Today President Clinton released a new Department of Education report that describes the progress of his Administration in helping boost accountability and student achievement, strengthen teacher quality, expand school choice and charter schools, increase parent involvement and use of educational technology, make schools safer, help get students ready for college, and open the doors of higher education to all Americans. The report, ?Challenging the Status Quo: The Education Record, 1993-2000,? is available (PDF) at http://www.ed.gov/inits/report

Six National Teachers of the Year -- one from each decade since the 1950s -- will join Secretary Riley for a live teleconference on May 11, 8:00-9:00 pm ET. All State Teachers of the Year 2000 and National Teachers of the Year from 1952-2000 will also be a part of the conversation, which helps mark the 50th anniversary of the National Teacher of the Year program.

Among the questions they will discuss:

• Has the definition of teacher quality changed through the decades?
• What are the causes of today's teacher shortage?
• How do we develop quality teachers?
• What can be done to support teachers in their critical first years in the profession?
• How have changes in our society and culture affected the classroom? Are new kinds of skills and knowledge necessary to teach in today's classrooms?
• How can we ensure that teachers meet the needs of today's diverse student population?
• How can teachers be better equipped and supported to teach to high academic standards?
• What lessons can we learn from the past about what works and what doesn't?
• What steps can we as professionals take to avoid the "burnout" of our qualified colleagues?

They will also discuss the results of a new survey commissioned by Scholastic, Inc., and conducted by the Council for the Chief State School Officers that asked former State Teachers of the Year for their views on what must be done to ensure teacher quality.

To register your participation (so you'll be notified of changes in satellite coordinates and other information), or to locate a local meeting or TV broadcast of this teleconference, please register online at http://registerevent.ed.gov/ or call 1-800- USA-LEARN. For more information about teacher quality, please see
http://www.ed.gov/inits/teachers/index.html

Teacher preparation is the focus of 2 efforts for which applications were made available last week:

• The National Awards Program for Effective Teacher Preparation is holding its first competition to recognize teacher preparation programs that produce graduates who are effective in helping all K-12 students improve their learning in reading and/or math. (Applications are due July 3.)
  http://www.ed.gov/teacherquality/teacherprep/
• Four regional Teacher Quality Institutes (June-August) will help 4- to 7-member teams of college faculty and K-12 educators develop plans for restructuring their teacher education programs. (Applications are due May 1.)
  http://www.ed.gov/teacherquality/summer-institutes.html

On April 13, the National Reading Panel released its report on scientific research-based reading instruction and its readiness for application in the classroom. The report outlines the most effective approaches to teaching children to read, the status of the research on reading, and reading instruction practices that are ready to be used by teachers in classrooms across the country.

Secretary Riley welcomed the addition of this report "to the growing body of knowledge about the teaching of reading." He noted that the "report supplements the solid foundation presented by the National Research Council's report 'Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children,' by reinforcing the call for a balanced approach to reading instruction. This is further evidence that the reading wars are over."

The report is expected to be available online soon at http://www.nationalreadingpanel.org/

"Multiplying Excellence: Ensuring Quality Mathematics and Science Teaching" is the topic of this month's Satellite Town Meeting. The program, hosted by Secretary Riley on April 18, 8:00-9:00 pm ET, will look at steps school districts across the country are taking to improve mathematics and science teaching. The Secretary and his guests will discuss efforts to improve recruitment, preparation, retention, professional growth, and support of mathematics and science teachers in K-12 classrooms nationwide. The program will also discuss the progress of the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century, chaired by former U.S. Senator and astronaut John Glenn. To make sure you're notified of any changes, please register online. For satellite coordinates, program schedule, registration, and other information, please see
http://registerevent.ed.gov/

On April 26 from 3:00-4:30 pm ET, the Department will host a satellite workshop providing information on 5 grant competitions under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program. The workshop will focus on grants for middle school drug prevention and school safety program coordinators, effective alternative strategies to reduce suspensions and expulsions, the elementary school counselor program, higher education model prevention programs, and prevention of high-risk drinking and violent behavior on campus. To make sure you're notified of any changes, please register online. For satellite coordinates, program schedule, registration, and other information, please see http://www.ed.gov/registerevent Information and applications for these programs are available at
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSDFS/

On April 17-18, the President will travel to East Palo Alto (CA), the Navajo Nation in Shiprock (NM), and Chicago to highlight private and public-sector initiatives to bring digital opportunity to all Americans. Later this month, he will travel to rural North Carolina to stress the importance of expanding rural access to the emerging broadband Internet. Both trips are part of the President's challenge to corporations and non-profit organizations to help meet 2 goals: to provide 21st century learning tools for every child in every school and to create digital opportunities for every American family and community. The President's April 17 event at Plugged In, a community technology center in East Palo Alto, will be webcast at 11:00 ET at http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org More information on the digital divide can be found at
http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/WhiteHouse.html

In conjunction with this effort, the Department's Office of Educational Technology has begun reviewing and revising the national educational technology plan, to be completed by fall 2000. Beginning April 17, more information about this initiative, background papers, and opportunities to share your views via the Internet will be available at
http://www.ed.gov/Technology/

A record 46% of America's 6 million students with disabilities were educated in regular classrooms alongside their non-disabled peers in 1996- 97, continuing an inclusion trend started nearly a quarter- century ago with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The figures, released April 11 in the 21st Annual Report to Congress on the implementation of the Act, show that 46.2% of students with disabilities ages 3-21 spent at least 80% of their time in regular classrooms in 1996-97, up from 45.9% the previous school year. IDEA requires that students with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment and that "to the maximum extent appropriate" they be educated with their non-disabled peers. The report is at
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/Research/OSEP99AnlRpt/

"Working for Families and Children: Safe and Smart After-School Programs" updates a 1998 publication, "Safe and Smart: Making the After-School Hours Work for Kids." Updated information includes new research and evaluation data on the need for after-school programs and program effectiveness, as well as examples of after-school programs across the country.
http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/04-2000/407.html

Draft statements of work are now available for comment on competitions...

For information on current contract solicitations and work statements, please see
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OCFO/contracts/currrfp.html

"How States are Implementing Distance Education for Adult Learners," a February 14 report from the National Institute for Literacy, looks at what distance learning is, how it's delivered and funded, policy considerations, case studies, and more.
http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/policy/distance.htm

"Programs for English Language Learners, Resource Materials for Planning and Self-Assessments" (1999) is a reference tool from the Office for Civil Rights to assist school districts through the process of developing a comprehensive English language learners program.
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OCR/ELL/

The Planning and Evaluation Service released last month the Department's 2-volume annual report to Congress. The report presents ED's goals and objectives (under the Government Performance and Results Act) and plans for meeting those goals.
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/AnnualPlan2001/index.html

ED Initiatives is made possible by many contributors, including Andrew Abrams, Jim Bradshaw, Adriana De Kanter, Terri Ferinde Dunham, Ida Roxanna Eblinger, Daphne Hardcastle, Julie Kaminkow, Peter Kickbush, Leanna Maglienti, John McGrath, Simon Miranda, Carol Rasco, Tracy Sisser, Keith Stubbs, Barbara Vespucci, Carole Wacey, and others.

Have a comment or suggestion on ED Initiatives? Please send it to Kirk Winters in the Office of the Under Secretary at kirk.winters@ed.gov.