READ*WRITE*NOW! is the summer component of the America Reads Challenge, President Clinton's initiative to ensure that all children can read well & independently by the end of 3rd grade. Now in its third year, READ*WRITE*NOW! will reach 1.5 million children during the summer months. Leaders of literacy programs in 15 sites across the country have volunteered to form coalitions in their communities to pilot the program. They will work closely with members of the Department's Title I office to create innovative opportunities for children in their communities to maintain their reading skill levels during the summer months.
READ*WRITE*NOW! is based on the best in research & effective practice & is designed to help prevent summer dropoff in reading levels. Research has shown that students who are not encouraged to read during their time off from school can lose several months of reading skills. READ*WRITE*NOW! asks...
- children to read 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week;
- volunteer learning partners to work with children at least 1 or 2 of those days for 30 minutes;
- children to learn 1 new vocabulary word a day, 5 days a week;
- children to get a library card & use it.
"Activities for Reading & Writing Fun" -- the centerpiece of the basic kit for this summer -- is available in our Online Library (http://www.ed.gov/Family/RWN/Activ97/), as are other materials (http://www.ed.gov/Family/)...
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Oakdale Elementary School is 1 of 100 elementary & secondary schools recognized last month for having outstanding Title I programs. Although 60% of this urban school's students are from low-income homes, Oakdale's test scores have improved in recent years, with students scoring above the state average in all 5 subject areas of the Ohio 4th Grade Proficiency Test. Oakdale's comprehensive schoolwide plan for improvement was developed using the 7 elements of the Effective Schools Model -- a clear mission, strong building leadership, high expectations for all students and staff, frequent monitoring of student progress, positive learning climate, increased opportunity for learning, and increased parent & community involvement. All students wear the school uniform, and instruction is based on thematic units built around performance objectives in language arts, math, science & social studies. Cooperative learning, an integrated curriculum, technology, and other instructional strategies help enliven instruction and build on the strengths of student. Classroom teachers team with tutors, and teachers are learning to share their expertise with their peers, as "peer coaches" & presenters. Oakdale is a Professional Development School for the University of Akron, so Oakdale staff also mentor future teachers. Partnerships with agencies administering Head Start, Even Start & Adult Basic Education programs help strengthen families of children attending Oakdale.
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Last week, Secretary Riley named 262 public & private elementary schools in 41 states (plus D.C., Puerto Rico & Department of Defense schools) as 1996-97 Blue Ribbon Schools. "Though each school is unique," said the Secretary, "they are all places where students are challenged to learn to high standards & with the active support of teachers and parents." Areas in which each Blue Ribbon School is strong include...
- high student retention & graduation rates
- challenging standards & curriculum
- excellent teaching & an environment that strengthens teacher skills & improvement
- school, family & community partnerships
- student performance on measures of achievement.
As part of the process for being nominated for the award program, now in its 14th year, these schools assessed their own strengths & weaknesses & developed strategic plans for the future. Schools also had the option of seeking special honors in 3 areas; 28 schools are being considered for special honors in technology; 11 in professional development; and 5 in safe, disciplined & drug prevention programs. Winners of these special honors will be announced this fall.
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On May 22, Secretary Riley announced 20 Technology Literacy Challenge Fund (TLCF) awards. All 50 states, plus Puerto Rico & other territories, have now received TLCF awards.
ARIZONA will use its $2.7 million TLCF award for 2 kinds of grants: "connectivity grants" for schools & districts that have limited hardware or software, that have not provided technology-related in-service training, or that have not integrated technology into their curriculum; and "comprehensive implementation grants" for school districts to speed the implementation of strategies designed to enable all schools to integrate technology into school curricula so students become technologically literate while developing core academic skills essential for success in the 21st century. NEW YORK will use its $17 million TLCF award to enhance local school districts' capacity to interconnect with postsecondary technology & staff development resources & to access distance learning programs that supplement current teaching & library resources for priority curriculum areas.
For press releases on TLCG awards to other states, please see: http://www.ed.gov/moreNews.jsp
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Teachers' trials & triumphs with technology, interviews with Allan Weis (founder of ThinkQuest) & Ferdi Serim (co-founder of Online Internet Institute), and annotated presentations of web sites for teachers & students on the Middle Ages, the brain, astronomy, Black history, ancient Egypt & more ("Premier Tracks") are available at "www4teachers" (http://www.4teachers.org/). This web site was developed for teachers by the South Central Regional Technology in Education Consortium (SCR*TEC), 1 of 6 consortia supported by the Department to help states, districts, schools, adult literacy centers & others use technology for all aspects of school improvement & integrate technology into all areas of the curriculum, with emphasis on professional development, cutting edge & best practices, and policy issues. For information on the Regional Technology in Education Consortia (R*TEC) serving your state, please see: http://rtec.org/
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The House & Senate passed nearly identical versions of the 1998 budget resolution, which will establish government-wide targets for deficit & tax revenues & discretionary spending for 1998-2002. Both versions assume overall increases sufficient to fund the education priorities in the President's 1998 request.
House & Senate conferees are expected to work out the minor differences between the two bills, and final passage of the 1998 budget resolution is expected by the end of the week. With passage of the resolution, appropriators will begin marking up fiscal year 1998 appropriations bills. For more information, please see: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OUS/Budget98/
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Recent additions to our Online Library include...
- "A Study of Charter Schools: First-Year Report" looks at the state role in the charter movement, basic characteristics of charter schools & their students, and why people create charter schools & what barriers they encounter (http://www.ed.gov/pubs/charter/).
- "Spider-Man in Amazing Adventures" offers high-interest language activities for children (kindergarten through 6th grade) and families. It was developed by the National Dairy Council & the Department for the America Reads Challenge: READ*WRITE*NOW! (http://www.ed.gov/inits/americareads/spidey/).
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ED Initiatives...