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Update -- ED Initiatives (January 5, 2000)
- To: "Information from & about the U.S. Department of Education publications & more ." <edinfo@inet.ed.gov>
- Subject: Update -- ED Initiatives (January 5, 2000)
- From: "Winters, Kirk" <Kirk_Winters@ed.gov>
- Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 17:04:51 -0500
- Reply-To: edinfo@inet.ed.gov
- Sender: owner-edinfo@inet.ed.gov
**************
ED Initiatives...
*************************************************************
A biweekly look at progress on the Secretary's priorities
*********************************************************
January 5, 2000
> State of American Education Address
> Mathematics: Consortium of High-Performing Districts
> Presidents' Summit on Teacher Quality
> Gateway to Educational Materials
> After-School Grants & Competition
> Schools Say Yes to National College Week
> Distance Learning on the Rise in Higher Education
> Direct Loans Less Expensive for Taxpayers
> Hope for Urban Education: A Study of Nine Schools
> Report on National Education Goals
> Year 2000 Update
> Kennedy Named Principal-in-Residence
> Luigart Appointed CIO
> New Online
-----------------------------------
State of American Education Address
----------------------------------- Today Secretary Riley
announced that he will deliver his 7th annual State of
American Education Address at Southern High School in Durham,
NC. In the speech, on February 22 at noon ET, he will discuss
progress made in education since his first address in 1994 &
will challenge schools & communities to renew their commitment
to ensure that all students achieve their full potential in
the 21st century.
Southern High School was recognized by North Carolina for
making exemplary growth in just one year after being on the
state's list of low-performing schools. School leaders have
worked to strengthen teacher development, reduce class sizes,
make classrooms disciplined, provide rigorous courses, &
improve the learning environment. This year, the proportion
of students scoring at or above average on end-of-semester
tests increased by more than 50%.
The speech will be broadcast live from the Southern High gym
(via satellite & the web) to schools, communities, & cable
access TV stations nationwide. For more information or
satellite coordinates to host a free downlink site, please
visit http://www.ed.gov/registerevent or call 1-800-USA-LEARN.
-----------------------------------------------------
Mathematics: Consortium of High-Performing Districts
-----------------------------------------------------
"A First Look at What We Can Learn From High Performing School
Districts" examines why students in 18 affluent school
districts in suburban Chicago, known as the First in the World
(FiW) Consortium, performed well compared to random samples of
students from other countries participating in the Third
International Mathematics & Science Study (TIMSS). This
report tells that, among other things, FiW students...
* seem to be introduced to advanced math topics earlier
than other U.S. students.
* are more likely than other U.S. students to be asked to
perform reasoning tasks than to practice computational
skills.
* are more likely than other U.S. students to be assigned
homework daily & discuss completed assignments in class.
* have teachers who may be more likely than other U.S.
teachers to participate in school-related activities
outside the regular work day -- meeting with colleagues,
identifying & selecting textbooks, buying supplies, &
keeping up with new curriculum & instructional
developments & techniques.
"The Consortium has worked hard to create a structure for
developing a cross-district community of learners that would
involve educators, parents, & community leaders," the report
says. "It has established teacher learning networks in 4
areas: curriculum, assessment, instruction, & technology; &
awarded grants to groups of teachers pursuing projects in
these areas." For the full report (August 1999):
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/FirstLook/index.html
-------------------------------------
Presidents' Summit on Teacher Quality
------------------------------------- In September, Secretary
Riley convened more than 60 college & university presidents &
chancellors to discuss their role in improving the preparation
of America's teachers. These leaders identified issues &
suggested recommendations in 3 areas: the mission & structure
of colleges & universities, partnerships, & accountability.
The recommendations, while they do *not* represent consensus
among participants, are provided in their entirety in hopes
that higher education leaders across the country may find
ideas to use or adapt on their own campuses.
http://www.ed.gov/inits/teachers/conferences/summit.html
--------------------------------
Gateway to Educational Materials
-------------------------------- Last month Secretary Riley
announced a tool that helps teachers pinpoint -- from
thousands of learning resources on the Internet -- the one
that is right for their students. Teachers can type a topic,
grade level, & other information into the Gateway to
Educational Materials (GEM), which then retrieves lessons,
instructional units, & other free educational materials from
more than 140 websites & organizations. Teachers may also
browse materials by subject area & keyword. More than 7,000
items are currently included in GEM, with new GEM consortium
members joining & hundreds of items being added each month.
http://www.thegateway.org
---------------------------------
After-School Grants & Competition
--------------------------------- Last month Vice President
Gore announced 125 new grants to support 517 community
learning centers. He also announced the availability of
applications for new awards under the program, 21st Century
Community Learning Centers. This program allows schools to
stay open longer to provide children & adults tutoring &
homework help; academic enrichment; college prep activities;
chorus, band, drama, & the arts; technology education; drug &
violence prevention counseling; supervised recreational
opportunities; & services for youth with disabilities. A list
of grantees & the application are at
http://www.ed.gov/21stcclc/
----------------------------------------
Schools Say Yes to National College Week
---------------------------------------- In November, nearly
400 colleges & universities participated in the Department's
first "National College Week." In an effort to promote
awareness that college is affordable & financial aid is
available for every student who is academically ready for
higher education, college & university presidents visited
local schools, hosted local college nights, wrote op-eds for
local newspapers, & more. Among the highlights:
* Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, Morehouse
College, & Morris Brown University hosted over 1,000
middle school students at a "College is Possible" rally.
* Parents of every 8th-grade student in Nebraska received a
letter from the president of the University of Nebraska &
the Nebraska commissioner of education, urging them to
pursue rigorous courses when they enter high school.
* The president of the University of Maine visited 3 high
schools as part of his continuing effort to visit every
high school in the state over the next 2 years.
The Department is exploring ways to build on National College
Week, including the possibility of a listserv for sharing with
colleges & universities announcements & opportunities related
to National College Week. If you're interested, please email
Laura_Emmett@ed.gov or John_Emekli@ed.gov (or phone John
Emekli at 202-401-4389).
-------------------------------------------------
Distance Learning on the Rise in Higher Education
------------------------------------------------- The number
of higher education institutions offering education courses
outside the traditional classroom has increased from 33% in
1995 to 44% in 1998, according to a report released last month
by the Department's National Center for Education Statistics
(NCES). The report also tells that...
* 79% of public 4-year institutions, as of 1997-98, were
offering distance education classes.
* Distance education course offerings & enrollments have
nearly doubled between 1994-95 & 1997-98, as have the
number of degree & certificate programs offered.
* The fastest growth has been in courses provided over the
Internet, jumping from 28% of institutions in 1995 to 60%
in 1998.
"Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions: 1997-98" is
at http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2000013
-----------------------------------------
Direct Loans Less Expensive for Taxpayers
----------------------------------------- Direct student loans
are much less expensive for taxpayers than guaranteed student
loans, according to a recent Department report. Under current
projections, for every $100 loaned this year, direct loans
will cost taxpayers $18 less than guaranteed loans. The
report, a summary, & Deputy Secretary Marshall (Mike) Smith's
remarks are at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OUS/loansum.html
-------------------------------------------------
Hope for Urban Education: A Study of Nine Schools
------------------------------------------------- Nine urban
elementary schools that have served children of color in poor
communities & achieved impressive academic results are the
focus of a report Secretary Riley released last month at the
Department's third regional Improving America's Schools
conference in Chicago. "What stands out among these schools,"
the Secretary said, "is a clear & unrelenting focus on high
standards, a commitment to serving children & ensuring their
academic success, & a collective sense of responsibility &
persistence among school staff." Most of this 150-page report
(126 pages) is devoted to indepth *case studies* of these 9
schools. The report is at http://www.ed.gov/pubs/urbanhope/
----------------------------------
Report on National Education Goals
---------------------------------- Last month the National
Education Goals Panel marked its 10th anniversary by hosting a
conference & issuing its annual report, "The National
Education Goals Report, Building a Nation of Learners, 1999."
Top performing & "most improved" states are included in the
report, which looks at state performance on 34 indicators.
The report, plus highlights from papers commissioned for the
conference (in "Building on the Momentum" & "Lessons Learned,
Challenges Ahead"), can be found at http://www.negp.gov/
----------------
Year 2000 Update
---------------- All 14 of the Department's mission-critical
systems have completed Y2K transition testing & have resumed
normal production operations, including the 11 systems of
high-impact student financial aid programs, the computer
network (EDNET), the grants payment & accounting system
(EDCAPS), & the Impact Aid System. For details & updates,
please see:
http://www.ed.gov/y2k/
------------------------------------
Kennedy Named Principal-in-Residence
------------------------------------ Secretary Riley has
tapped a Missouri school principal, Carole Kennedy, to be the
Department's new principal-in-residence. In this 2-year
position, Kennedy will provide a school leader's viewpoint
within the Department & serve as a contact for principals
around the country. Kennedy has served as president of the
National Association of Elementary School Principals & as a
member of the National Assessment Governing Board in 1998.
She also served on the Department's America Goes Back to
School steering committee in 1996 & helped develop the
nationally recognized Parents as Education Partners program.
She received Missouri's National Distinguished Principal Award
in 1988 & was selected in 1989 by the American Association of
School Administrators as one of America's 100 outstanding
education administers. Kennedy has been principal of John B.
Lange Middle School since 1997 & also served as principal of
New Haven Elementary School (1991-1997), both in Columbia, MO.
She was also principal of Conn-West Elementary School in
Grandview, MO, from 1981-1991. Before becoming a principal,
Kennedy taught elementary & middle school.
---------------------
Luigart Appointed CIO
--------------------- Craig B. Luigart, former corporate &
U.S. Navy information management executive, has been appointed
chief information officer (CIO) of the Department. As the new
CIO, Luigart oversees the agency's computer operations &
technology development, managing more than 300 information
technology professionals & contractors. Before coming to the
Department, Luigart served as chief technology officer for
Just Medicine Inc., of Norcross, GA, developing new mobile
clinical technologies. A career naval officer, he was
previously the program manager for the Department of the
Navy's Information Network Program Office, where he was
responsible for the design of global business information
systems. He also served as the chief information officer for
the naval information systems' infrastructure for the Pentagon
& Washington region. Before that, Luigart was chief
information officer for the 38,000-employee Naval Air Systems
Command. He was also a technical advisor to Highway 1, a
not-for-profit technology industry consortium to promote
computing between the government & its constituents.
----------
New Online
----------
The Religion & Public Schools website offers materials that
can help school districts design their own policies on
religious expression, inform teachers & principals of their
responsibilities & the rights of their students, & provide
parents with information about their children's right to
religious expression.
http://www.ed.gov/inits/religionandschools/
Deputy Secretary Marshall (Mike) Smith testified before a
congressional subcommittee last month on efforts to improve
the Department's programs for students, families, educators, &
taxpayers over the past 7 years.
http://www.ed.gov/Speeches/12-1999/991206.html
The Department's Publications Center (ED Pubs) received
outstanding scores from the U.S. Government Customer
Satisfaction Initiative. According to the University of
Michigan & Arthur Andersen, who conducted the survey, these
results place ED Pubs services & Department products in
company with many of the best in private business. For
details, please see: http://www.ed.gov/Survey/edpubsacsi/
ED Pubs is available at http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html
"The Initial Report of the Secretary on the Quality of Teacher
Preparation" is the first in a series of reports required by
Congress. It provides state-level information on teacher
certification & licensure assessments, the percentage of
teaching candidates who passed assessments (disaggregated by
teacher preparation program), & the extent to which teachers
received waivers of state certification.
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/News/teacherprep/index.html
-----------------------------------------------------------
ED Initiatives is made possible by many contributors,
including Mary Beth Blegen, Jim Bradshaw, Terry Dozier, John
Emekli, Daphne Hardcastle, Peter Kickbush, James Kvaal,
Melinda Kitchell Malico, Maureen McLaughlin, Lois Peak, Linda
Rosen, Philip Schulz, Keith Stubbs, David Thomas, & others.
Please send any comments to Kirk Winters in the Office of the
Under Secretary, U.S. Department of Education
(kirk_winters@ed.gov).
-----------------------------------------------------------
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