U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley emphasized that America's students must demonstrate excellence in problem-solving and quantitative skills in order to compete for jobs in the international economy. "Our own National Assessments of Educational Progress show our students have improved in math since the early l980's, but it appears students in other nations are moving up, too. For U.S. students, average is just not good enough," Secretary Riley said.
The TIMSS report investigated numerous factors that could explain the weaker math performance of U.S. students. A comparison of classroom time devoted to math found that American students spend as much or more time in class discussing math than their counterparts in Germany and Japan. Time spent studying math out- of-class was found to be equivalent for U.S. students and their German and Japanese peers.
What researchers discovered, based on videotapes of classroom instruction, is that U.S. teachers don't teach to America's own math standards developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, although they are generally aware of these standards. Unlike many American students, Japanese students are trained to understand math concepts and apply knowledge to solve real problems along with the basics of arithmetic. The study also found that the topics taught in the U.S. math curriculum for eighth graders compare to the seventh grade level in leading countries.
"The data appear to be telling us that we need to examine what's actually going on in the school and the classroom," Secretary Riley said.
To boost math and science achievement for U.S. students, the Education Department will join the Academy of Sciences and National Science Foundation to sponsor meetings across America to rally support for better teacher training and improvements in curriculum, textbooks, and testing. But no school or community should wait, Secretary Riley said. He expressed hope that teams of teachers, principals, and curriculum specialists from local schools across the country will explore now how the challenging standards and successful teaching practices recommended by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics can be put in place in their classrooms.
Secretary Riley has also urged the nation's colleges and universities to strengthen teacher preparation, suggesting that the guidelines from the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future be followed. Together with the TIMSS study, the Commission on Teaching recommendations offer school, parent, and community leaders concrete ways to make significant improvements. The commission has called for high standards in teacher training, more opportunities for apprenticeships, mentoring by master teachers, and work schedules that permit ongoing professional development.
The TIMSS report is available on the Education Department's web site at http://nces.ed.gov/timss.
Entitled "Making College More Accessible" the hour-long Town Meeting will air on Tuesday, February 18, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The program will be closed-captioned and simulcast in Spanish.
U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley and panel guests will share how college can be an affordable option for all students and how planning ahead can help students succeed at both two-year and four-year institutions.
The Department of Education produces the Satellite Town Meeting series in partnership with the National Alliance of Business and the Center for Workforce Preparation with support from the Bayer Foundation, the Procter and Gamble Fund, Microsoft, Inc., and SC Johnson Wax. Broadcast and cable partners include Discovery Communications, the Public Broadcasting System, and Channel One.
Satellite coordinates are as follows ....C-Band: Galaxy 9, Orbital Location 123 degrees West; Transponder 2; Horizontal Polarity; Channel 2; Downlink Frequency 3740 MHz; Audio Subcarriers 6.2 MHz (Spanish) and 6.8 MHz (English).
Ku-Band: Telstar 401, Orbital Location 97 degrees West; Transponder 6; Horizontal Polarity; Channel 6; Downlink Frequency 11854 MHz; Audio Subcarriers 6.2 MHz (Spanish) and 6.8 MHz (English).
To participate in the Satellite Town Meeting, contact your local Public Broadcasting System (PBS) member station or Chamber of Commerce and ask if your group can use the facility as a downlink site. Call 1-800-USA-LEARN for further information or to register your participation.
|
Note Change in January Satellite Coordinates The KU-Band coordinates for the January Satellite Town Meeting have changed since the December issue of Community Update. Updated satellite coordinates are as follows ....
C-Band: Galaxy 4, Orbital Location 99 degrees West; Transponder 11; Horizontal Polarity; Channel 11; Downlink Frequency 3920 MHz; Audio Subcarriers 6.2 MHz (Spanish) and 6.8 MHz (English). Entitled "New American High Schools: Preparing Youth for College and Careers," the hour-long Town Meeting will air on Tuesday, January 21, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The January Satellite Town Meeting will feature the school community of Fenway Middle College High School in Boston, Mass. Call 1-800-USA-LEARN for further information or to register your participation. |
TLC will alternate the Satellite Town Meetings with the "Best Seat In The Class" and "Practically Speaking" programs in the Friday morning time slot. The programs have similar goals of presenting timely and relevant discussions of key issues at the top of the education agenda.
The TLC cable network reaches more than 53 million homes in the United States. Below is the schedule of rebroadcasts of the Satellite Town Meetings on the Learning Channel:
Friday, February 28, 1997
at 11 a.m. E.T.
"New American High Schools: Preparing
Youth for College and Careers"
Friday, March 28, 1997
at 11 a.m. E.T.
"Making College More Accessible"
Friday, April 25, 1997
at 11 a.m. E.T.
"School-to-Work Opportunities: Workplaces
as Learning Environments"
Friday, May 23, 1997
at 11 a.m. E.T.
"Charter Schools, Magnet Schools, and Other
Choices in Public Education"
Friday, June 27, 1997
at 11 a.m. E.T.
"Becoming a Reading, Literate Society"
Friday, July 4, 1997
at 11 a.m. E.T.
"Ready to Learn: Preparing Young Children
for School Success"
"The number one thing we want is for parents to feel more empowered, more confident to be involved in the education of their children," said Gina Goss, chairwoman of the district's advisory group on parent-teacher involvement.
The district used facilities at two campuses for its 9th annual parent involvement conference. Day care for 350 children of attendees was provided at Euclid Elementary. The workshops were held at Crawford High School with lunch arranged for all participants. Attendees also received special T-shirts and book bags to carry conference materials and a packet of brochures with practical advice, including a working parent's survival manual and a college and financial aid planning guide. The district also distributed materials from the U.S. Department of Education with tips for how parents can help their children succeed in school and how schools and communities can actively support family involvement in learning.
Parent and community volunteers and local businesses donated time and resources to make the conference possible with a budget of $52,000. Target Stores, San Diego Gas & Electric, the Lightspan Partnership, and the San Diego Unified Council of PTAs provided small grants. The Navy helped, too, with 26 sailors from the frigate Lewis B. Puller under Commander Jeff Lee setting up tables, stuffing book bags, and delivering lunches. Federal grant money paid for some of the parents' $25 participation fee, and other parents paid for themselves.
The conference schedule was designed by a steering committee of 27 organizations, with input from experts on ethnic and racial diversity as well as issues such as migrant education and leadership. The extensive conference schedule, with descriptions of each workshop choice, was printed in both English and Spanish.
Jeana Preston, co-chair of the conference, emphasized the critical role that parents play in helping their children succeed in school. "We're trying to tell parents there are certain things they need to know if their kids are going to function well in our school system," she said.
U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley will give a progress report on the "Partnership for Family Involvement in Education," a grassroots coalition of more than 2,400 schools, businesses, and community, education, parent and religious organizations. These partners have taken a lead role in supporting education improvement through the development of local family, school and community partnerships that strengthen family involvement in children's learning.
The conference will feature leading organizations involved in improving the quality of education through a wide variety of business/education partnerships, including John Hancock Financial Services, Southern California Edison, Hewlett-Packard Company, United Airlines, Hemmings Motor News, IBM, Pizza Hut Inc., Mattel Corporation, the Family Education Network, ACT Inc., and Work/Family Directions.
Case studies focusing on internal company policies and practices supporting family involvement in education will be presented at the meeting. Experts will discuss how companies articulate and share the benefits of educational programs with managers and employees, including how educational initiatives strengthen employee loyalty.
Afternoon sessions will focus on external partnership building to support family and employee involvement in education. Topics to be covered include how to recruit top management support for programs, and how technology can be used to strengthen family involvement in learning.
Speakers addressing the conference include Peter Block, Founding Partner, Designed Learning; Siegrid Charbonnet, President and CEO, The Northeast Tarrant Chamber of Commerce; Ernesto Cortes, Jr., Director, Industrial Areas Foundation; Ed Doherty, President, Boston Teachers Union Local #66; Neil Sullivan, Executive Director, Boston Private Industry Council; and Robin Willner, Director, Social Corporate Policy and Programs, IBM Corporation.
The Conference Board will announce its 1996 "Best in Class" Awards at a luncheon sponsored by Working Mother magazine. These awards recognize leading American companies that have strengthened primary and secondary education with this year's focus on family involvement policies and practices. The conference will also present a special award to recognize leadership in the nationwide Partnership for Family Involvement in Education.
For further information on the conference, call The Conference Board's Customer Service Department at (212) 339-0345, fax (212) 980-7014, or e-mail orders@conference-board.org.
The most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress showed that many young Americans need extra support to read well: 40 percent of all 4th grade students are reading below basic level. On August 28, 1996, President Clinton announced the America Reads Challenge, asking all Americans to be part of a national, bipartisan effort to ensure that children can read independently by the end of the third grade.
The America Reads Challenge will combine volunteer efforts with federal support that remains within the framework of President Clinton's overall balanced budget plan. Funds exist in the 1997 education budget for the America Reads Challenge, but Congress has yet to earmark the funds.
A volunteer force of parents, educators and librarians, senior citizens, employers, employees, college work study and community service students, and members of religious, cultural, and community groups will be the backbone of the America Reads Challenge. The goal is to recruit one million volunteers who will be assisted by 30,000 reading specialists and coordinators across the country through the America Reads new funds to the U.S. Department of Education and Corporation for National Service. After-school and summer instruction works best when it's coordinated between the classroom and tutoring sessions so that lessons are reinforced both inside and outside of school and students make continual progress.
In addition to mobilizing a volunteer reading corps, America Reads, when funded by Congress, will provide grants to local communities and organizations, along with national and regional groups, to help parents be their children's first reading teachers. Business and nonprofit groups will be encouraged to get involved with schools and libraries in the same way they have participated in the Education Department's national reading and writing program, READ*WRITE*NOW! The Head Start program will be expanded to boost the early reading success of one million 3- and 4-year-olds.
The America Reads Challenge will build on successful existing efforts to strengthen students' reading skills. To get involved now, you can request materials from the Education Department by calling 1-800-USA-LEARN or accessing the Education Department web site.
A number of national organizations have local affiliates able to match children with reading tutors to help them improve their reading and writing skills. For more information, contact the following groups:
American Library Association B'nai B'rith Youth Organization
(312) 944-6780 (202) 857-6633
Boys and Girls Clubs of America Everybody Wins! Foundation
(404) 815-5700 (212) 832-3180
Girl Scouts of the USA International Reading Association
(212) 852-8000 (302) 731-1600, extension 220
Reading Is Fundamental Book PALS
(202) 287-3220 (202) 331-1550
For more information on the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse, and a brochure describing the activities of the Regional Consortia and contacts in your area, call 1-800-621-5785 or e- mail <info@enc.org>. You can access the online resources of the Clearinghouse via the World Wide Web at<http://www.enc.org>.
The Education Department has published a new booklet in the "Achieving the Goals Series," entitled Goal 5: First in the World in Math and Science. The booklet compiles programs and grant opportunities of 18 federal agencies, emphasizing those that utilize technology to advance learning goals. Program descriptions list complete contact information, including an Internet address.
To request a copy of Goal 5: First in the World in Math and Science, call 1-800-USA-LEARN. The booklet is also available from the Education Department's online library at <http://www.ed.gov/pubs/AchGoal5/>.
In Illinois, a consortium of 20 school districts in suburban Chicago is serving as a model for how local schools can use newly available international data on math and science achievement to improve teaching and learning. The "First in the World Consortium" is an organization of local school districts that administered the TIMSS achievement test to 3000 students in grades 4, 8, and 12 in 1996. The consortium received a grant from the Education Department to support their efforts to improve curriculum, professional development, teaching, and their own student testing program, and involve parents in math and science learning, based on their TIMSS results. The grant will also support reaching out to other districts that are interested in starting a similar project.
For more information on the First in the World Consortium, contact Paul Kimmelman, at (847) 272-6880, extension 223.
The Family Math program helps parents participate more in their children's math education, providing activities for out-of-school sessions so families can engage in hands-on learning together. For more information about Family Math, or to start a program in your area, call (510) 642-1823 or e-mail vhthomp@uclink4.berkeley.edu>.
-###-
[Table of Contents] 
[ED HomePage]