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

October 21, 1994                       Contact: Melinda Kitchel                                                  (202) 401-1008

STATES DEVELOP STANDARDS UNDER FEDERAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT GRANTS

-- The U.S. Department of Education today announced the award of $5.2 million in grants to 14 states and the District of Columbia to develop high academic standards for what students should know and be able to do at various grade levels in core academic subjects. These efforts, along with those of a number of national organizations, support a key principle of school improvement efforts -- the idea that higher expectations produce better performance.

"State leadership is critical to help coordinate efforts to raise standards for all students," said Sharon Robinson, assistant secretary of educational research and improvement. "As more states become engaged in this process, a national consensus is emerging on the value of adopting challenging standards for students, strategies to ensure that all students reach those standards, and the type of programs necessary to develop teachers' skills and knowledge."

The grants were awarded to Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado (two awards), District of Columbia, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas (two awards) and Wisconsin.

The three-year grants, ranging from $140,413 to $410,711, will support the development of content standards for students in grades K-12. Three grants will assist with the development of English standards, two with foreign languages, one with history, and 11 with multi-disciplinary standards.

For example, the Oregon Department of Education will develop standards for grades K-12 in English, history, geography, civics, foreign languages and the arts. Oregon will form a Content Standards Development Team to help produce standards based on successful models. The team also will coordinate the efforts of eight laboratory school districts that are slated to develop and implement rigorous curricula and standards-based assessments. The project will also design and test a model professional development program for teachers.

Overall, the projects will help improve teacher education and certification and enhance professional development and teacher recertification. Each project must establish an advisory committee and submit a project evaluation.

The awards were issued under the Fund for Innovation in Education, authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Improvement Amendments of 1988 (P.L. 100-297).

SECRETARY'S FUND FOR INNOVATION IN EDUCATION INNOVATION IN EDUCATION PROGRAM FISCAL YEAR 1994 AWARDS FOR STATE CONTENT STANDARDS

                                ALASKA    Juneau         Alaska Department of Education          $185,142                   Vince Barry (907) 465-8698                   English, Foreign Languages and the Arts                                                    ARIZONA    Phoenix        Arizona Department of Education          295,688                   Frank Klajda (602) 542-7831                      History, Geography and Civics                                    CALIFORNIA    Sacramento     California Department of Education       410,711                   Diane L. Brooks (916) 657-3711                        History                                                                    COLORADO    Denver         Colorado Department of Education         328,000                   Marianne Kenney (303) 866-6762                   History, Geography and Civics        Denver         Colorado Department of Education         299,939                   Susan P. Shafer (303) 866-6748                   English and Foreign Languages                              DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA    Washington     District of Columbia Public Schools      395,106                   Barbara T. Jackson (202) 724-4235                   English and History                                     KANSAS    Topeka         Kansas State Board of Education          140,413                     Sharon Freden (913) 296-3202                   English                                    MARYLAND    Baltimore      Maryland State Department of Education   320,000                   Carol Nahra (410) 333-2682                   English                                    MICHIGAN    Lansing        Michigan Department of Education         309,332                   Barbara Adkins (517) 373-7248                   History and Civics                                    NEBRASKA    Lincoln        Nebraska Department of Education         340,000                   Ann Masters (402) 471-4816                   Foreign Languages                                     NEVADA    Carson City    Nevada Department of Education           292,421                   Frank South (702) 687-3136                   English                                     OREGON    Salem          Oregon Department of Education           296,429                   Roberta Hutton (503) 378-8004                   English, History, Geography, Civics,                   Foreign Languages and the Arts                                  PENNSYLVANIA    Harrisburg     Pennsylvania Department of Education     312,850                   Donald Clark (717) 787-8913                   English, History, Geography, Civics,                   and the Arts                                  SOUTH DAKOTA    Pierre         South Dakota Department of Education     388,833                   and Cultural Affairs                   Donlynn Rice (605) 773-3282                   English, History, Geography, Civics,                    Foreign Languages and the Arts                                      TEXAS    Austin         Texas Education Agency                   341,158                   M. Inez Garcia (512) 463-9556                   Foreign Languages        Austin         Texas Education Agency                   339,375                   Sharon O'Neal (512) 463-4314                   English                                    WISCONSIN    Madison        Wisconsin Department of Public           198,593                   Instruction                   Ellen Last (608) 267-9265                             English, History, Geography, Civics,                   Foreign Languages and the Arts                                             TOTAL   $5,193,990
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