The NEGP Weekly for June 8, 2001...
From: Negpweek (NEGPWEEK@WESTAT.com)
Date: Thu Jun 07 2001 - 14:30:30 PDT
*****************THE NEGP WEEKLY*****************
A weekly news update on America's Education Goals
and school improvement efforts across America from the
NATIONAL EDUCATION GOALS PANEL
Friday - June 8, 2001 -- Vol. 2 -- No. 104
*************************************************
CONTENTS
**STATE POLICY
1.) A STATE'S REPORT CARD: NO "Fs" IN FLORIDA (Goal 3)
2.) BULLY POLICY: MICHIGAN DEBATES LEGISLATION (Goal 7)
**COMMUNITY AND LOCAL NEWS
3.) L.A.'S BEST: AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM IS A WINNER (Goals 2, 3, 7 and 8)
4.) STANDARD & POOR'S: INTO EVALUATING SCHOOLS (All Goals)
**FEDERAL POLICY NEWS
5.) BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS: 264 TOP PERFORMERS (All Goals)
6.) SPECIAL EDUCATION AND DISCIPLINE: A TOUGH STANCE (Goal 7)
**RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PRACTICE
7.) MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH: NEW PROGRAM FROM ACHIEVE AND THE COLLEGE BOARD
(Goal 5)
8.) PARENT INVOLVEMENT: AN EDUCATION FOR THE YOUNG (Goal 8)
**FEATURE STORY
9.) THE CONDITION OF EDUCATION: NCES REPORTS (All Goals)
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STATE POLICY NEWS
********************
1.) ******** A STATE'S REPORT CARD: NO "Fs" IN FLORIDA
(Goal Three: Student Achievement)
Not one public school in Florida earned an "F" grade this year, with the
number of failing schools dropping since the state began awarding grades in
1999 (Ryan, ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 5/31). According to the paper, 41 percent
of schools earned "A" or "B" grades, which is up from 21 percent in 1999.
Forty-six percent of schools got a "C", and only 12 percent earned a "D".
The four schools that earned failing grades last year all improved to a "D".
One principal of a school located in a disadvantaged community attributed
her school's improvement to extensive tutoring programs, "some led by
students from Florida International University," writes the paper.
Florida leaders continue to "tweak" the grading system. The state is
expected to soon field-test a science exam that will be included in school
grades, and plans are underway to raise standards in reading, math and maybe
writing. Beginning in 2002, the state also will begin to track individual
student progress.
For more information about education in Florida, visit MyFlorida.com at
http://www.myflorida.com/myflorida/education/index.html
2.) ******** BULLY POLICY: MICHIGAN DEBATES LEGISLATION
(Goal Seven: Safe Schools)
Michigan state Representative Samuel Thomas introduced a bill that would
require school districts to have a specific policy and discipline code to
address bullying (Franklin, AP/DETROIT NEWS, 5/30).
School districts would choose either to set their own policy or adopt a
model policy developed by the state Department of Education. Teachers,
administrators and parents would participate in developing the local
discipline code.
According to the paper, each district would have to submit its policy to the
state superintendent by September 1, 2002. The bill (HB 4746) is before the
House Education Committee.
For more information on HB 4746, visit the Michigan Legislature at
http://www.michiganlegislature.org and click on "Bill by Number. Search for
HB 4746.
*************************
COMMUNITY AND LOCAL NEWS
*************************
3.) ******** L.A.'S BEST: AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM IS A WINNER
(Goal Two: School Completion, Goal Three: Student Achievement, Goal Seven:
School Safety And Goal Eight: Parent Involvement)
Los Angeles's BEST (Better Educated Students for Tomorrow) after-school
program earned top marks in a study conducted by the Center for the Study of
Evaluation at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). The study
found that not only do children find the program enjoyable, but they receive
higher scores than their peers on standardized tests (EDUCATION DAILY,
5/30).
"The results of the UCLA study are very encouraging," said Terry Peterson,
chief counsel to former-Education Secretary Richard Riley. "Most
impressively, L.A.'s BEST has shown longitudinally its positive impact on
key issues facing families and communities including safety, homework
assistance, better achievement, staying in school and enrichment programs
including access to the arts."
Los Angeles school district leaders plan to have programs like BEST in all
of its elementary and middle schools by 2005. San Jose, Sacramento and San
Diego have used the Los Angeles program as a model for their after-school
programs.
For more information on UCLA's Center for the Study of Evaluation, visit
http://www.cse.ucla.edu.
4.) ******** STANDARD & POOR'S: INTO EVALUATING SCHOOLS
(All Goals)
The Wall Street firm Standard & Poor's late last month released its first
review of a public school district. The firm, known for "gauging the
financial health of businesses and governments," has posted online an
analysis of the Michigan public school districts.
According to EDUCATION WEEK, Michigan has a five-year, $11 million dollar
contract with Standard & Poor's. Data will be added annually to the Web
site (Keller, 5/30). The firm is hoping that more school systems will
contract for services provided by its new school evaluation division.
Pennsylvania already has hired Standard & Poor's, with an evaluation
expected to come online in the fall.
For more information, visit Standard & Poor's School Evaluation Services at
http://www.ses.standardandpoors.com
*********************
FEDERAL POLICY NEWS
*********************
5.) ******** BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS: 264 TOP PERFORMERS
(All Goals)
U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige late last month announced the 264
public and private elementary schools awarded a Blue Ribbon. The
18-year-old program highlights schools around the country that have excelled
in school leadership, teaching, curriculum, student achievement and parental
involvement.
Paige added that the schools shared several characteristics, including:
> a clear vision and shared sense of mission;
> a challenging, up-to-date curriculum;
> policies and practices to ensure a safe campus conducive to learning;
> evidence of family involvement; and
> a commitment to help all students achieve high standards.
For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Education at
http://www.ed.gov.
6.) ******** SPECIAL EDUCATION AND DISCIPLINE: A TOUGH STANCE
(Goal Seven: Safe Schools)
Students with disabilities could be disciplined in the same manner as other
students, under an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
passed late May in the House. Students with disabilities could be
suspended, expelled or offered alternative instruction if they were involved
in serious offenses involving drugs, weapons or aggravated assault.
Representative Charlie Norwood (Georgia), sponsor of the amendment, said the
bill would "create a safer and fairer school environment," writes EDUCATION
WEEK (Fine, 5/30).
However, Lynda Van Kuren, a spokeswoman for the Council for Exceptional
Children, told the paper that her group plans to fight the amendment. "We
hope the rest of Congress understands the detrimental effects of suspension
and expulsion of students with disabilities," she said.
For more information, visit the Council for Exceptional Children at
http://www.cec.sped.org, or the office of Representative Charlie Norwood at
http://www.house.gov/norwood.
*********************************
RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PRACTICES
*********************************
7.) ******** MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH: NEW PROGRAM FROM ACHIEVE AND THE COLLEGE
BOARD
(Goal Five: Math And Science)
Achieve's Mathematics Achievement Partnership has joined with The College
Board to produce a package of professional development, classroom tests and
an 8th-grade end-of-course exam in math. This is the first time the College
Board has worked below the high school level.
The fourteen states that already are part of the Mathematics Achievement
Partnership will receive the math package. According to EDUCATION WEEK that
means that 40 percent of the nation's middle school students will
participate in the project.
For more information, visit Achieve at http://www.achieve.org or The College
Board at http://www.collegeboard.com
8.) ******** PARENT INVOLVEMENT: AN EDUCATION FOR THE YOUNG
(Goal Eight: Parent Involvement)
Educating Children for Parenting is a 25-year-old program designed for
elementary and middle school students that introduces to young students the
joys and responsibilities of parenthood. According to EDUCATION WEEK, the
program's curriculum is adapted to meet the needs of even the youngest
students (Jacobson, 6/6). For example, the youngest students may learn that
words can be helpful or hurtful to a young child. Older students can be
exposed to more complex theories of child development.
Some critics claim that children in preschool or elementary school are far
too young to understand the meaning of being a good parent. "People aren't
interested in child development until they have a baby," said David Elkind,
professor of child development at Tufts University. "It's hard for kids at
that stage to reflect on their own behavior and to take on the parent's
role."
For more information on parenting and parenting education, visit the
National Parenting Education Network at http://www.npen.crc.uiuc.edu.
*****************
FEATURE STORY
*****************
9.) ******** THE CONDITION OF EDUCATION: NCES REPORTS
(All Goals)
Americans of all ages are enrolling in schools at greater numbers, according
to the newly released annual report from the National Center for Education
Statistics (NCES), The Condition of Education 2001. The report includes a
vast amount of data that gives shape to education in America.
Fifty-nine indicators convey the most current information about enrollment,
outcomes, context and support for education. The report also presents the
United States ranking on international comparisons. This year's report, in
addition to focusing on the scope and quality of American education,
highlights first-generation college students and the factors that increase
their likelihood of entering college and educational success.
Although U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige notes several positive trends
in the document, he cautions that, "The Condition of Education tells us
concretely that we are far from where we need to be in terms of student
performance. We are failing to close the persistent achievement and
attainment gaps - and we lag behind other developed nations in mathematics
and science achievement."
The gaps in achievement begin early in the education process. From the
beginning of kindergarten to the end of first grade, most children show
significant improvement in reading and math, but initial gaps in
achievement, that are associated with a child's mother's education, remain.
Children from better-educated families continue to score higher and acquire
more advanced skills and knowledge as they progress through first grade than
children from less educated families.
Other findings from the report:
> Among high school graduates whose parents had no postsecondary education,
the enrollment rate of those who took advanced math (64 percent) greatly
exceeded the enrollment rates of their peers who did not take advanced math
(ranging from 4 to 34 percent).
> While the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) shows that
reading performance has improved since 1971 for 9- and 13-year-olds, scores
have not improved for 17-year-olds. Although the long-term trend data show
a decrease in the performance gap between whites and blacks, most of this
reduction occurred between 1971 and 1988.
> Trends in science performance are characterized by declines in the 1970s,
increases during the 1980s and 1990s, and mostly unchanged performance since
then. The black-white achievement gap remains unchanged.
> Not only do more high school graduates now enroll in college - but also
more of them do so immediately after high school.
> The percentage of high school students armed or fighting at schools has
fallen since 1993, although threats and weapons injuries are unchanged.
> More people are finishing high school. From 1972 to 1999, the percentage
of 16- to 24-year old dropouts fell from 15 percent to 11 percent.
> The likelihood of earning some degree after high school has risen since
1983. More black and white students go on to college, however there has
been no change in the number of Hispanic high school students who go on to
college.
> Women earn more than half of the nation's bachelor's degrees.
For more information and a copy of the full text of the report, visit NCES
at http://www.nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubinfo.asp?pubid+2001072.
************************************
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 Acting Executive Director: John Barth
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
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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 Frank O'Bannon, IN (Chair,
2001); Jim Geringer, WY (Chair-elect); John Engler, MI; Jim Hodges, SC;
Frank Keating, OK; Paul E. Patton, KY; Jeanne Shaheen, NH; Tom Vilsack,
IA;
U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman, NM; U.S. Senator Jim Jeffords, VT; U.S.
Representative George Miller, 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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