOOLS
(Goal Seven: Safe Schools)
A Pennsylvania Legislature subcommittee reports that the
Philadelphia school district is culpable of under-reporting or denying
school violence, leaving the schools "rife with violence," writes the DAILY
NEWS (Dean, 12/4). An 11-month investigation carried on by members of the
Urban Affairs Committee's First Class Cities Subcommittee found that despite
spending $22 million on security this academic year, the school district
continues to loose the battle against crime on campus.
Committee members intend to continue to explore the "impact of laws
that exempt violent special education students from punishment." They also
plan to compare Philadelphia's story to other school districts in the state
and the nation. Teacher union leader Ted Kirsch said the report
"essentially hits the target." Kirsch: "Everybody agrees that there is a
problem, let's solve the problem. . . We can't stop random acts of violence.
But we can control a school. We can't let kids run schools."
For more information, visit the Pennsylvania General Assembly at
www.legis.state.pa.us, or the Philadelphia DAILY NEWS at www.philly.com.
4) ******** TESTING CITIES: IN NEED OF STUDY
(Goal Three: Student Achievement)
The Council of the Great City Schools, an organization representing
nearly 60 of the nation's large urban school districts, wants to use the
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to compare results from
city to city on a trial basis. "The council and its members are fully
committed to the standards movement," said Michael Casserly, the Council's
executive director. "Yet, we have little way to measure our progress. We
can't tell from all the overlapping and conflicting assessments whether or
not we're making any headway."
Under Casserly's proposal, which he presented last month at a
meeting of the National Assessment Governing Board, the group that sets NAEP
policy, urban districts would volunteer to participate.
For more information, visit the Council of the Great City Schools at
www.cgcs.org.
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FEDERAL POLICY NEWS
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5) ******** TEACHER PREPARATION AWARDS: OUTSTANDING PROGRAMS
(Goal Four: Teacher Education and Professional Development)
U.S. Education Secretary Richard Riley last week announced the first winners
of the National Awards Program for Effective Teacher Preparation. The award
recipients are: Elementary Education Program at Alverno College (Milwaukee);
Middle School Mathematics Teacher Preparation Program at East Carolina
University (Greenville); Elementary Education Program at the Fordham
University Graduate School of Education (New York); and Elementary Education
Program at Samford University (Birmingham).
Applicants were asked to demonstrate the link between their teacher
preparation programs and their graduates' ability to improve student
learning in reading and mathematics.
For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Education at www.ed.gov.
6.) ******** TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF A GOOD IDEA: FEDERAL PROGRAM PRAISED
(Goal Three: Student Achievement)
The U.S. Department of Education celebrated the 25th anniversary of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) by releasing a new report
on special education. The report's findings include:
> A record 55.4 percent of students with disabilities graduated from high
school in 1997-1998, up from 53.5 percent in 1996-1997 and continuing a
four-year rise.
> Dropout rates fell to 31 percent in 1997-1998, declining from 32.7
percent the previous school year and 34.7 percent in 1993-1994.
> A record 46.4 percent of disabled students ages 6-21 were served in the
regular classroom at least 80 percent of the school day in 1997-1998, up
from 45.7 percent in 1996-1997.
For more information on the report or on IDEA, visit the Department of
Education at www.ed.gov.
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RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PRACTICES
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7.) ******** RISKY BUSINESS: SCHOOL PERFORMANCE AND AT-RISK BEHAVIOR
(Goal Seven: Safe Schools)
A teenager's school performance and friends have more influence than their
race or family-income level on whether they will drink alcohol, smoke
cigarettes or carry weapons, according to a report issued by the University
of Minnesota. EDUCATION WEEK writes that the results from the National
Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health "contradict the widely held view
that race and income are the predominant influences on a young person's
likelihood of engaging in risky or self-destructive behaviors." (Portner,
12/6).
Among the findings of the report, researchers concluded that students who
spend a lot of time after school with their friends were more likely to
drink, smoke, have sex and carry weapons than their peers who spent
after-school hours in supervised settings.
For more information on the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent
Health, Protecting Teens: Beyond Race, Income and Family Structure visit the
University of Minnesota's Department of Pediatrics at www.peds.umn.edu
8.) ******** QUALITY NOW: A REPORT ON RACIAL DISPARITIES
(Goal Three: Student Achievement)
Quality Now! Results of National Conversations on Education and Race, a
report issued by Public Education Network, found that even in school systems
that are committed to addressing the resource and achievement gaps that
separate minority and white students, they still fail to hold all students
to the same high standards and expectations. Researchers found that
minority parents who participated in a series of more than 60 forums
nationwide are increasingly concerned that schools are holding their
children to lower standards than white students.
The report urges school districts to collect and monitor more data on
student achievement, including test scores, examples of student work and
statistics on how resources are allocated. It also provides a "tool kit"
designed to help community leaders plan, set goals and convene
education-and-race forums in their community.
For more information, visit the Public Education Network at
www.PublicEducation.org.
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FEATURE STORY
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9.) ******** JUMPSTART: COLLEGE KIDS TEAM UP WITH THE PRESCHOOL SET
(Goal One: Ready To Learn)
Jumpstart is a Boston-based program that pairs college students with
preschool children, giving the youngest students unprecedented one-on-one
time while in preschool. It was founded by Aaron Lieberman in 1993 when he
was a student at Yale University. EDUCATION WEEK reports that Jumpstart,
which operates with public and private funding, has an annual budget of $7
million.
According to EDUCATION WEEK, Jumpstart is in the midst of a new growth plan.
Lieberman is forming partnerships with more than 50 colleges and
universities over the next five years, with the intention of serving more
young children. Currently seven universities are involved in Jumpstart,
with the University of California, Los Angeles and San Francisco State
University the first campuses to enter the program under the "new approach,"
writes ED WEEK. College officials view Jumpstart as a way of helping their
students get real-world classroom experience. "The impact on our students
is exciting," said Richard Corrigan, president of San Francisco State. ED
WEEK notes that Corrigan became aware of Jumpstart through his participation
in President Clinton's America Reads Challenge where AmeriCorps members
tutor students in reading.
Jumpstart reduced the number of years their teachers must serve - from two
to one, making it easier for college students to participate. Jumpstart
also is planning to run a pilot program in which students are paired with
two preschoolers instead of one. The two preschool children would still
receive individual attention, but for a shorter period. This would allow
more children to be reached.
In recent years, Jumpstart adopted the High/Scope model, "a well-respected
early-childhood-education curriculum," writes ED WEEK. A new framework was
developed, School Success Outcomes, that includes such skills as "recognizes
and produces rhymes," "knows about books and ho books work," and "plans and
carries out complex activities."
ED WEEK describes a Jumpstart program underway at Linda Vista preschool and
kindergarten in Ontario, California. Each local school can decide how best
to use the Jumpstart teachers. At Linda Vista, a decision was made not to
give the Jumpstart teachers children with special needs because a fully
trained teacher would better serve those children. Jumpstart teachers at
Linda Vista received 30 hours of advance training and ongoing professional
development, but they are not trained in special education, explained
Jessamyn Luiz, Jumpstart's director of affiliate operations.
According to ED WEEK, Jumpstart has begun a longitudinal study of children
from two sites - New York City and Boston - to examine the long-term impact
of children who participate in the program. An evaluation of 200 children
conducted during the 1998-1999 school year found that children who
participated in Jumpstart made greater gains by the end of the year in a
number of skill areas than their peers who did not participate in Jumpstart.
For more information, visit Jumpstart's for-profit, Internet-based service
that offers early childhood educational products for parents and teachers at
www.Schoolsuccess.net. Click on "about us" and then "education partners" to
learn more about Jumpstart.
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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 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.
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