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Secondary, Career, and Technical Education
Adult Education and Literacy
News from Around the U.S. Department of Education
Secondary, Career, and Technical Education
National High School Leadership Summit to be Held in December
On December 2nd and 3rd, 2004, the U.S. Department of Education will hold the second annual National High School Leadership Summit in Washington, DC, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. This event continues the Department's Preparing America's Future High School Initiative (PAF:HSI).
This year's summit will serve as a "next step" for coordinating and strengthening the high school improvement efforts that are encouraged by the No Child Left Behind Act and enacted by leaders across the country. Working in partnership with organizations that represent a broad cross-section of education issues and that have a stake and role in transforming America's high schools, the U.S. Department of Education will assemble key leaders from across the states and territories for the summit. The format of the summit will provide educators, policymakers, and business and education leaders the opportunity to share information on a peer-to-peer basis as well as hear about current reform efforts at the high school level from content experts and Department of Education officials.
Many education-related and membership organizations have partnered with us to work on the high school initiative and to invite or nominate their members and constituents to attend the National High School Leadership Summit. In addition, we will begin a period of "open registration" on Friday, November 12. At that time, you will receive a registration link through our e-mail list (subscribe by e-mailing highschools@ed.gov) and will be able to register on a first come, first served basis.
Please visit www.ed.gov/highschool for background information on Preparing America's Future High School Initiative and other U.S. Department of Education projects.
"Education News Parents Can Use" TV Show on Dropout Prevention
Be sure to tune in to the next Education News Parents Can Use TV show on dropout prevention. The show, Dropout Prevention and Recovery: Catching Students Before It's Too Late, will feature Assistant Secretary Susan Sclafani along with other expert guests who will address the topic of dropout prevention.
The show airs at 8:00 PM EST on November 16th. To learn about the different ways to watch the show go to http://www.ed.gov/news/av/video/edtv/ways-watch.html.
Education News Parents Can Use is a television series produced by the U.S. Department of Education that focuses on ways to ensure students' educational success.
"Winners Don't Quit: Stay in the Game" a Partnership between the U.S. Department of Education and the National Football League
On September 22nd, the U.S. Department of Education and the National Football League entered into an official partnership effort entitled Winners Don't Quit: Stay in the Game. The purpose of the partnership is to encourage students to stay in school and to enroll in challenging courses that will better prepare them for life after high school.
NFL players along with U.S. Department of Education officials are holding assembly style events for 9th graders in high schools within the 32 NFL cities to talk to kids about the importance of staying in school. The department has produced several different handouts for the events: a student handout that is designed to get teens to think about the benefits of a good education; a letter that goes home to parents, notifying the parents of different educational opportunities that exist for their child; and a letter that goes to teachers, guidance counselors, and coaches that encourages them to work with students on career planning. The department also has a link to our high school website for students and teachers to visit.
The first event was held in Arizona on September 28th at Cesar Chavez High School in Arizona. Arizona Cardinals defensive end Bertrand Berry and running back Marcel Shipp along with the U.S. Department of Education's Deputy Secretary Gene Hickok gave a motivational speech to approximately 500 freshmen. Events have also been held in Houston and Cleveland and several other events are in the works in Baltimore, Green Bay, St. Louis, and North Carolina.
Winners Don't Quit: Stay in the Game is part of our outreach effort for Preparing America's Future: High School Initiative. For more information go to www.ed.gov/highschool
Statement from Secretary Paige on the ACT study "Crisis at the Core: Preparing All Students for College and Work"
On October 14th, U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige released the following statement regarding the ACT study, "Crisis at the Core: Preparing All Students for College and Work:"
"A disturbingly large number of America's young adults graduate from high school without the skills needed to succeed in college or the workforce. A recent study from the makers of the ACT found that less than 25 percent of ACT-tested high school graduates last year were prepared for college level classes in English, mathematics, and science. As a result, our young men and women are not only struggling to cope with the challenges of college but also with the demands of the 21st century global economy. African American, Hispanic, and Native American students are most at risk for graduating from high school without these skills."
"Our future economic success depends on reversing this trend. With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act, President Bush made raising student performance and closing the achievement gap a national priority. This administration started a Math-Science Initiative to ensure that students have the opportunity to learn mathematics and science in elementary and middle school. Without this background, students are not prepared to take the advanced mathematics and science courses in high schools that would prepare them for the 21st century workforce and/or college success."
"President Bush has now proposed additional steps to strengthen our high schools. He wants to encourage schools to use 8th grade testing data to develop performance plans for incoming high school students. No Child Left Behind already requires testing students regularly in early grades, and the President has proposed requiring states to add up to two more tests for high school students. We need to make sure a high school diploma signifies real achievement and provides a ticket to future success in either higher education or the workforce. By strengthening our high schools, we will secure the future of our country."
For more information and a complete copy of the study go to
http://www.act.org/research/policymakers/index.html
Department of Labor's New Strategic Vision for Serving Out-of-School Youth
The Department of Labor (DOL) has developed a new strategic vision to serve out-of-school and at-risk youth through the workforce investment system. The four elements of this vision focus on developing strong alternative education opportunities, preparing youth for employment in high growth industries, serving the neediest youth, and improving performance. DOL will meet the demands of high-growth industries by increasing the opportunities for the most at-risk youth to re-connect to educational opportunities and determining, through evidenced based research, the most effective practices in working with vulnerable youth.
Implicit in DOL's vision is the understanding that partnerships at the federal, state, and local levels must be created among all of the entities that serve our nation's most vulnerable youth, including public education, juvenile justice and health and human services. Three regional forums that will bring together state teams, comprised of representatives from these departments, are going to be held in November and December to discuss how services can be integrated to better serve youth. For a copy of the full DOL youth vision please go to: http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEGL3-04.pdf.
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Adult Education and Literacy
U.S. Department of Homeland Security-U.S. Department of Education Collaboration on New Guide for Immigrants
The Office of Vocational and Adult Education is working with the Office of Citizenship at the Department of Homeland Security to promote civic participation and integration opportunities among legal immigrants upon their entry into the United States. In order to accomplish this, the two offices have collaborated on the development and publication of a guide entitled Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants. The purpose of the guide is to facilitate the adjustment of new immigrants to life in America. Lawful permanent residents can use the guide to find out about their rights and responsibilities as new immigrants; to understand how our federal, state, and local governments work; and to learn about important historical events that have shaped the United States.
The guide includes basic information on civic principles as well as practical information such as how to obtain a Social Security number, how to get help in preparing taxes, and how to enroll children in school. The section on "Looking for a Job," for example, explains different ways to increase a person's chances of finding a job. It also describes the job application process, from filling out an application to writing a resume to preparing for a job interview. Other sections include information on taking care of health needs, finding a place to live, and learning English. The guide lists additional information and resources on services that can improve the lives of new immigrants.
The publication was released at a Citizenship Symposium entitled "Building A Common Civic Identity" that was held at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars on September 23, 2004.
States Volunteer for Work on Content Standards
Forty-eight participants from fifteen states helped OVAE kick off its Adult Education Content Standards Consortia, held in Washington, DC, on October 7-8, 2004. This project reflects the administration's focus on program quality and other principles contained in the Blueprint for Preparing America's Future. It helps states develop, align, and implement statewide adult education content standards in reading, math, and English language acquisition. States volunteered to participate in one of two national consortia that address the development and alignment of standards. States focusing on standards for adult basic education include Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, and Wyoming. Members of the consortium on standards for English language acquisition include Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. Consortium partners support each other and receive help from field experts to address specific needs. Periodic meetings will be held during the course of the project.
Two content standards experts, Regie Stites and Susan Pimentel, offered presentations and facilitated consortium group discussions. States identified common goals and interests in each consortium. They also drafted state action plans defining achievable objectives for content standards to accomplish through September 2005. The meeting offered large group presentations, small group planning sessions for state teams, discussions among members within each consortium, and a demonstration of the electronic Standards Warehouse. The Standards Warehouse that OVAE is creating will provide easy access to a wide range of useful standards to assist adult educators in developing their own standards, planning professional development, and creating curriculum assessments.
For more information on the Adult Education Content Standards Consortia and Warehouse go to http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/sectech/factsheet/standards/2005.html Top
News from Around the U.S. Department of Education
No Child Left Behind e-Learning Tool Offers Teachers Free, On-Demand Professional Development
In its continuing effort to support classroom teachers, the U.S. Department of Education unveiled a new No Child Left Behind e-Learning tool that offers teachers on-demand professional development training to meet a variety of educational needs and improve student achievement.
"The e-Learning workshops are a response to teachers who told us they needed access to in-depth, quality learning options that fit their busy schedules so they can earn and maintain their teaching credentials," said U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige. "The courses-which are offered free of charge and may be taken for credit-will be especially helpful to rural and other high-need areas as they seek to place highly qualified teachers in every classroom over the next two years, per the No Child Left Behind law."
The project was presented today at three different sites-in Maine, California, and Ohio-to showcase how teachers, schools, and school districts can tailor the program to meet their unique needs to help students learn to high standards. Designed for elementary and secondary school teachers and offered either online or via satellite TV, the workshops are taught by teachers who have had success in particular areas and cover a variety of subject areas from reading instruction to science and mathematics.
The e-Learning program is part of the Bush Administration's Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative to help educators share best practices for putting research to work in the classroom to help students learn to high standards. The initiative includes regional workshops, a national summit, roundtable discussions with teachers about the support they need to meet the academic needs of their students, a teacher toolkit, and electronic "e-byte" updates to provide useful information to teachers.
The No Child Left Behind Act is the bipartisan landmark education reform law designed to change the culture of America's schools by closing the achievement gap among groups of students, offering more flexibility to states, giving parents more options, and teaching students based on what works. Under the law's strong accountability provisions, states must describe how they will close the achievement gap and make sure all students, including those with disabilities, achieve academically.
More information about the Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative, workshops, and No Child Left Behind is available at http://www.ed.gov/index.html.
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To ask questions, provide comments, or receive email notification of the next issue, please email the Office of Vocational and Adult Education .
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Last Modified: 02/19/2008
