The NEGP WEEKLY for August 24, 2001
From: Negpweek (NEGPWEEK@WESTAT.com)
Date: Thu Aug 23 2001 - 14:03:48 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 - August 24, 2001 -- Vol. 2 -- No. 114
*************************************************
CONTENTS
**STATE POLICY
1.) CASH REWARDS: CALIFORNIA TEACHERS/PRINCIPALS SHARE THE WEALTH (Goal 4)
2.) EMERGENCY CERTIFICATION: QUADRUPLED IN FOUR YEARS (Goal 4)
**COMMUNITY AND LOCAL NEWS
3.) THE CHICAGO ACADEMY: TRAINING TEACHERS, TEACHING STUDENTS (Goals 3 and
4)
4.) TEACHER EXCELLENCE: NEW CENTER AT UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS(Goals 4
and 8)
**FEDERAL POLICY NEWS
5.) BACK TO SCHOOL, MOVING FORWARD: A BUSH-PAIGE TOUR (All Goals)
6.) SCHOOL ENROLLMENTS: SKY HIGH (All Goals)
**RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PRACTICE
7.) IDEAS OF THE MONTH CLUB: ONLINE HELP BY MACMILLAN/McGRAW HILL(Goals 4
and 5)
8.) MATH SEGREGATED SCHOOLS: CONTINUE TO GROW (Goal 3)
**FEATURE STORY
9.) PHI DELTA KAPPA/GALLUP POLL: THE PUBLIC ON PUBLIC SCHOOLS (All Goals)
********************
STATE POLICY NEWS
********************
1.) ******** CASH REWARDS: CALIFORNIA TEACHERS/PRINCIPALS SHARE THE WEALTH
(Goal Four: Teacher Education and Professional Development)
Principals and teachers at low-ranking schools that significantly boosted
Stanford 9 test scores last year will receive reward checks from the
California
Department of Education this month (L.A. TIMES, 8/11).
The issuance of the checks was held up by a court challenge led by a group
of Sacramento teachers who claimed that they too qualified for the programs.
However, a Sacramento Superior Court judge rejected their claim and said the
state could distribute the $100 million in rewards.
Although the teachers appealed the decision, Governor Gray Davis'
administration said it would cover additional costs if the appellate court
rules in the teachers' favor.
For more information, visit the California Department of Education at
http://www.cde.ca.gov
2.) ******** EMERGENCY CERTIFICATION: QUADRUPLED IN FOUR YEARS
(Goal Four: Teacher Education and Professional Development)
Nearly 1,400 teachers in Kentucky classrooms are working under emergency
certification, with nearly half teaching in special education (Wolfe,
Lexington HERALD-LEADER, 8/10). The number of people teaching with
emergency certification has more than quadrupled in four years, notes the
paper.
The trend "is going in the wrong direction," said Education Commissioner
Gene Wilhoit. "I call it an emergency situation." Wilhoit added that both
a teacher shortage and a dearth of certified special education teachers,
many who are teaching in other fields, has led to the situation. According
to Wilhoit, special education teachers carry "a heavy administrative load in
addition to working with children who have disabilities, sometimes severe,"
reports the paper.
For more information on Kentucky schools, visit the Kentucky Department of
Education at http://www.k12.ky.us
*************************
COMMUNITY AND LOCAL NEWS
*************************
3.) ******** THE CHICAGO ACADEMY: TRAINING TEACHERS, TEACHING STUDENTS
(Goal Three: Student Achievement and
Goal Four: Teacher Education and Professional Development)
Chicago venture capitalist Martin "Mike" Koldyke has established The Chicago
Academy, a school whose goal is to educate students and train teachers
(Breslin, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 8/7). According to the paper, Koldyke has
recruited top-notch teachers who will have "two sets of students: the kids
and a group of about 40 teacher residents, recruited from inside and outside
education schools." Two of the teacher interns will be assigned to each
class, giving the school an 8-to-1-student/teacher ratio.
"The uniqueness of this is that the training takes place at the school
because there's a growing awareness that colleges and universities are
limited for one main reason: They ask everyone to come to them," said Betty
Castor, president of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
and a member of the academy's board.
Arne Duncan, Chicago's new school chief, finds The Chicago Academy "an
interesting model." He added: "We're going to look to be innovative and to
try new ideas and experiment on a lot of different levels. This is a model
that I have a lot of interest in. I want to watch it very closely to see
how it plays out and see whether it should be part of our overall strategy."
4.) ******** TEACHER EXCELLENCE: NEW CENTER AT UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS
(Goal Four: Teacher Education and Professional Development and
Goal Eight: Parent Involvement)
The University of Indianapolis has received the largest grant ever from the
Lilly Endowment to establish a comprehensive center to help teach teachers.
The Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning will serve as a
clearinghouse for information and research on education "for everyone from
top administrators to parent groups," writes the INDIANAPOLIS STAR
(Williams, 8/9).
One of the center's first missions is a seminar on a new state law that
mandates improvement in the performance of public schools. "We will be
focusing on leadership in a broad sense, focusing on the classroom setting,
being proactive for kids and grooming prospective teachers in the
community," said Lynne Weisenbach, dean of the university's school of
education. "The responsibility is huge, but one we will take very
seriously," she said.
For more information, call the University of Indianapolis at (317)788-3368.
The Center will open this fall with its own phone number and web site.
*********************
FEDERAL POLICY NEWS
*********************
5.) ******** BACK TO SCHOOL, MOVING FORWARD: A BUSH-PAIGE TOUR
(All Goals)
President George W. Bush and U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige
celebrated the first day of school at Griegos Elementary School by launching
the Back to School, Moving Forward cross-country tour. The goal of the tour
is to promote accountability for elementary and secondary schools
Secretary Paige, Deputy Secretary of Education William Hansen and Under
Secretary of Education Eugene Hickok will visit schools and talk with civic
and business groups around the country as part of the tour. The tour plans
to visit these cities: Atlanta, Georgia; Denver, Colorado; Kansas City,
Missouri; Long Beach, California; Nashville, Tennessee; Orlando, Florida;
Portland, Oregon; Raleigh, North Carolina; and San Diego, California.
For more information and copies of the new Back to School, Moving Forward
publications for families, schools and communities and activities
surrounding the tour, visit the Department of Education at
http://www.ed.gov/backtoschool/
6.) ******** SCHOOL ENROLLMENTS: SKY HIGH
(All Goals)
For the sixth consecutive year, a record number of students are expected to
enroll in public and private elementary and secondary schools this fall, and
college enrollment will break the previous year's record for the fourth year
in a row, according to a new U.S. Department of Education publication.
Projections of Education Statistics to 2011 finds that 53.1 million students
will enter K-12 classrooms this fall, while 15.3 million students are
expected to enroll in colleges and universities. The report projects that
elementary and secondary school enrollment will increase slowly to 53.4
million in 2005 and then decrease slightly before stabilizing at or near the
end of the decade. College enrollment is expected to rise steadily through
the first decade of the 21st century, reading 17.7 million in 2011.
For more information and a copy of the report, visit the National Center for
Education Statistics at the Department of Education at
http://www.nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2001083 or call
1-877-4ED-PUBS to order a copy.
*********************************
RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PRACTICES
*********************************
7.) ******** IDEAS OF THE MONTH CLUB: ONLINE HELP BY MACMILLAN/McGRAW HILL
(Goal Four: Teacher Education and Professional Development and Goal Five:
Math and Science)
Publisher Macmillan/McGraw Hill offers free math lessons through an online
service for teachers of pre-kindergarten through sixth grades. The free
math lessons are sent each month via e-mail.
McGraw-Hill's free online programs link with the "themes, concepts and
objectives in McGraw-Hill Mathematics," notes the publisher's web site.
Web-linked lesson plans that offer student worksheets and teacher answer
keys also are offered. Another section, Math on the Walls, offers bulletin
board ideas.
A MathTalk forum gives teachers an opportunity to share ideas and consult
other teachers for answers to questions and problems that arise in the
classroom. The site also offers links to other sites for teachers searching
for ideas on how to, for example, teach fractions, use manipulatives or find
examples of real-life math applications.
For more information, visit Macmillan/McGraw Hill at
http://www.mathideas.mhschool.com
8.) ******** MATH SEGREGATED SCHOOLS: CONTINUE TO GROW
(Goal Three: Student Achievement)
America's schools continue to be more separated by race, despite the Supreme
Court's Brown vs. Board of Education decision in 1954, according to the
latest report issued by the Harvard Civil Rights Project.
"Segregation is actually increasing," said Gary Orfield, co-director of the
project and the lead researcher for the study. "Ignoring that reality leads
to adoption of education policies that punish people who haven't had equal
educational opportunities . . . It's a direct threat to the future of a
multiracial society."
The study, Schools More Segregated: Consequences of a Decade of
Resegregation, found that 70 percent of black K-12 students were enrolled in
predominantly minority schools during 1998-1999, compared with 66 percent in
1991-1992 and 63 percent in 1980-1981.
Latino students were even more likely to attend predominantly minority
schools. In 1998-1999, 76 percent of Latino students attended these
schools, an increase from 73 percent in 1991-1992.
For more information, visit the Harvard Civil Rights Project at
http://www.law.harvard.edu/groups/civilrights/
*****************
FEATURE STORY
*****************
9.) ******** PHI DELTA KAPPA/GALLUP POLL: THE PUBLIC ON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
(All Goals)
A majority of respondents in the Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll for the first
time in the survey's 33-year history gave their community schools either an
A or B. Fifty-one percent of all those surveyed scored their schools an A
or B, with the figure climbing to 62 percent for public school parents and
to 68 percent when these same parents were asked to grade the school their
oldest child attends.
According to the survey, the high marks may explain why, when asked to
choose between improving schools by reforming the existing system or by
finding an alternative, 72 percent of respondents choose reforming the
existing system, notes the poll.
High-stakes testing questions found 53 percent in favor of the use of a
single standardized test to determine promotion from grade to grade, while
45 percent opposed this practice. When high-stakes tests involve awarding a
high school diploma, the figures change to 57perent in favor and 42 percent
opposed. However, the results appear to counter another finding: 66
percent of the public surveyed believes that standardized tests should be
used to guide instruction, while only 30 percent said tests should be used
to measure student learning. And, the issue is further "blurred" when 65
percent reported that student achievement should be measured by classroom
work and homework, with only 31 percent saying that measuring student
achievement should rely on testing.
Several new questions were posed in this year's survey, The 33rd Annual Phi
Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools.
For the first time, the public was asked to respond to a question about
cyberspace instruction. Sixty-seven percent of respondents disapprove of
allowing students to earn high school credits over the Internet without
attending a regular school. Half of the 30 percent who approved of this
practice said they would be unwilling to have a child of theirs take most
courses online at home instead of attending a regular school.
Another new question asked respondents about how to treat schools that do
not show progress toward state standards. In this case, 65 percent favored
awarding more state and federal dollars to such schools, while only 32
percent favored withholding funds. Fifty-four percent favored not renewing
the principal's contract, with almost half (49 percent) favoring not
renewing teacher contracts. Fifty-one percent supported giving parents in
these schools vouchers to use at public or private schools of their choice.
New questions this year also focused on minority education. Forty-eight
percent of respondents believe that the achievement of white students
exceeds that of black and Hispanic students, with 73 percent saying the
lower achievement of minority students is related to factors other than
schooling. Eighty-eight percent believe that closing the gap is either
"very important" or somewhat important."
Although the public does not hold schools responsible for the gap, 55
percent believe it is the public schools' responsibility to close the gap,
while 45 percent the responsibility belongs to the government. There is a
three-way split between those who would assign the responsibility to the
federal government (34 percent), state government (35 percent) and local
government (29 percent).
Other findings from the poll:
> Home schooling continues to gain support, with 41 percent of respondents
saying home schooling is a good thing, while 54 percent said it is bad. The
41 percent figure is up from only 16 percent when the question was first
asked in 1985.
> 52 percent said that all students can learn at high levels and 46 percent
said only some students have this ability. However, 81 percent believed
that most students achieve only a small part of their academic potential in
school.
> The pending teacher shortage and related questions found that 89 percent
of the public would like to make it easier for teachers to transfer pension
benefits and to receive salary credit when moving from state to state in
order to retain more teachers. Eighty-eight percent said they would raise
teacher salaries. However, options to reduce requirements for teachers
were rejected: 82 percent opposed lowering state requirements for teacher
training and 67 percent opposed permitting persons with bachelor's degrees
to become teachers without preparation in teacher education. Seventy-three
percent support the idea of forgivable federal loans for those who become
teachers.
For more information and a copy of the poll, visit Phi Delta Kappa at
http://www.pdkintl.org
************************************
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
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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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