Community Update

No. 22
March 1995
U.S. Department of Education

MARCH TOWN MEETING WILL LOOK AT MATH AND SCIENCE EDUCATION FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

How schools and communities can strengthen math and science education will be the topic of the March Satellite Town Meeting. The program, entitled "Math and Science: Education for the 21st Century," will explore how instruction can respond to the rapid changes in technology that are transforming our economy and our daily lives.

The hour-long Town Meeting will air on Tuesday, March 21, at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time. A simultaneous broadcast in Spanish will include the service of taking callers' questions and providing answers in Spanish.

U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley and Deputy Secretary of Education Madeleine Kunin will host a panel of guests who have led efforts to improve math and science education in their schools and communities. Topics of discussion will address actively engaging math and science students in problem-solving and hands-on projects, supporting teachers in delivering challenging math and science lessons, using technology to open new worlds of exploration for math and science students, and linking the content of math and science courses to job skills required in the workplace.

The Department of Education produces the Satellite Town Meeting series in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Sponsors of the series include Miles, Inc., The Procter and Gamble Fund, SC Johnson Wax, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Satellite coordinates are as follows ....

C-BAND: Telstar 302, Transponder 10V/Channel 19; Vertical Polarization; Downlink Frequency 4080; Audio Subcarriers 6.2 (Spanish) and 6.8 (English); Orbital Location: 85 degrees West.

KU-BAND: SBS-6, Transponder/Channel 7H; Horizontal Polarization; Downlink Frequency 11872; Audio Subcarriers 6.2 (Spanish) and 6.8 (English); Orbital Location: 95 degrees West.

To participate in the Satellite Town Meeting, you can contact your local Public Broadcasting System (PBS) member station, Wal- Mart or Sam's Club, Chamber of Commerce, or Johnson Controls branch office and ask if your group can use the facility as a downlink site. Other possible sites are local schools, public libraries, community colleges, cable television stations, universities and technical schools, government offices, hospitals, businesses, hotels, or even private residences with satellite dishes. Call 1- 800-USA-LEARN for further information or to register your participation.

PROPOSED CUTBACKS

As this edition of COMMUNITY UPDATE went to press, the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education had voted to cut back funds for Education Department programs already approved for the current year. Among the programs affected would be:

• the Safe and Drug-Free Schools Act (to help make K-12 schools safe and drug-free) -- 100% cut
• the GOALS 2000: Educate America Act (to raise standards of achievement, discipline, and learning so that all children will be prepared for the 21st century) -- 40% cut
• Parent Resource Centers (to promote parent involvement in school improvement) -- 100% cut
• Tech Prep (to strengthen work-study programs and technical education for high school students) -- 100% cut
• the Technology Education Act (to provide students with access to computers and technology in the classroom) -- 75% cut

Debate on the proposed cuts in the full House of Representatives is scheduled for March 15. The Senate has not scheduled action at this time. More information will follow in future editions of COMMUNITY UPDATE.

AMERICAN EDUCATION HAS "TURNED A CORNER," REACHING FOR EXCELLENCE

On Wednesday, February 1, U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley delivered the second annual State of American Education Address to an audience of approximately 700 students, parents, educators, business, labor, and community leaders, and elected officials. The event, held at Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Arlington, Virginia, was also broadcast to a satellite audience. Following are excerpts from the address:

Today, I am honored to make my second annual STATE OF AMERICAN EDUCATION ADDRESS here at Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Arlington, Virginia ... to tell you that we are no longer a nation at risk toward mediocrity, but a "nation on the move" toward high standards ... a nation turning the corner, yes, raising its standards and reaching for excellence for the 21st century.

This is a critical time for American education ... a turning point. We are starting to win the battle for excellence and good citizenship in American education. Student performance in reading, science and math is on the rise, and we have made up much of the ground that we lost in the 1970s. The number of high school students taking the core academic courses is increasing, up 27 percentage points since 1983, and still rising. Many more students, particularly minority students, are participating in the advanced placement process.

The dropout rate has declined in the last decade, and young people are getting the message that graduation from high school is only the stepping-stone to more learning. There is a new seriousness and appreciation for the value of education. The percentage of students attending college is higher than any other developed country. Community colleges are filling up as never before. And our great institutions of higher learning still produce world-class graduates.

Now, we still have many problems. Overall achievement is still too low. The dropout rate for our Hispanic youth is improving but is still too high; the gap in performance of African- American, Hispanic, and poor children is still too large; violence in some schools remains a destructive force; too many college freshmen are still in remedial classes; and I am increasingly concerned about a growing trend from state to state to de-emphasize the value of our nation's wonderful system of higher education.

But all across America there is great energy and commitment to the progress of education. In Colorado, Governor Roy Romer has taken the lead in calling for high standards and comprehensive reform. In Massachusetts, Governor Weld is using Goals 2000 money to support the creation of charter schools.

In Minnesota, thousands of parents are signing compacts to improve their children's learning. And the Parents-as-Teachers (PAT) program in Missouri continues to add value to education by having parents help other parents.

In Columbus, Ohio, Project Discovery is leading a statewide effort to improve math and science instruction. In Illinois, a new technology initiative now links public schools to scientists at Northwestern University.

Good work is being done in many states to design tougher standards for our young people and have real accountability. And, two weeks ago, 81 middle school teachers received the first national certificates for meeting the most rigorous of standards.

Kentucky, a state that has done so much in school reform, is now reporting dramatic improvement in mathematics, reading, science, and social studies based on their new, challenging academic standards.

We are starting to see a difference. Above all, we are starting to overcome the greatest barrier to the future of American education: the tyranny of low expectations.

And the intensity of activity at the state and local levels is being matched by the strong bipartisan commitment of Congress and President Clinton to put excellence back into American education. Passage of the GOALS 2000: EDUCATE AMERICA ACT; the creation of a new SCHOOL-TO-WORK OPPORTUNITY ACT; our new direct lending program; our new substantial investment in technology; the refocusing of our research arm; the SAFE SCHOOLS ACT; the creation of AmeriCorps; and the expansion of Head Start are all part of the national effort to move American education forward.

So I am pleased to report to you today that just eight months after the President signed Goals 2000 into law, 44 states are now moving forward in designing -- from the bottom up -- an education system for the 21st century. Goals 2000 is the driving force behind the ongoing effort across this country to raise standards, to get technology into the classroom, and to make sure that we set high expectations for every young person, every teacher and every parent.

I want to emphasize that Goals 2000 is the very model of how we can help the states and local schools without smothering them with regulations. Our Department of Education has decided to have no regulations governing this very important program -- no regulations -- and the state application form is just four pages long. But accountability is there -- by state testing to high state standards. About 98 percent of all the funding in Goals 2000 goes directly to the states and in its second year, 90 percent of the funding will flow directly to local school districts.

I want to take a moment to speak directly to the critics of this most important piece of legislation. I am not an advocate of a "national exam;" nor am I an advocate of federal intrusion into state and local decision making. I did not come to Washington to save the job of a bureaucrat or to defend old ways of doing business.

I am a strong supporter of applying ample doses of American ingenuity and creativity to our educational system. We need to encourage ideas such as charter schools and public school choice; be flexible and recognize that students learn in many different ways; and carefully think through how we use time in the school day.

But we must always have accountability in public education -- for the sake of both the children and the American taxpayer. Accountability is so important. That is one important reason why I do not support the "silver bullet" solution of using public tax dollars for private school vouchers.

Above all, we need to avoid the trap that has so often befallen American education: the inability to maintain a sustained drive for excellence. Too often we get distracted by the fad of the moment. What we need now, more than ever, is some old- fashioned American tenacity to stay on course.

And, I will tell you this: if we roll back the GOALS 2000: EDUCATE AMERICA ACT ... if we get off course now ... just when we are turning the corner and giving states and communities the help they request in the form they need it, well then, where will we be? One place we will be is out of step with the American people.

The American people believe in education, and they believe it should be made a national priority. They know that education is an act of building -- the building of people, the building of our nation, and the building of our future. It was a "nation at risk" -- not just a state or school district -- and we as a nation must turn it around!

Every poll that I have read drives home this essential point: the American people want to invest in education that works. The results of the November election do not tell me that the American people want to go backwards. There is nothing that tells me that they want cuts in student aid for college, nor that they want Congress to cut education that helps the American children to work harder and to become more self-reliant.

I pledge my full cooperation to the new Congress. We will make an honest review of what federal education programs are working and which ones have seen their time come and now must go. But the need to reduce the federal budget deficit must be balanced against our need to invest in America's future. The reduction of the deficit and investing in education are two of the most important and essential ways that we can secure this nation's prosperity. In this new Information Age, education must be seen as a national priority.

Millions of young Americans know the score already: to get ahead in America, you need to have a first-class education. This is why we really do need to reinvent the American high school -- to create new, concrete links to the world of work and careers -- and why access to higher education has got to remain a national priority. We intend to maintain and increase our commitment to the Pell Grant program because it is an essential statement of our commitment to access and equity in higher education.

And, we are very proud of our Department's efforts to create and maintain a new direct lending program for college students. This is a program for the 90s. Recently, an American University student told me that she had received her direct loan in 24 hours and at a lower cost ... and that last year under the old system, it had taken three weeks.

College presidents are placing a high value on this program because they know that it is working. This program will save the taxpayers $4.3 billion and save students $2 billion by 1998.

Now it should be no surprise to you that saving taxpayers a few dollars is making some lobbyists very upset. Jane Bryant Quinn, in this week's edition of NEWSWEEK, writing on this subject, notes, "the lobbyists are again in full cry." Well, I don't mind making these powerful lobbyists upset and unhappy if we can help students, do our job better, and save taxpayers money. This is one case where Congress should really listen to its customers.

I encourage the Congress not to "cap" this new direct lending program. Every college should have the choice to provide the benefits of this program to their students.

But we need to do more. For the first time in generations, parents are truly worried that they will not be able to pass on the American Dream to their children. And they are not alone. High school and college students know that they have but two choices: they can work longer hours for less pay, or they can get a meaningful education.

Our economy has added almost six million new jobs in the last two years, and most of these require new thinking skills. The economy of the future will be -- and already is for millions of Americans -- an economy based on what you know and on the skills you have. And we need everybody to build America's future.

As we seek to turn the corner, we need to recognize that many young people remain disconnected -- growing up on their own -- often alone -- and in some cases -- truly alienated. Last year at this time, I spoke about my very real concern that this disconnection was becoming so pervasive that we were losing touch with one another.

Nothing defines this disconnection better than the increasing violence BY our children, and the increasing violence TOWARD our children. I try hard to understand the causes, but this I know for sure: the American people have had enough.

Now, the great majority of America's schools are safe and drug-free. But we cannot ignore the reality of our times. Guns are being brought to schools as tests of manhood. Drugs are being used with greater frequency and at earlier ages. And a $7 movie ticket is all too often a ticket to see a killer use a gun.

Strong families and schools with high expectations remain our first lines of defense against the spiritual numbness of violence. When 82 percent of all the people in this nation's prisons and jails are high school dropouts, surely, that fact alone should tell us something about the importance of high-quality and safe schools in every neighborhood.

It is not hopeless. The Robert E. Lee High School in Houston, Texas, and the Joseph Timilty School in Roxbury, Massachusetts, are two schools that have turned themselves around. These schools have set high academic standards; they have attacked the culture of violence head-on; and they have involved parents and the community to get results.

So we must keep our focus on ending the violence. We passed the SAFE AND DRUG-FREE SCHOOLS ACT last year. And if you bring a gun to school, don't expect much sympathy -- because you are not playing by the rules.

But we need to do more. This is why Attorney General Janet Reno and Dr. Lee Brown, our nation's Drug Czar, will join me in the coming months in visiting different communities to encourage and work with people to end the violence.

And our message to Hollywood is clear and simple: help us raise our children right by ending this fixation that entertainment must always contain violence. By the time young people reach age 18, they have watched 25,000 murders on television alone. Stop glamorizing assassins and killers. I urge you to see this issue through the eyes of parents instead of scriptwriters ... through the eyes of teachers instead of advertisers.

Our young people are searching for clearly marked pathways to adulthood that are appropriate for the '90s. In some troubled neighborhoods, gangs have almost replaced the family in laying out a new path to growing up -- and what a terrible path it is -- an act of violence, a first arrest, expulsion from school, a place in juvenile hall, time spent in prison and sometimes death, and all before they are 20 years of age.

This is why I continue to place great importance on supporting the American family. Last year on this occasion, I announced a new effort to encourage parent involvement in the education of our children. As I said at that time, "thirty years of research tells us that parent expectations and parental involvement" are the starting points for improving American education. Parents matter.

Today, I can report to you that more than 100 organizations, including the national PTA, the U.S. Catholic Education Association, the National Alliance for Business, and the Boys' and Girls' Club of America are actively participating in our Family Involvement Partnership for Learning. There is great energy in this effort.

I am pleased by the support we are receiving from the American business community. And I am deeply encouraged by the religious leaders of many faiths who came together last December to release a "Statement of Common Purpose," articulating their common desire to find new ways to support family involvement in their children's education.

We are at a time for decisionmaking in this country. It is a matter of having the human spirit to believe in ourselves as a people -- and to make the firm decision to move forward. Everything is in place to educate America -- and the future for our children and our nation depends upon the decision that we as Americans make.

The complete text of the State of American Education address and videotapes of the speech are available. Write to the GOALS 2000 Information Resource Center, U.S. Department of Education, Room 2421, 600 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C., 20202.

A FAMILY-FRIENDLY WORKPLACE ENCOURAGES PARENT INVOLVEMENT IN EDUCATION

The Education Department's Family Initiative staff reviewed current publications to find examples of family-friendly policies in the workplace. Here's a sample:

• Flextime, allowing employee parents to tailor their on- the-job hours to fit the needs of children and school activities
• Time off for volunteering in school, attending parent conferences, and participating in other education activities
• Job-sharing
• Lunchtime parenting seminars
• Assisting schools in their efforts to become more family- friendly
• Offering child care resources and referral services

RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES INVOLVED IN EDUCATION

• ON TARGET: EFFECTIVE PARENT INVOLVEMENT PROGRAMS has been issued by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It focuses on what businesses are doing to support family involvement in schools and communities. Programs described include those maintained by Southern California Edison and GT Water Products.

  To order a copy, contact the Center for Workforce Preparation, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 1615 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20062-2000. The phone number is (202) 463-5525. The cost is $14.00 (a special rate for COMMUNITY UPDATE readers.)

• The PARENT INVOLVEMENT HANDBOOK, written by EDUCATION TODAY magazine, offers numerous tips on how parents can meet the learning needs of children from birth through college. The guide was produced with the support of Southern California Edison, John Hancock, the Merck Institute for Science Education, J.C. Penney, and TRW.

  To order a copy, write the Educational Publishing Group, 20 Park Plaza, Suite 1215, Boston, Mass., 02116. The phone number is (617) 542-6500. The cost is $7.95 plus $3.00 shipping and handling.

KEEPING SCHOOLS SAFE REQUIRES COMMUNITY-WIDE INVOLVEMENT, TOWN MEETING AUDIENCE LEARNS

Discussing an issue of the highest priority to students, parents, school staff, and other citizens, the February Satellite Town Meeting explored how schools and communities can ensure that schools are safe, disciplined, and drug-free. Broadcast live from Austin, Texas, from the studios of PBS station KLRU, the program was produced with the help of the Texas Business and Education Coalition and the Texas Association of Partners in Education.

Due to a last-minute bout with bronchitis, Deputy Secretary of Education Madeleine Kunin could not join the program. Assistant Secretary of Education Tom Payzant filled in as the show's host. Secretary of Education Richard Riley was unable to participate in the program but sent a welcoming message, as did Texas Governor George Bush.

The panel guests represented a broad range of perspectives on the school safety issue: that of a principal, teacher, parent and school board member, law enforcement official, and community activist. Panelists spoke of their active involvement in successful programs that were located across the state of Texas.

Alejandro Mindiz-Melton is principal at Zavala Elementary School, an inner-city school that is part of one of the poorest neighborhoods in Austin. Zavala has reached out to parents, teachers, religious groups, and community organizations to help keep students safe. One strategy to keep kids away from gangs has been to offer some 40 after-school classes, ranging from magic and karate to science and art lessons.

When asked about Zavala's successful approach to safety, Mindiz-Melton said, "I think the changes began for us when we stopped isolating ourselves from the community we served and became partners with the parents in our community. We were able to work with parents and find solutions that were community-based. Those are the solutions that work."

Keith Heath is a dedicated teacher at the Learning Alternatives Center for Expelled Youth, the only school of its kind in Dallas. Heath spoke of the school's philosophy toward its student population, who have known behavior problems and lack social skills: success is a journey, not a destination. "We teach social skills in a period at the end of the day so that students can reflect on everything that's gone on and see themselves in a different environment," Heath said. "They no longer see themselves as Crips or Bloods (gang members) but put themselves in a different frame of mind. They see themselves shaking hands, looking a person in the eye, being able to accept criticism without blowing up, and dealing with conflict resolution."

Nora Govea is a parent and a school board member for the Lockhart District, located 30 miles from Austin, which includes small communities and rural areas. The Lockhart District begins its efforts before children enter school by sending parent educators to homes to help parents understand how they can contribute to their children's development and learning. The district has also standardized its discipline code from campus to campus and put its longstanding policy in writing. "We did this out of respect for our students. They need to feel that everyone is going to be treated equally," Govea said.

Victor Trevino is an elected Constable of Harris County, which includes Houston. His program is directed at reducing truancy and juvenile crime. Volunteer police officers receive attendance records from area schools and knock on the doors of students who were reported absent. This practice has dramatically reduced the absence rate, and Trevino said that parents are appreciative. When school ends for the day, Trevino has police patrol cars stationed at the exits, helping ensure that students leave school safely with no fighting or gang activity.

Elsy Suttmiller is Education Coordinator of the El Paso Interreligious Sponsoring Organization that helps connect families with schools. The overall goal of the effort is student achievement, but safety is a factor in the equation. The organization holds individual meetings with teachers and parents to find out their concerns and then holds meetings in people's homes, asking parents to develop a plan of action to address their concerns.

Assistant Secretary Payzant reminded the audience that the Gun-Free Schools Act has established a national policy of zero tolerance toward bringing firearms to school. States have until October of this year to pass their own legislation that complies with this standard.

At the Town Meeting's close, Assistant Secretary Payzant summed up the main points of the program. He said the most effective school safety programs encourage student achievement and participation in a variety of activities, give students the knowledge and skills to manage their own behavior, involve the entire community, and establish standardized codes of conduct that are administered fairly.

GOALS 2000 STATE PLANNING PROCESS UPDATE

Forty-four states have now received funding under the Goals 2000 Act: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. In addition, American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Mariana Islands, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands have received grants.

An application for first-year funding is pending for the Alaska Federation.

For more information on your state's planning process, or to find out how you can get involved, contact your chief state school officer.

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