The NEGP WEEKLY for September 21, 2001
From: Negpweek (NEGPWEEK@WESTAT.com)
Date: Fri Sep 21 2001 - 10:31:11 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 - September 21, 2001 -- Vol. 2 -- No. 118
*************************************************
CONTENTS
**STATE POLICY
1.) Teacher Testing: Illinois' New, More Rigorous Exam (Goal 4)
2.) Character Education: South Dakota Program A Success (Goal 7)
**COMMUNITY AND LOCAL NEWS
3.) Reading Results: Improved For Full-Day Kindergartners (Goal 1 & Goal 3)
4.) In The Middle: Baltimore's Middle School Reform Stuck In Mud (Goal 3)
**FEDERAL POLICY NEWS
5.) School District And Terrorism: Grants Awarded (Goal 7)
6.) Comments Wanted: Draft 2004 Mathematics Framework For NAEP (Goal 5)
**RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PRACTICE
7.) Adopt-A-Classroom: Financial Resource For Teachers (All Goals)
8.) TO THE ARTS: CALIFORNIA'S RESURGENCE
**FEATURE STORY
9.) A National Tragedy: Schools Respond
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STATE POLICY NEWS
********************
1.) ******** Teacher Testing: Illinois' New, More Rigorous Exam
(Goal Four: Teacher Education & Professional Development)
Illinois teachers can expect to face a more challenging teacher exam, a
requirement to become a fully certified teacher in the state (Grossman,
Chicago SUN-TIMES, 9/16). The new test, which covers math, reading, writing
and grammar, is rated by teachers and others who have taken the test to be
at a 10th-grade to college level.
The prior test, a version of the Basic Sills test, was deemed so easy "that
an eighth- or ninth-grade student should have been able to pass it,
[although] many teachers still stumbled on its questions," writes the paper.
According to the paper, some educators worry that the tougher test could
keep more people out of the profession, particularly troublesome during a
teacher shortage. However, some educators argue that the test should remain
demanding. "I think maybe it should even be a bit more challenging," said
Josh McFerrin, a recent graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago,
who plans to become a high school history teacher. "I'm teaching high
schoolers, and I think our level should be a bit higher than theirs."
For more information, visit the state of Illinois at
<http://www.state.il.us/state/educate>
2.) ******** Character Education: South Dakota Program A Success
(Goal Seven: Safe & Drug-Free Schools)
A statewide character education program has helped South Dakota students to
be less likely to be violent, break the law, cheat in school, and get in
trouble than they were before they participated in the program (Rubin,
EDUCATION DAILY, 8/10).
Researchers at the South Dakota State University Cooperative Extension
Service's 4-H department conducted the survey of about 6,000 to 8,000
students a year from the 1997-1998 to the 1999-2000 school year. The
purpose was to "gauge the effectiveness of the Character Counts! Curriculum
in schools statewide," reports the paper.
For more information, visit Character Counts at
<http://www.charactercounts.org>.
*************************
COMMUNITY AND LOCAL NEWS
*************************
3.) ******** Reading Results: Improved For Full-Day Kindergartners
(Goal One: Ready To Learn & Goal Three: Student Achievement)
Montgomery County, Maryland's, full-day kindergarten program appears to have
helped students improve reading skills, according to a new, year-long study
issued by the county's school district (Gowen, WASHINGTON POST, 9/11). The
study of nearly 8,000 kindergartners found that 71 percent of "high-risk"
students who spent al day in school "mastered reading fundamentals by the
end of the year, as opposed to 54 percent of those enrolled half day."
School Superintendent Jerry Weast praised several of his reforms designed to
close the achievement gap between affluent and poverty-stricken students.
Besides the all-day kindergarten program, Weast singled out an emphasis on
smaller classes in the earliest grades, a more academic curriculum and
'extensive" kindergarten teacher training."
For more information, visit the Montgomery County Public School System at
<http://www.mcps.k12.md.us>.
4.) ******** In The Middle: Baltimore's Middle School Reform Stuck In Mud
(Goal Three: Student Achievement)
Although Baltimore school leaders have planned to reform two low-performing
middle schools this year, the new programs are not yet in place, reports the
BALTIMORE SUN (Niedowski, 9/11). Both Hamilton and Highlandtown middle
schools are scheduled to put in place a reform model developed by Johns
Hopkins University that "provides teacher coaches, professional development
and a focus on improved school climate," writes the paper. But the district
only recently contacted the university's Talent Development Middle School
program.
Cassandra Jones, chief academic officer for the city school district said
despite the delay, "Talent Development is going to happen." The program is
operational at 20 sites in five states.
For more information, visit the Baltimore public school district at
<http://www.bcps.k12.md.us>.
*********************
FEDERAL POLICY NEWS
*********************
5.) ******** School District And Terrorism: Grants Awarded
(Goal Seven: Safe & Drug-Free Schools)
U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige last week announced that the U.S.
Department of Education would be making a series of grants totaling in the
millions of dollars to the school districts directly impacted by the
terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Paige also announced that the department would provide information resources
to parents and teachers to help children dealing with the effects of the
attacks, but who were not directly impacted.
The grants will come from Project SERV, a Congressionally approved program
intended to provide assistance such as counseling services to local school
districts that have experienced a traumatic event.
For more information, visit the Department of Education's web site at
<http://www.ed.gov>.
6.) ******** Comments Wanted: Draft 2004 Mathematics Framework For NAEP
(Goal Five: Math And Science & Goal Eight: Parent Involvement)
The National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) has scheduled a National
Public Forum on September 24, 2001 in Washington, D.C. to receive comments
on the draft 2004 Mathematics Framework for the National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP). Individuals or groups involved in education
policy, math, assessment or business, as well as the general public, are
invited to offer input.
For more information about presenting oral or written remarks and to read
the draft framework, visit NAEP at
<http://www.nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/html>.
Look for the third item under the New & Noteworthy section on the bottom
right.
For more information on the current framework, see the Mathematics Framework
for the 1996 and 2000 NAEP at
<http://www.nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/mathematics/whatmeasure.asp/html>.
*********************************
RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PRACTICES
*********************************
7.) ******** Adopt-A-Classroom: Financial Resource For Teachers
(All Goals)
Three years ago, lawyer Jamie Rosenberg left his law firm to launch a new
program designed to bring more resources into classrooms (Bell, ORLANDO
SENTINEL, 9/16). His program, Adopt-A-Classroom, patterned after the
Adopt-A-Highway program, calls on donors to contribute $500 a year for a
specific classroom.
Since then the program has grown enough to support 350 classrooms and has
garnered endorsements from school superintendents, mayors and
representatives
from Congress. Donors primarily come from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm
Beach Counties, with a few in New York. Donors come from major sponsors,
small business and individuals.
Rosenberg is prepared to handle a "rush" of donors. "Right now, we have
every school in the country downloaded in our database," he said. "We're
making it as easy to adopt a classroom as it is to buy a book on
Amazon.com."
For more information, visit Adopt-A-Classroom at
<http://www.adoptaclassroom.com>.
8.) ******** TO THE ARTS: CALIFORNIA'S RESURGENCE
Although arts programs were "pummeled" by California's Proposition 13, they
are making a comeback throughout the state, reports the L.A. TIMES (Beyette,
9/9). The paper notes several changes:
* In January, the State Board of Education adopted new standards for
what students need to know to demonstrate literacy in dance, music, theater
and the visual arts.
* Admissions requirements at the state's public universities are being
amended to require more arts instruction in high school.
* In February, the state PTA launched "SMARTS: Bring Back the Arts,"
and awareness and advocacy campaign targeted at legislators, school boards,
media and parents with a goal of seeing that every public school student
gets quality arts education from pre-K to grade 12.
* A 10-year Arts Education Plan was adopted by the Los Angeles Unified
School District
* For more information, visit the L.A. TIMES at
<http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/la-000072741sep09.story>.
*
*
* *****************
* FEATURE STORY
* *****************
*
*
* 9.) ******** A National Tragedy: Schools Respond
*
* Last week's tragic attack on American soil left Americans reeling
and forced schools into the position of dealing with frightened and shocked
children. Ronald Stephens, executive director of the National School Safety
Center in Westlalke Village, California, said the nation's schools are
"better prepared to manage crisis situations than they were 20 years ago,"
reports EDUCATION WEEK (Reid and Geirwertz, 9/19). The newspaper published
an article detailing ways different schools responded to the crisis and
included a list of resources for teachers and administrators who continue to
grapple with helping children adjust.
*
* Schools in Washington, D.C. and the Maryland and Virginia suburbs
"had teams of crisis counselors on standby," writes the paper. Although
many schools in New York, the Washington area and Los Angeles and San
Francisco closed early and remained closed the following day, many national
school security experts "advised school leaders to preserve as much of the
normal routine as possible - a stabilizing signal to children - and to trust
their instincts," according to ED WEEK.
*
* However, "if you find that the community is in such a state that
they need their children home with them, then you need to close the school
and children should go home," suggested Sally Cole, principal of Emerson
Secondary School in Oklahoma City, who cautioned that educators must gauge
the "emotional temperature" of their own community.
*
* Stephens thinks school districts nationwide will tighten security,
"but cautioned that each community must determine what action to take to
make campuses safer without turning them into "armed camps."
*
* He also predicted that bomb threats on campus will "crop up" and
that Muslim and Arab-American students may become "the target of hateful
comments," which means that school officials must become more active in
"monitoring students' comments and behavior to prevent the escalation of
such taunts into violence," reports the paper.
*
* Some schools may revisit their crisis-preparedness plans, similar to
what schools did in Oklahoma City and in Jefferson County, Colorado, after
the Columbine High School incident.
*
* At the conclusion of its article, EDUCATION WEEK lists several
resources for schools and school districts, including the National School
Safety and Security Services group, a Cleveland, Ohio-based, national
consulting firm specializing in school security and crisis preparedness
training, security assessments, and related safety consulting for K-12
schools, law enforcement, and other youth safety providers. The group
reports on several issues that school and community leaders should consider
in the aftermath of the attack:
*
* identify school and community mental health support services
* communicate openly and honestly with students
* review school crisis guidelines and implement pertinent responses
relevant to the conditions facing your school
* maintain a balanced, common-sense approach to school safety and
security
* review security issues related to access control, perimeter
visibility and security, and other crime-prevention measures
* communicate hotline numbers and other methods that students,
parents, staff and members of the school community can use to report safety
and related concerns
* use school district call-in lines, web sites and other information
sources that can be accessed by the school community to provide ongoing
information to the school community
For more information, visit EDUCATION WEEK at <http://www.edweek.com> and
search for the 0/19/01 issue. The special report is called Terror Touches
Our Schools. For information on the National School Safety and Security
Services, visit <http://www.schoolsecurity.org/terrorist_response.html>.
The National Association of School Psychologists also lists resources for
schools at <http://www.nasponline.org/NEAT/>.
************************************
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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