A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Special Edition, August 1995 U.S. Department of Education

Secretary Riley and Partnership Asks All Schools To Join National Back to School Campaign

Editor's note: Below is an open letter from U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley and the leadership of the following organizations: National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education, National Association of Elementary School Principals, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Parent Teachers Association, Council for American Private Education, and the American Association of School Administrators. Together these organizations are launching a national effort to support education called "America Goes Back to School: A Place for Families and the Community." For more details on how parents, educators, and concerned citizens from businesses, colleges, and religious and community groups can get involved in the "Back to School" campaign, see page 4.

Dear Principal:

We invite you to join the nationwide back to school initiative, America Goes Back to School -- A Place for Family and the Community, that will kick off on September 11. During that week, we will be inviting other Americans to join us in visiting schools throughout America to highlight the importance of everyone getting involved with their local schools.

All across America people are taking a long, hard look at our schools and seeing some very positive things. They are also recognizing that if America is to move forward and maintain its place as a world leader, more individuals need to be involved. Schools cannot do it alone; nor can families. Broad-based local partnerships are needed that can involve the entire community. School, community, and parent representatives, religious leaders and employers all have a role to play in strengthening family involvement in children's learning to challenging standards.

America's families want the best for their children. They want educators to help:

• improve the basics and the core academics;
• create safe and drug-free school environments;
• make college more accessible;
• get technology and computers into the classroom as fast as possible;
• raise standards of achievement and discipline; and
• connect schools and families with community resources and school- to-work opportunities (e.g. libraries, museums, cultural institutions, scientific labs, community centers, civic groups).

America Goes Back to School is designed to foster community support to meet these expectations by inviting all Americans to rally around their local schools, beginning the week of September 11, and make a commitment to support education improvement throughout the year. This support further improves our schools and sends a message to our children that we care and want them to be successful.

We hope you will join us in America Goes Back to School by hosting programs in your school that bring together family, school, and community in support of educational excellence.

A resource guide of key education issues and practical ideas will be available in early September. You may order your copy by calling the U.S. Department of Education at 1-800-USA-LEARN. Also, this issue of Community Update contains ideas on how parents, educators, and concerned citizens from businesses, colleges, and religious and community groups can get involved in America Goes Back to School activities.

Thank you for your continuing support of higher educational standards for all children. We wish you success throughout the coming school year.

National Forum Invites Teachers To Be Full Partners in School Reform

More than a hundred of the nation's leading educators will share their knowledge, expertise and insight at the 1995 Goals 2000 Teacher Forum, the third annual national meeting of its kind. The Forum, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, will take place from November 12-14, 1995, and will focus on professional development. Communities across the country are placing a high priority on investing in teachers' professional development, from their pre-service training throughout their careers.

Because the Education Department wants to involve as many teachers as possible in the national Forum, major portions of the event will be broadcast live via satellite for the first time. Local educators are invited to take part in the Forum at their own meetings in downlink sites across the country. A toll-free number will be provided so that the teleconference audience can participate in all interactive sessions. Community Update will publicize more information on downlink sites and satellite coordinates closer to the event.

The 1995 GOALS 2000 Teacher Forum has two primary objectives:

• to strengthen the dialogue between teachers and the Department of Education staff; and

• to assist teachers in becoming full partners in local, state and federal reform strategies, and to lead changes in their schools and communities that will enable all students to meet high levels of academic achievement as identified by the National Education Goals.

The Goals 2000 Teacher Forum brings together all current state- level Teachers of the Year for discussions on ways teachers can become more actively involved in education improvement initiatives. Joining the Teachers of the Year will be teachers currently serving on state Goals 2000 planning teams or others selected by teams as delegates. Representative teachers from private, religious and Department of Defense Dependents Schools also will be attending.

"We're excited about shifting the focus from teachers as objects of reform to teachers as partners in education improvement," said Terry Dozier, the special advisor on teaching to U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley and a former national Teacher of the Year. "Secretary Riley recognizes that teachers are one of the most valuable, yet underutilized resources for improvement in American education."

Teachers who have attended the previous forums and have applied their knowledge to involve their colleagues in innovative local and state reform efforts will share their experiences with the 1995 Forum participants. Additional sessions will assist Forum participants with acquiring leadership and networking skills to help make effective improvements at the local and state levels. Special speakers at the Forum will include Education Secretary Richard W. Riley, Deputy Education Secretary Madeleine Kunin, Terry Dozier, and a representative of the AT&T Foundation, the corporate sponsor of the event.

To obtain more information about the teleconference, call 1-800- USA-LEARN.

Thanks!

Thank you to everyone who responded to the Satellite Town Meeting survey in the July issue. Viewer suggestions are a primary consideration for the selection of topics for the 1995- 96 season, which will be published in the September issue of Community Update.

Two Publications Connect Teachers to School Reform

• A Teacher's Guide to the U.S. Department of Education. Helping teachers participate fully in school improvement activities, the third edition of this guide provides updated information about Department programs and resources that can help schools and communities achieve their education goals. Such programs as GOALS 2000, the Family Involvement Partnership for Learning, and School To Work are outlined, along with a comprehensive directory of useful contacts at the national, regional, state, and local levels. A resource guide of publications available to teachers is also included.

• Teachers and GOALS 2000: Leading the Journey Toward High Standards for All Students. Discussing why teachers have a central role in shaping local school improvement plans inspired by GOALS 2000, this booklet explores steps that teachers can take to initiate the reform process in their communities. The main principles of successful comprehensive reform are outlined, and suggestions are provided for recruiting other faculty, parents, and members of the broader community in the effort. Useful appendices include samples of student work that demonstrate high standards in different subject areas.

To order the above materials, write to the GOALS 2000 Information Resource Center, U.S. Department of Education, Room 2421, 600 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C., 20202.

Schools Honored for Family Involvement Programs

Katy Elementary School in Katy, Texas, and Sarah Scott Middle School in Terre Haute, Indiana, have received national recognition for their successful family involvement efforts. The two schools were chosen from among more than 100,000 public, private and parochial schools that were invited to participate in the "Strong Families, Strong Schools Most Promising Practices" competition sponsored by Scholastic, Inc., the National Education Goals Panel, and Apple Computer, Inc. Katy Elementary School and Sarah Scott Middle School were honored at a luncheon awards ceremony at the recent National Governors' Association meeting in Burlington, Vermont.

Schools participating in the contest were asked to submit their best practice in the area of family involvement in children's learning. Prior to the competition, Scholastic sent principals an abridgement of Strong Families, Strong Schools, a research- based report from the U.S. Department of Education on the central role families have in contributing to student learning and achievement.

Both Katy Elementary and Sarah Scott Middle School developed full descriptions of innovative programs they have introduced to promote family involvement. Katy's winning program recruited members of the local community for mentoring efforts. Sarah Scott Middle School introduced the MegaSkills program, as developed by Dorothy Rich, to train teachers and parents to help children reach their full potential in learning.

The winning schools will be recognized in the fall 1995 issue of America's Agenda, Scholastic's magazine for policy makers in business, government and education. Receiving second place prizes were Booker T. Washington Magnet High School in Champaign, Illinois and Kettering Middle School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley has congratulated the parents, students, teachers, and administrators of the honored schools: "You have demonstrated to communities across the nation that family involvement in children's learning must be seen as key to a successful education program," Riley said. "I wholeheartedly support efforts such as yours, and encourage you to continue the good work you are doing. You are an example for all Americans to roll up their sleeves and get involved in supporting education at the local level."

Riley said the efforts directly support Goal 8 of the National Education Goals: "Every school will promote partnerships that increase parental involvement and participation in promoting the social, emotional, and academic growth of children."

Studies show that family and community support for education result in greater student achievement and in a safer learning environment. Through their local affiliates, the more than 140 national education, parent, community, religious, and business organizations that have joined the Family Involvement Partnership support children's learning to challenging standards. The Partnership emphasizes family involvement at the grassroots level, school by school and community by community.

August 29 Satellite Town Meeting To Kick Off 1995-96 Season

With a special "Back to School" program, the August Town Meeting will air live on Tuesday, August 29, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Eastern time. Following this program, the Satellite Town Meeting will return to its usual broadcast schedule on the third Tuesday of each month. Call 1-800-USA-LEARN for information on satellite coordinates.

GOALS 2000 Videos Available

The U.S. Department of Education offers a series of short videos showing how the concepts of Goals 2000 can improve education. Tapes include:

Goals 2000: A New Standard of Learning--

showcases how a state, a school district and an individual school are using Goals 2000 strategies to improve education and raise standards of learning. Also available in Spanish. (Approx. 17 min.)

Strong Families, Strong Schools --

encourages parental involvement in schools to help raise academic standards and create safe learning environments for America's children. (Approx. 9 min.)

Every Teacher, Every Child --

offers straight talk from teachers about how Goals 2000 differs from prior reform efforts by supporting higher standards for students and professional development for teachers. (Approx. 8 min.)

Taking Action for America's Children --

features state and national policymakers and educators explaining how this federal/local partnership supports grassroots school improvement efforts. (Approx. 8 min.)

Education Is Everybody's Business --

showcases one community's highly successful efforts to improve education and lets viewers hear why business leaders applaud Goals 2000.

For free VHS copies of these tapes, contact the Office of Public Affairs at (202) 401-1576.

The National "Back to School" Campaign Has a Role for You

Editor's note: The Family Involvement Partnership for Learning is leading a vigorous grassroots back-to-school effort called "America Goes Back to School: A Place for Families and the Community." U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley will officially launch this initiative in September, when he will ask all Americans to rally around their local schools and make a commitment to support education improvement throughout the year. Secretary Riley will be joined in this effort by the National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education (NCPIE), a group of educational and community organizations that includes parent, principal, teacher, and school board associations.

1. Improve the basics and core academics.

• Families: Read and write together, use TV wisely, encourage your children to do their best, and help develop school-family compacts.

• Schools: Rigorously teach the basics and encourage family involvement in teaching and learning the basics, and develop school-family compacts with parents.

• Community, religious, and business groups: Provide tutors, as well as adult literacy training.

2. Create safe and drug-free school environments.

• Families: Organize and participate in "parent patrols" or "security dads and moms."

• Schools: Require firm, fair rules, and keep in touch with families before problems arise.

• Community and religious groups: Make safe neighborhoods and safe passage to school a priority.

3. Make college more accessible.

• Families: Make sure your children enroll in courses that prepare them for college and/or careers.

• Schools: Offer college-prep classes, be sure all students know about them in time to plan their academic program, and build local partnerships with colleges, universities, and community colleges.

• Colleges: Bring high school students and their families on campus to build connections and share information about the existence of financial aid.

4. Get technology and computers into the classroom as fast as possible.

• Families: Work in partnership with the schools to get computers in schools and homes.

• Schools: Make the use of technology and computers a learning priority.

• Community and religious groups: Establish computer labs in neighborhood centers.

• Business: Assist schools directly by supplying computers and computer training.

5. Raise standards of achievement and discipline.

• Families: Enroll children in tougher courses and keep in contact with teachers to ensure children are getting what they need.

• Schools: Raise academic standards and encourage students to work hard to meet them.

• Community, religious and business groups: Offer mentoring programs and homework centers.

• Business: Adopt flexible employee leave policies that accommodate school visits/volunteering.

• Colleges: Visit K-12 schools to advise students of entrance requirements and to share resources with the faculty.

6. Connect schools and families with community resources and school-to-work opportunities.

• Families: Take advantage of learning opportunities in the community and support service programs.

• Schools: Forge new partnerships with community groups to expand learning opportunities, especially for tech-prep, in evenings, weekends, and summer; enrich daily instruction; and provide students with service experiences.

• Community and religious groups: Offer affordable, quality after-school and summer learning opportunities.

• Businesses: Provide apprenticeships, internships, and training opportunities for students and teachers.

The Road Runners Club of America, a nonprofit organization with over 565 local chapters across the country, is reaching out to families and schools with two publications that promote running as a healthy activity that helps keeps children away from drugs and alcohol. The publications are entitled Children's Running: A Guide for Parents and Kids and Children's Running: A Guide for Teachers and Coaches. To purchase copies at a nominal charge, contact the Road Runners Club of America at 1150 S. Washington Street, Suite 250, Alexandria, Virginia, 22314-4493. The phone number is (703) 836-0558.

FAMILY INVOLVEMENT PARTNERSHIP FOR LEARNING

Partnership Grows To Increase Family Involvement

Secretary Riley announced this national Family Involvement Partnership for Learning at the National Press Club on September 7, 1994. The number of national organizations signing on as partners has grown from 50 to over 140 in less than one year. The partners, including the National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education as a core group, are working through their organizations and networks to promote building community partnerships for learning to support strong families and strong schools. (See listing of partners on page 6).

Family involvement in children's learning is critical to students doing well in school and later succeeding in college or getting a good job. Family involvement should be a special focus of any successful school improvement effort to meet higher academic and occupational standards, such as achieving the first-class education promoted by the Goals 2000: Educate America Act and initiatives to achieve the National Education Goals.

While many parents want to participate more actively in their childrenžs learning, studies repeatedly show that parents today are stretched and stressed to find out how they can help. Therefore, it will take all of us -- dads, moms, uncles, aunts, grandparents, religious groups, Girls and Boys Clubs, Scouts, businesses, concerned friends, teachers, school officials -- to promote better communication between schools and parents and encourage greater parental involvement in learning at home and in the school.

Save the Date!

• November 19-25, 1995: National Family Week. The week of Thanksgiving has been recognized by national organizations and by a U.S. Senate resolution as National Family Week. A number of organizations in the national Family Involvement Partnership for Learning are actively promoting this event through special resource materials and mailings. For more information, contact the following groups: Family Service America, Inc., (414) 359-1040; Girl Scouts of the USA, Martha Jo Dennison at (212) 852-5733 or Robin Payne at (212) 852-8614; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, T. Lamar Sleight at (202) 662-7550.

Members of the Family Involvement Partnership for Learning

Academy for Educational Development; AFL-CIO; African Methodist Episcopal Church; Agudath Israel of America; American Alliance of Physical and Health Education, Recreation and Dance; American Association for Higher Education; American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education; American Association of School Administrators; American Council for the Arts; American Federation of Teachers; American Gas Association; American Youth Policy Forum; ASPIRA; Assemblies of God; Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development; Association of Christian Schools International; B'nai B'rith International; The Betty Phillips Center for Parenthood Education; Boys and Girls Club of America; The Buddy System Project; The Business Roundtable; Center for Law and Education; Center for the Improvement of Child Caring; Center for the Study of Parent Involvement; Center on Families, Communities, Schools and Children's Learning; Children's Aid Society; Christian Brothers Conference; Church of God in Christ; Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Cities in Schools; College Board; Committee for Economic Development; The Communitarian Network; Corporation for Education Technology; Council for American Private Education; Council for Educational Development and Research; Council for Exceptional Children; Council for Religion in Independent Schools; Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church; Council of Chief State School Officers; Council of Churches of Greater Washington; Council of Jewish Federations; Council of Spouses of Bishops of the United Methodist Church; Council of the Great City Schools; Education Publishing Group; ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Families and Work Institute; Family Impact Seminars; Family Resource Coalition; Family Service America; Fort Hood, Texas; General Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist Church; General Federation of Women's Clubs; Girl Scouts of America; Grandparents Network, AARP; Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America; HIPPY USA; Hispanic Policy Development Project; Home and School Institute; Howard University, School of Education; Institute for Educational Leadership; Institute for Responsive Education; International Reading Association; Lancaster Area Council of Mennonite Schools; Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod; Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund; Muslim Public Affairs Council; National Alliance of Business; National Assembly of National Voluntary Health and Social Welfare Organizations; National Association for Bilingual Education; National Association for the Education of Young Children; National Association of Elementary School Principals; National Association of Evangelicals; National Association of Independent Schools; National Association of Partners in Education; National Association of School Psychologists; National Association of Secondary School Principals; National Association of Social Workers; National Association of State Directors of Vocational and Technical Education; National Association of State Boards of Education; National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.; National Black Child Development Institute; National Catholic Educational Association; National Center for Family Literacy; National Church of God; National Coalition of Title 1/Chapter 1 Parents; National Community Education Association; National Conference; National Council of Churches of Christ, Commission on Family Ministries ; National Council of Jewish Women; National Council of La Raza; National Dropout Prevention Center; National Education Association; National Education Goals Panel; National Head Start Association; National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities; National Institute for Literacy; National Middle Schools Association; National Parent Network on Disabilities; National PTA; National Retired Teachers Association (AARP); National School Boards Association; National School Supply and Equipment Association; National Small Business United; National Urban League; Optimists International; Organizations Concerned About Rural Education; Organizations of Chinese Americans; Parent Institute; Parents as Teachers National Center Inc.; Parents for Public Schools; Parents, Inc.; Partnership for Learning; Presbyterian Church (USA); Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.; Project Parents; Quality Education for Minorities Network; Rabbinical Assembly; Reading Is Fundamental; RMC Research; Scholastic Inc.; School Improvement Council Assistance Project; Shiloh Baptist Church; Solomon Schechter Day School Association; Southern Baptist Convention, Christian Life Commission; U.S. Chamber of Commerce; U.S. Department of Education; Union of American Hebrew Congregations; Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America; United Church of Christ--Board for Homeland Ministries; United States Catholic Conference; United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism; United Way of America; Washington Parent Group Fund; Webster's International, Inc.; Women's American ORT; YMCA of USA; Youth Guidance of Chicago

Religious Expression in Public Schools

In his July 12 speech announcing this Directive, President Clinton said, "Religion is too important in our history and our heritage for us to keep it out of our schools...[I]t shouldn't be demanded, but as long as it is not sponsored by school officials and doesn't interfere with other children's rights, it musn't be denied."

By distributing these agreed-upon principles of religious expression in public schools to all school districts, President Clinton seeks to provide accurate information for informed discussion. It is Secretary Riley's sincere hope that the use of these principles in discussions regarding religious expression will help to end much of the confusion on this issue and that these principles can provide a basis for school officials, teachers, parents, and students to work together to find common ground -- helping everyone to get on with the important work of education.

Working together on behalf of children, even on difficult issues such as this one, will lead to positive results. Last December, 33 religious organizations joined together with the U.S. Department of Education to support family involvement in learning through the development of a Statement of Common Purpose. This Statement of Common Purpose and the activities that have resulted from it demonstrate the great potential for our children that can be realized through collaboration and cooperation.

For a copy of the Statement of Common Purpose in Support of Family Involvement in Learning or Religious Expression in Public Schools, please write the GOALS 2000 Information Resource Center, U.S. Department of Education, Room 2421, 600 Independence Ave.,S.W., Washington, D.C., 20202.

Proposals to Balance the Budget Differ Sharply on Education

Editor's note: Although President Clinton and Congress agree that the federal budget deficit must be balanced, their plans to accomplish this goal are significantly different, notably in the area of education. The new U.S. House leadership has proposed cutting $40 billion in education and training spending from 1996 to 2002. President Clinton's balanced budget proposal invests $36 billion more in education and training from 1996 to 2002.

At stake for students, families, schools and colleges is a difference in investment of approximately $76 billion over the next 7 years. Areas affected most would be the basics and core academics, safety in schools, accountability, teacher quality, access to higher education, and financial aid for college.

So that parent, community, and education leaders have a better idea of how this budget debate affects their state, below are projections of the net loss in funding between the President's plan and the plan of the Congressional leadership. The Congressional estimates are based on action taken on education only in the House Appropriations Subcommittee as this edition went to press. As the Congressional plan moves through the budget process, the figures may change. Watch this space for further updates.

Net Loss to States Based on Initial Congressional Proposal

FY 1996-2002
(amounts in millions)

---

Alabama  $1060          Kentucky  $980          North Dakota  $240
Alaska  $210            Louisiana  $1390        Ohio  $2520
Arizona  $970           Maine  $260             Oklahoma  $930
Arkansas  $610          Maryland  $800          Oregon  $670
California  $6260       Massachusetts  $1290    Pennsylvania  $2700
Colorado  $740          Michigan  $2340         Rhode Island  $250
Connecticut  $480       Minnesota  $1000        South Carolina  $790
Delaware  $150          Mississippi  $890       South Dakota  $260
*Dist of Col  $190      Missouri  $1160         Tennessee  $1110 
Florida  $2490          Montana  $280           Texas  $4280
Georgia  $1380          Nebraska  $370          Utah  $510
Hawaii  $190            Nevada  $200            Vermont  $180
Idaho  $270             New Hampshire  $220     Virginia  $1130
Illinois  $2530         New Jersey  $1220       Washington  $1020
Indiana  $1200          New Mexico  $500        West Virginia  $510
Iowa  $670              New York  $5210         Wisconsin  $1120
Kansas  $590            North Carolina  $1230   Wyoming  $170

* This figure corrects the amount listed for the District of Columbia as it appeared in the August issue of Community Update.

Building Bridges: The Mission and Principles of Professional Development

Based on the best available research, exemplary practice and feedback from hundreds of educators and organizations concerned with education, the Department of Education has identified principles of professional development that can provide useful guidance to states, school districts, schools and institutions of higher education in their efforts to provide high-quality professional development for teachers and other educators. A national dialogue on the following principles will be part of the Goals 2000 Teacher Forum teleconference (see page 2).

The mission of professional development is to prepare and support educators to help all students achieve to high standards of learning and development. The principles are:

Professional Development...

• ...focuses on teachers as central to student learning, yet includes all other members of the school community;

• ...focuses on individual, collegial, and organizational improvement;

• ...respects and nurtures the intellectual and leadership capacity of teachers, principals, and others in the school community;

• ...reflects best available research and practice in teaching, learning, and leadership;

• ...enables teachers to develop further expertise in subject content, teaching strategies, uses of technologies, and other essential elements in teaching to high standards;

• ...promotes continuous inquiry and improvement embedded in the daily life of schools;

• ...is planned collaboratively by those who will participate in and facilitate that development;

• ...requires substantial time and other resources;

• ...is driven by a coherent long-term plan;

• ...is evaluated ultimately on the basis of its impact on teacher effectiveness and student learning, and this assessment guides subsequent professional development efforts.

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