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UPDATE AND INFORMATION NEWSLETTER

A MESSAGE FROM DIRECTOR CAROL H. RASCO

There are many exciting things to share with you in this edition - I hardly know where to begin!

President Clinton has made several important announcements this month that will benefit supporters of the America Reads Challenge, and I want to be sure that you have the information that best supports your efforts to help meet the Challenge.

The first announcement was the President's proposal to expand funding for the Federal Work-Study program. Two years ago, the President committed to expanding the FWS program to one million participants by the year 2000. Now, the President is proposing to meet that goal one year early. His FY 1999 Budget -- the first balanced budget in nearly 30 years -- proposes to increase FWS funds to $900 million in FY 1999, a $70 million increase over FY 1998. This proposal would represent nearly a 50% increase in work-study funds over the last three years and, together with employer matching, would create roughly $1.1 billion in work-study aid to over one million students nationwide.

And don't forget, the FWS regulation change that will go into effect on July 1, 1998, that waives the institutional share requirement for FWS students working in family literacy programs. Colleges and universities will now have more flexibility in placing tutors in programs where they can work with parents and caregivers as well as elementary and pre-school students.

Secondly, President Clinton announced an historic initiative to improve child care for America's working families. The President's FY 1999 budget will include approximately $20 billion over five years for child care, the largest single investment in child care in the nation's history. President Clinton's initiative responds to the struggles our nation's working parents face in finding child care that they can afford, trust, and rely on. The President's proposal will help working families pay for child care, build the supply of good after-school programs, improve the safety and quality of care, and promote early learning by establishing a new early learning fund which will include linking individual child care providers to centers for education and support. I know many of you will be particularly excited that the Child Care Initiative includes dramatic expansion of the 21st Century Community Learning Center Program to provide start-up funds (with a local match) to school-community partnerships to establish or expand before- and after-school programs for school-age children. The program increases the supply of after-school care in a cost-effective manner primarily by funding programs that use public schools and their existing resources. The program also includes a set aside to fund programs run by community organizations. Preference will be given to grants that provide services that will assist students who need additional support to master reading and literacy skills. The President's budget will request $800 million of entirely new money for this program, for a total of $1 billion over five years.

Now for other news I'm happy to share with you...

You have the opportunity to host an important national education event in your community. On February 17th, U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley will deliver his annual State of America Education speech in Seattle, WA. You can host a downlink site and invite local civic, business, religious, education, higher ed, and youth serving organization members to a viewing party. The Secretary will outline in greater detail the educational challenges and opportunities that will face all Americans in the coming year, and how we can all work together to create a nation of learners who will be better prepared to take advantage of the opportunities available in the 21st century. For information or to register as a host site, call 1-800-USA-LEARN.

Another wonderful opportunity that I encourage President's Coalition members to participate in is the National Education Association's Read Across America program, a campaign to have every child in every school in every community in the company of a book on the evening of March 2, 1998, to celebrate the birthday of the late, great Dr. Seuss. The NEA is planning some high profile events in communities across the country, and also has loads of fun ideas for kids, great resources for adults to organize events in their communities, and ways to encourage civic leaders to support children's literacy. You can learn more about Read Across America and how you can get involved by visiting the web site at http://www.nea.org/readacross/

Here's what one state organization is already planning for Read Across America...

The Missouri National Education Association and the Missouri State Library have teamed up to do a statewide splash. We have commitments from Missouri's governor, first lady and secretary of state to each do a read-aloud, and the governor is encouraging all of his cabinet members to participate within their communities. The MNEA will donate 2 posters for each public library (in addition to posters for all of the schools) and bookmarks to publicize the event, and we are posting messages to the in-state public library director listserv. The plan is to have some kind of "public figure" at every school and public library read to children sometime on March 2nd. We also plan to send out press releases done and distributed to the major news markets in the state, encouraging parents to take advantage of the event either by attending a local read-aloud, or by turning off the TV and reading to their children on the evening of March 2nd. For more information, contact Kellie Quinn or Nancee Dahms-Stinson of the Missouri State Library at (573) 751-0158, or Debra Angstead of the Missouri NEA at (573) 634-3202.

A WARM WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST MEMBERS

Two new organizations have taken the America Reads Challenge and joined the President's Coalition to ensure that every child reads well and independently by the end of the third grade. We welcome them, and encourage all President's Coalition members to spread the word and invite other organizations to follow your example...

Campus Outreach Opportunity League (COOL)
Middle Country Public Library

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Congress continues on recess. Upon their return, the America Reads Challenge staff and the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs will continue its work with the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee. As the Senate prepares to introduce their version of the children's literacy initiative, Congress and the Administration have agreed on three key priorities: providing extended learning time for students to practice and further develop their reading skills; ensuring that every school has a quality professional development program to provide the best training for teachers in the area of reading; and providing communities with information about best practices through research and dissemination. The Administration will act to move a children's literacy initiative through Congress as a bill must be completed by July 1, 1998, or the we will lose the funds reserved for America Reads Challenge in the FY 1998.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

REMINDER: AmeriCorps*VISTA America Reads Grant Applications must be received by 5:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, January 28, 1998. Application instructions and kits are available from AmeriCorps*VISTA, Corporation for National and Community Service, 1201 New York Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20525, (202) 606-5000, ext. 249, TDD (202) 565-2799, or TTY via the Federal Information Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Applications should be submitted to the Corporation for National and Community Service, 1201 New York Avenue, NW, Mailstop 9207, Washington, DC 20525, Attn: Kathleen Dennis. The Corporation will not accept applications that are submitted via facsimile or e-mail transmission.

21st CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTERS BIDDERS CONFERENCES SET

Regional Workshops To Offer Technical Assistance for Potential Grantees

The U.S. Department of Education, with the National Community Education Association (NCEA) and the National Center for Community Education (NCCE), is offering a series of one-day regional workshops to assist people who may apply for grants under the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program. The workshops will assist potential applicants to plan and implement high-quality after-school programs, and will feature:

• technical assistance -- tips on how to prepare the grant application
• research results
• examples of high-quality after-school programs and activities in the region

The schedule and location for the workshops are listed below:

The workshops are being sponsored by the C. S. Mott Foundation and are free of charge to applicants. Each workshop will begin at 9 am and conclude by 6 pm.

SPOTLIGHT ON COALITION MEMBERS MEETING THE CHALLENGE

First Book, a national nonprofit literacy program, celebrated reaching its 1997 goal of distributing 1 million books to disadvantaged children. Active in 170 American cities, towns and counties, First Book supports community-based solutions to illiteracy, and the work of teachers, mentors, tutors, parents and others working to ensure that all children read well and independently. First Book works through a network of local volunteer boards and national partners to distribute new books to disadvantaged children participating in existing community literacy programs, and is also part of the First Lady's Prescription for Reading program . First Book aspires to double its success in 1998. For more information, call Kyle Zimmer at (202) 393-1222.

One hundred and seven chapters of the Brandeis University National Women's Committee are supporting the America Reads Challenge by volunteering in many mentoring programs including HOST (Help One Student to Succeed); Story Pal, a program in which members read to children ages 2-10; The Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County in which members have become year-round reading partners to children living in a migrant worker's community that served as on of the America Reads Challenge READ*WRITE*NOW! summer pilot sites; Stars for Children, a Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) for children at-risk in reading; Rocking Readers, a program designed to encourage students to read, obtain a library cards, and build their own home libraries; and Kids Corner, a volunteer library computer program that helps children improve their reading and math abilities. For more information, contact Shirley Brickman at (561) 995-9105.

CORRECTION: An incorrect telephone number was reported for the National Jewish Coalition for Literacy in the January 8th edition of the President's Coalition Update. The correct number is (212) 545-9215.

NEW ADDRESS: Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) has moved to 220 E. 23rd Street, Suite 300, New York, NY, 10010, telephone (212) 532-7730; fax (212) 532-7899.

FEDERAL WORK STUDY MEETING THE CHALLENGE

Gettysburg College has implemented a FWS tutoring program at two Gettysburg Area School District elementary schools. The college contacted the local school district after the America Reads Challenge FWS program was announced to determine if there was interest in forming a cooperative tutoring program. The response was very enthusiastic. An information/training session was conducted before the end of the 1996-97 school year enabling the Gettysburg America Reads Program to begin with a "flying start" during the first week of the 1997-98 school year. Training of tutors has been provided by the school district reading specialists, and is conducted periodically throughout each semester. Approximately 20 Gettysburg College students work one-to-one tutoring of students in grades one through three. Many of the college students are not education majors, they are simply students who want to help young people learn to read better. The local elementary school teachers and administrators call the program a complete success, and one only needs to see the faces of the youngsters and talk with the college students to realize that in addition to providing a valuable service, a unique bonding is taking place. For more information contact Ron Shunk at 717-337-6611; e-mail shunk@gettysburg.edu

THE PRESIDENT'S MATHEMATICS INITIATIVE

Taking rigorous mathematics courses, such as algebra and geometry, is a gateway to college and future employment. A recent report released by U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley, entitled Mathematics Equals Opportunity, shows that 83 percent of students who take algebra and geometry enroll in college, more than double the percentage of students who do not take these courses (36 percent). Taking algebra and geometry is particularly important for low-income students, with 71 percent of those taking the courses enrolling in college, compared to 27 percent of those who do not.

Mathematics Equals Opportunity summarizes data showing that in the Information Age, demands for mathematical skills are continually increasing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that some of the fastest growing jobs will require substantial mathematics preparation, including computer scientists, systems analysts, and medical assistants. Even for high school graduates who do not attend college, having strong math skills will make a significant difference in earnings.

Students who have the opportunity to master the foundations of algebra by the end of eighth grade are ready to take geometry, chemistry, calculus and other courses that prepare them for college and careers. Currently, only 25 percent of our students have completed algebra by the end of eighth grade, but they have a clear advantage in preparation for advanced mathematics. Approximately 60 percent of students enrolled in calculus took algebra when they were in eighth grade.

Parent involvement was found to increase the likelihood that students will take challenging courses like algebra and geometry. Included in Mathematics Equals Opportunity are action steps for parents, educators, and policy makers.

Suggestions for parents include:

• Discussing with their child's math teacher how to support classroom learning;

• Ensuring that children in grades K-7 are being prepared for the transition to algebra; and

• Talking with children about how math is used in their own work or the careers of adults they know.

Ideas for policy makers include:

• Providing all students with the opportunity to take algebra I or a similar course covering the fundamentals of algebra by the end of eighth grade;

• Strengthening preparation and professional development for math teachers; and

• Supporting parent involvement in math learning.

The full report is available at http://www.ed.gov/pubs/math/ or by calling 1-800-USA-LEARN.

LET US SHARE YOUR GOOD WORKS

We want to spread the news about your efforts so, please, won't you send us a paragraph or two telling us about how your organization is meeting the America Reads Challenge? Or call and tell us about your efforts by contacting Billie Rollins by phone, fax, e-mail or regular mail at:

Billie Rollins
Coordinator, President's Coalition for the America Reads Challenge
600 Independence Ave., SW, Room 6123, Washington, DC 20202
Phone: 202-401-3069 or Fax 202-401-0596

e-mail to billie.rollins@ed.gov or diane.b..jones@ed.gov

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE
America Reads Challenge

(202) 401-8888(202) 401-0596 (fax)
Toll free number for comments or ordering publications:
1-800-USA-LEARN or TDD 1-800-437-0833
Web site: www.ed.gov/inits/americareads/
Send a message to the America Reads Challenge Listserv at
majordomo@etr- associates.org
then type: subscribe americareads
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