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

   FOR RELEASE                              Contact:  Kathryn Kahler    July 28, 1994                                      (202) 401-3026

MICHIGAN RECEIVES GOALS 2000 EDUCATION REFORM GRANT

Michigan will receive $3,536,319 in federal funds to develop a comprehensive, statewide school improvement plan, U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley announced today.

The grant is awarded under the new Goals 2000: Educate America Act, signed by President Clinton March 31.

"Goals 2000 will help light the way to higher standards, greater academic achievement, a safer and more disciplined learning environment and a stronger competitive position for America," Riley said. "It is an invitation to educational excellence, an unprecedented partnership in which states and communities, with federal assistance, can work to strengthen education in every neighborhood.

"Michigan has already demonstrated considerable commitment to education reform," Riley said, "with such innovations as its yearly report card. Their proposal emphasizes high standards, broad public participation, professional development for teachers and greater use of technology in the classroom. Clearly, there is a serious interest in pursuing excellence for the children of Michigan."

Under Title III of the new law, Michigan and communities within the state will have the opportunity to develop and implement comprehensive school improvement plans that include strategies to:

set academic and performance standards that establish what students should know and be able to do in core subjects such as math and English;
increase parent involvement;
develop assessments that measure how well students are doing;
provide training and professional development that equip teachers with the capability to provide high quality instruction consistent with the high standards the state adopts;
improve the governance, accountability and management of the state's education system;
encourage local reforms that promote a community-based approach;
meet the needs of school-aged children who have dropped out of school.

In applying for Goals 2000 funds, states were asked to describe how school improvement plans will be developed through a broad-based panel and through outreach strategies that involve parents, educators and communities members; how subgrants will be made to communities for local reform, professional development activities and pre-service teacher education; and how plans to use technology to improve teaching and learning will be developed.

Michigan's share of $92.4 million in fiscal year 1994 funds is calculated on a formula based on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. To assist states and communities in implementing their Goals 2000 education plans, President Clinton has requested $700 million in the next fiscal year, increasing to $1 billion in subsequent years.

The Goals 2000 law requires that at least 60 percent of the first-year funds go to local education agencies, with the percentage increasing to at least 90 percent in future years.

Michigan joins Hawaii in having an approved application. Riley said applications from more than a dozen other states are presently pending, with additional awards expected shortly.