Community Update

No. 48, June 1997
U.S. Department of Education

• Get Involved! Volunteerism and Community Service Can Help Improve Education
• Coordinates for the June 17 Satellite Town Meeting
• Summer Reading Is Crucial, Town Meeting Audience Learns
• FCC Approves Discount Education Rates for Schools and Libraries
• Religious Leaders Pledge to Support the America Reads Challenge
• Announcements
• Calendar
• Parents Are Their Children's First Teachers
• Libraries Are an Ally for Summer Reading

Get Involved! Volunteerism and Community Service Can Help Improve Education

• Supporting and Encouraging Parent Involvement: Leadership of the Mount Vernon High School PTA in Alexandria, Virginia, increased attendance at monthly PTA meetings by working with school administration and the community. Together, they succeeded in enlisting 100 percent of the teachers, and improved student and parent involvement at the school. For more information, call The National PTA at (312) 670-6782 and ask for member services.

• Helping Children Learn to Read: In Washington, D.C., churches of The United Methodist Church are adopting local schools and using the Read*Write*Now! summer tutoring program which is part of President Clinton's America Reads Challenge. Methodist churches in the Baltimore area are providing volunteers for the Baltimore Reads Challenge pilot project. For more information, call Marcus Matthews or Sandy Ferguson at 1-800-492-2525.

• After-School Programs to Promote Learning and Safety: The National Community Education Association (NCEA) has been working with schools to develop on-site programs that extend learning after school and during the summer months. In West Philadelphia, students from the University of Pennsylvania serve as mentors to elementary school students around literacy, environment and community studies, conflict resolution and technology. For more information, call Starla Jewell-Kelly at (703) 359-8973.

• Math and Science Mentors to Help Prepare Students for College: ASPIRA Association, Inc. offers year-round mentoring program for mathematics and science in four cities to support the development of Puerto Rican and Latino middle school students. ASPIRA also offers volunteer opportunities in education and public policy. For more information or to become a mentor, call Al Staropoli at (202) 835-3600, extension 137.

  

• Service Learning Opportunities for Students: Last summer, the Girl Scouts in Kansas City, Missouri, volunteered their time to work with younger students using the Read*Write*Now! tutoring program. Over 1,600 students benefited from this program in 1996. For more information, call Sheila Lewis at (212) 852-8076.

For more information on the Read*Write*Now! summer initiative, the America Reads Challenge, and family involvement in education, call 1-800-USA-LEARN or visit the U.S. Department of Education's family involvement web site at http://pfie.ed.gov/.

Summer Reading Is Crucial, Town Meeting Audience Learns

"Students who read regularly during the summer months do not experience the same summer reading loss as students who do not keep up their reading skills," Secretary Riley said.

The program featured Jack Batty, executive director of the GE Elfun, Betty Breedlove, director Title I supplementary programs for the Kansas City, Missouri School District, Sandy Cahn, director of education and enrichment for the Teamworks summer reading program, Peter Jensen, an extension agent for Morgan County, West Virginia, and Mary Somerville, director of the Miami-Dade Library System and president of the American Library Association.

Students were encouraged to accomplish the following during the summer:

• Read 30 minutes a day;

• Find a reading partner who will read with them two or three times a week;

• Learn a new vocabulary word a day; and

• Get a library card and use it weekly.

For more information on the America Reads Challenge or the Read*Write*Now! summer initiative, call 1-800-USA-LEARN.

FCC Approves Discount Education Rates for Schools and Libraries

Discounts ranging from 20 to 90 percent based on a sliding scale formula will be beneficial to all in the education community. For example, rural and urban schools that have high rates of poverty will be eligible for discounts of 80 to 90 percent. The average discount for all schools will be 60 percent.

The discounts will cover all commercially available telecommunication services. This includes services and equipment, including Internet access (dial-up, direct access and E-mail), internal connections necessary for bringing technology into the classroom, (routers, network file servers), and other devices for establishing networks. To provide flexibility for schools and libraries, universal service support makes all commercially available telecommunication services eligible for discounts, including telephone lines, coaxial cable, fiber optics, as well as cellular and satellite communications.

On January 1, 1998, the universal service fund for schools and libraries will become available and begin to reimburse providers for services rendered. For more information, contact the FCC at (888) CALL-FCC, or visit the World Wide Web site at http://www.fcc.gov/learnnet/.

PARTNERSHIP for
FAMILY INVOLVEMENT
in EDUCATION

Religious Leaders Pledge to Support the America Reads Challenge

Some religious organizations have already begun the work of recruiting volunteers and establishing literacy programs. The National Jewish Coalition for Literacy, an initiative of Amos: The National Jewish Partnership for Social Justice plans to mobilize 100,000 volunteers to help meet the America Reads Challenge. A large number of national Jewish organizations have enthusiastically endorsed the program and are committed to encouraging their members to participate.

Last year, The United Methodist Church published Education: A Gift of Hope and is following up this publication with a study guide for local churches to use to support education in their communities. Additionally, the church has begun the Holy Boldness Task Force which helps local churches form education guilds. The guilds in the Washington, D.C. churches will be using the Read*Write*Now! material for their center-based programs. Similarly, the Presbyterian Church (USA) has declared 1998 "The Year of Education" and is planning activities and publications that will support local churches in their education efforts, including reading and tutoring.

The Progressive National Baptist Convention is making the America Reads Challenge a centerpiece of its August convention which will attract 15,000 delegates. The African Methodist Episcopal Church in Georgia is already beginning its reading effort with a particular emphasis on the rural areas of Georgia. The Christian Brothers Conference is working to make the America Reads Challenge an integral part of its high school service program and its campus ministry volunteer initiatives.

For more information on the America Reads Challenge and the Read*Write*Now! summer initiative, call 1-800-USA-LEARN.

Announcements

• On May 5, Maryland became the first state in the nation to formally endorse and join the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education and President Clinton's Call to Action for American Education. The Maryland partnership initiatives include a joint AT&T Family Education Network plan for a statewide wed site network, and the donation of recycled computers by federal agencies with offices in Maryland. For more information on Maryland's partnership initiatives supporting education, write to Darla Strouse, Director of Partnerships, Maryland State Department of Education, 200 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, Maryland 20201.

• The new edition of Employers, Families, and Education is now available with examples of what employers can do to support family involvement in education. Call 1-800-USA-LEARN to request a copy.

• Winner of the 1997 Edpress Award for "Best Sponsored Publication," Parent Power is published for Ashland, Inc. by the Family Education Network, a member of the Partnership's Employers for Learning Steering Group. The 8-page newsletter is available free of charge to family members and educators via the Internet at http://www.ashland.com/community/comother.html.

• Getting Smart: The Secret Is Out is a new magazine for parents from the Efficacy Institute. To order, write to The Efficacy Institute, Inc., 128 Spring Street, Lexington, Massachusetts 02173. The cost is $3.00 per single copy, plus $1.25 postage and handling. Fax purchase orders only to (617) 862-2580. For discounts on bulk orders, call (617) 862-4390, extension 531.

Parents Are Their Children's First Teachers

In April of this year, the White House held a conference on early childhood development and learning at which research that addressed the earliest years of life and the influence that stimulation and nurturing have on babies and young children was presented. The findings in this research explain how the brain develops, and now enable us to "see" differences in the brains of babies and young children who are stimulated and those who are not. In the brain, neurons, synapses and pathways (essentially the brain's "wiring") develop differently, depending upon the amount of stimulation a baby and young child receives and its appropriateness.

Infants and toddlers explore their new worlds through their parents. The role parents play in communicating with their children and providing a home, food and clothing to children is fundamental. Now it is also understood that nurturing and stimulation help children to develop fully and become better prepared to learn. Equally important for the 60 percent of children ages birth to three, who are cared for on a regular basis by someone other than their parents, is the quality of the child care they receive while their parents are working.

A recent national poll has shown that parents know they have an important influence on their children's development, but they do not fully understand how their day-to-day interactions with their babies and toddlers affect early childhood learning and development. This is particularly true for younger and lower-income parents, as well as parents of a child with a disability, health problems, or with a developmental delay.

Since 1986, the U.S. Department of Education has supported programs to provide parents of children with disabilities the information and support they need. The Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities, now a part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, provides informational support for families. Frequently referred to as "Part H", this voluntary program assists states with designing and providing family-centered, responsive, collaborative and culturally appropriate high-quality services.

What does the new research mean for parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles? All of us, whether parents, grandparents, or just friends, can play a major role in the lives of children. More time needs to be spent reading to children from the earliest age. And adults need to think back to their own childhood and replicate the things that they liked--games, singing together, visits to museums and zoos, storytelling, and time spent with parents and other family members. They need to make the time to provide unhurried and responsive care in safe and supportive environments the children need. And all of us need to reach out and support families by providing an occasional evening out by baby-sitting; listening to parents who need to talk because of the stress they may be under; giving advice when asked; and by volunteering in child care centers and schools.

What does the new research mean for schools, early childhood providers and other educators? Many schools are reaching out to parents of school age children and parents of younger children. These proactive schools are sharing information through programs--such as Parents as Teachers-- and are providing the support and training that parents need. Other schools are setting up early childhood programs with a strong parent involvement component. These schools provide on-site child care or co-locate preschools or Head Start programs on their school campuses. They provide parenting classes and health services so that busy families can get the support they need right in their neighborhood.

What does this important research mean for communities? In many communities, there is a gap between what children from birth to age three need and what they are provided. That gap can be bridged by all sectors of a community--public, private and voluntary. And it must be addressed at all levels--local, state and national. More communities can begin building family-centered support systems, affordable and accessible health care, and quality child care for all families. Through collaborative and focused efforts, communities can begin to understand that family support systems are every bit as important to a community's infrastructure as its roads and bridges.

Libraries Are an Ally for Summer Reading

Across the country, libraries offer a wealth of books, computers and other resources that can help give every child a head start on life and learning. Parents, grandparents and other caring adults can make sure that children connect with a library early and often to keep up their reading skills this summer. Schools and parent, youth, business and community groups can form partnerships with local libraries to help combat the loss of reading skills over the summer.

In Florida, the Miami-Dade Public Library System is sponsoring a reading initiative entitled "Blast Off Into Reading" that encourages students 18 or under and their families to read during summer vacation. Under the directorship of Mary R. Somerville, who also serves as the president of the American Library Association, the Dade County Public Schools have joined the library in its reading effort. Children who read 10 books this summer as part of the reading initiative will receive prizes for their efforts.

The Miami-Dade Library is also implementing a pilot reading program that teams children from the 1st and 2nd grades up with middle school tutors. In partnership with Dade County Public Schools Title I Programs, reading partners will meet once a week with participating children to tutor and provide extra help in reading and writing. In return, the children will agree to read and write just 30 minutes a day, five days a week during the summer months and obtain a library card. The effort is part of the U.S. Department of Education's Read*Write*Now! summer initiative to improve the reading and writing skills of America's children through the work of volunteers. The library system has secured teen volunteers from Dade County Public Schools, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

The American Library Association has a few tips on ways you can support your child's education:

• Visit your public or school library and make sure there is a qualified librarian to work with students and the books and resources are up to date.

• Get to know your public or school library media specialist.

• Join the Friends of the Library, a support group of volunteers who provide fundraising and other assistance. If there is no group, offer to start one.

• Enroll your preschool child in story hours and other programs at the public library, and make sure your child has a library card and knows how to use it.

• Be a role model. Let your child see you reading at home and help your child explore new technology.

Call 1-800-545-2433 for more information on the American Library Association. Read*Write*Now! kits can help family, community, youth and education groups start and expand summer reading programs. The kits can be obtained through local libraries, the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education's home page at http://pfie.ed.gov/ from which it can be copied, or by calling 1-800-USA-LEARN.

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