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

A weekly look at progress on the Secretary's priorities

BUDGET

Early reports from Capitol Hill hint that the end of "government by continuing resolutions," at least for 1996, may be in sight. In a conference report scheduled for a floor vote this week in both the House and Senate, conferees have agreed to the Senate total for the Department (which is higher than the House proposal), bringing the total for Department programs in fiscal year 1996 back to within $500 million of the fiscal year 1995 discretionary funding level.

This may mean, for example, no cut from fiscal year (FY) 1995 to FY 1996 in basic Title I grants to states. It could also mean a 6 percent cut in Goals 2000 rather than the 100 percent cut originally recommended by the House and level funding for Safe and Drug-Free Schools instead of the 60 percent cut sought by the House. The Administration also continues to work toward eliminating any restrictions on the popular direct student loan program. Congressional leaders and the Administration are still negotiating details of the 1996 appropriation.

Top officials from the Department's 6 program offices testified April 16 and 17 on the President's FY 1997 budget request before the House Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education appropriations. The testimony of these officials -- who head up the Offices of Elementary and Secondary Education, Bilingual and Minority Languages Affairs, Postsecondary Education, Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Educational Research and Improvement, and Vocational and Adult Education -- will be available soon in our Online Library (http://www.ed.gov/offices/OUS/budnews.html or gopher.ed.gov -> Announcements, Bulletins, and Press Releases -> Selected Speeches and Testimony).

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

On April 18, Secretary Riley announced a new initiative to recognize exemplary professional development opportunities for teachers and other educators. Established in collaboration with various professional organizations, the "National Awards Program for Model Professional Development" will view evidence of improved student learning and increased teacher effectiveness as the most important criteria. Applicants are expected to show how their approaches prepare and support educators in helping all students reach high standards. In addition, applicants are asked to address the "Principles of Professional Development," which were developed through a public process and to ensure that the Department's professional development efforts reflect the best available research and practice. These principles are available in our Online Library at: http://www.ed.gov/G2K/bridge.html or on gopher at gopher.ed.gov -> Department-wide Initiatives (Goals 2000...)/ -> Goals 2000 Initiative/ -> The Mission and Principles of Professional Development

Eligibility is open to public and private schools and districts where professional growth is an integral part of school culture and where the needs of all students are addressed. Up to 10 winners will be recognized in December 1996. Applications are due by July 1, 1996, and are available from Terry Dozier, Special Advisor on Teaching, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20202.

SCHOOL TO WORK

Twenty-seven states are using school-to-work implementation grants to improve schools and construct systems that better prepare all youth for college and careers. In addition, 81 communities have received school-to-work (STW) awards from the Department. The Dade County Public School system (in Miami) is using its STW Urban/Rural Opportunities Grant to expand its STW effort into a high-poverty area, Liberty City. The effort builds on the Dade County "Stay- in-School Program," recognized as one of the most successful dropout prevention programs in the country. Work-based learning experiences are being designed around the following fast growing sectors of the local economy: international trade and commerce, medical technology, transportation, communications, and tourism.

FAMILY INVOLVEMENT

Participants at a national conference on parent involvement earlier this month agreed: the "time crunch" is *everyone's* business. Schools, employers, families, and community representatives can strengthen family involvement by working together to find time for families to participate in children's learning. One business -- "Hemmings Motor News" (in Bennington, Vermont) -- is answering this need by sponsoring meetings with local employers, community organizations, and schools to look at ways to fit leave and flex-time arrangements with school needs and schedules.

READ*WRITE*NOW!

The kick-off for the second year of READ*WRITE*NOW! is scheduled for April 26 at the Illinois state library in Springfield. Last year, during its first summer, this intergenerational reading and writing initiative reached 425,000 children (from preschool to 6th grade) and 125,000 reading partners. Communities are encouraged to lay the groundwork for successful reading and writing efforts this summer by STARTING TO BUILD PARTNERSHIPS NOW with local libraries and schools, community and religious organizations, youth groups and others. By summer, READ*WRITE*NOW! (RWN) materials will be available in public libraries across the country. RWN links preschool and elementary children with a learning partner (a family member, teenager, senior citizen, neighbor) during the summer. Children agree to read and write 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Once a week, children meet with a learning partner for extra help with reading and writing.

EZ/EC

On April 17, Secretary Riley joined Vice President Gore, MCI CEO Bert Roberts, and Tech Corps founder Gary Beach at the White House for a send off of "CyberEd," an 18-wheel truck that has been transformed into a state-of-the-art, fully-functioning cyber-classroom on wheels. Funded by MCI and other corporations, and managed by Tech Corps, CyberEd will travel to each of the 15 rural and urban Empowerment Zones over the next five months. Reminiscent of bookmobile programs, CyberEd will offer educators, community leaders, and families a hands-on educational technology experience. The first stop is Detroit on April 24-27. The rest of the schedule includes Kentucky Highlands, Boston, Chicago, and New York City in May; Philadelphia/Camden, Baltimore, Cleveland, and Atlanta in June; Mid-Delta (Mississippi), Houston, and Rio Grande (Texas) in July; and Kansas City (Missouri and Kansas), Oakland and Los Angeles in August. CyberEd is part of the President's overall educational technology initiative and part of a more specific effort to bring technology to every school in the EZs by the end of the year. EZs are also receiving help from the Department's Regional Technology in Education Consortia (RTECs). RTECs are working with each of the EZs to leverage resources, convene key partners, assist with development of technology plans, and provide professional development for teachers.

Also last week, the President signed an executive order that streamlines the transfer of excess federal equipment to schools and non-profits, and gives preference to EZs in receiving donations.

TECHNOLOGY

Professional development and on-site support -- as teachers learn to use technology and use technology to learn -- must be priorities for schools and communities seeking to harness the power of technology for at-risk and other students. That's what 35 representatives of school districts, states, and national efforts told the Office of Educational Technology (OET) last week at the OET-sponsored meeting on "Using Technology Effectively for At-Risk Students." Other priorities identified by the group include: developing a clear and shared vision of teaching and learning (based on what all students need to know and be able to do), strengthening home-school-community connections, aggregating markets (for software), building partnerships, identifying and developing models, emphasizing planning, closing the gap between the haves and have-nots, and nurturing leadership at all levels. In opening the meeting, Assistant Secretary Tirozzi called the challenge of using technology to help *all* children reach high standards "the moral equivalent" of our effort in the 60s to put an American on the moon.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

On April l8, Congressman Cunningham introduced in the House the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Improvement Act of l996 (H.R.3268). Subcommittee mark-up on this bill, which would reauthorize IDEA, is scheduled for April 24, with markup by the full Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities slated for May 1. In the Senate, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of l996 (S.l578) awaits floor action. The bill was approved unanimously by the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources on March 21.

ONLINE LIBRARY

New additions to the Online Library (http://www.ed.gov/news.html#new or gopher.ed.gov -> What's New) include:

• "Family Literacy: Directions in Research and Implications for Practice" summarizes a September 1995 symposium (on this topic) and offers 10 papers that served as background reading for the symposium.

• The Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs (OLCA) unveiled its home page on the Department Web site last week.

• "Sites Offering Academic and Skill Standards" points to Web sites hosting collections of content standards developed by states and others.

• "Guide to U.S. Department of Education Programs" (March 1996) is a searchable database of information necessary to begin the process of applying for funding from the 200-some programs administered by the Department.

• "Preparing Your Child for College" tells what families can do to prepare themselves financially -- and their children academically -- for college.

• "School-Linked Comprehensive Services for Children and Families" discusses six strands of a 1994 conference on this topic and includes profiles of exemplary school- linked comprehensive programs.

• A selection of materials developed by the 5 regional centers for Safe and Drug-Free Schools (supported by the Department from October 1987 to March 1996) is now available.

• "School-Based Reform: Lessons from a National Study" provides practical advice and specific examples for school reform teams implementing effective schools programs and other school-based reforms.

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Last Updated -- February 5, 1998 (sjl)