While the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has not issued the final application schools & libraries will use to seek $2.25 billion in discounts on telecommunications services (E-rate), the FCC and the Schools & Libraries Corporation, the non-profit organization being created to administer the E-rate, held a public workshop in October to get input on a draft application. The draft application cannot be used to apply, but for those interested, it's available at: http://www.fcc.gov/learnnet/ You'll also find updates on the application release date & other information on the E- rate. Also, the FCC recently announced that the SLC will give equal consideration to all applications it receives within 75 days of the date it begins accepting them. Earlier indications were that discounts might be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. The starting date for accepting applications has not been announced. For more information, visit the EdLiNC Coalition's web site: http://www.eratehotline.org
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In October, Secretary Riley announced a new 5-year, $23 million contract to the University of Maryland, College Park & more than 2 dozen partners to create a National Partnership for Excellence & Accountability in Teaching (NPEAT). The partnership aims to place the improvement of teaching at the center of school improvement efforts through its work in 5 areas:
- issues related to the development, implementation & consequences of standards & assessments.
- recruitment of talented & committed people to teacher preparation programs & to the profession.
- strategies for enhancing teachers' learning throughout their careers.
- how schools can be structured to support effective teaching & continuous school improvement in which professional development plays a major role, and how the day-to-day work of a teacher influences what teachers know, believe & are able to do.
- characteristics of effective partnerships & ways to facilitate the development of such partnerships.
Each of the 5 areas includes an interrelated set of activities: (1) the identification & development of consensus around powerful ideas, principles, & promising policies & practices; (2) the dissemination of knowledge & the support of related action by partners & others; (3) the identification of what we need to know more about; & (4) the conduct of relevant research & development that leads to usable knowledge. A website is being developed by the partnership & will be announced in the near future.
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On November 13, the President signed into law the 1998 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill, which funds the Department of Education & programs it administers through September 30, 1998. The bill provides $29.4 billion in discretionary funds for the Department -- an increase of $3.1 billion, or almost 12%, over the 1997 level of $26.3 billion. A number of the President's initiatives & other programs received significant new or increased funding in the bill, including the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund, Technology Innovative Challenge Grants, Comprehensive School Reform, Child Literacy Initiative, Bilingual & Immigrant Education, Special Education, Eisenhower Professional Development State Grants, Charter Schools, Pell Grants & 21st Century Community Learning Centers. The bill provides full funding for developing voluntary national tests in 4th- grade reading & 8th-grade math, permits pilot testing of the tests in fall 1998, & gives oversight & policy responsibility for the tests to the National Assessment Governing Board. For highlights of the bill, please see the memo from Secretary Riley & Acting Deputy Secretary Smith: http://www.ed.gov/MailingLists/EDInfo/0310.html
New tables showing amounts appropriated for major program areas as well as the full text & legislative history of the bill, Public Law 105-78, can be accessed at the Department's "Budget News" website: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OUS/budnews.html
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The national student loan default rate dropped for the 5th consecutive year to 10.4% for fiscal year 1995, down from 10.7% for fiscal year 1994, Secretary Riley announced on November 12. Three kinds of information are available at http://www.ed.gov/news.html#pr (scroll down to November 12):
- Schools subject to initial loss & extension of loss of eligibility in the federal family education loan program & direct loan program.
- Schools subject to limitation, suspension, or termination from all federal student aid programs.
- Default rates for U.S. colleges.
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Scholars, researchers, policy makers, education practitioners, librarians & statisticians who use, collect & disseminate information about education & education research are being sought to conduct research during 9- to 18-month fellowships at one of 5 research institutes in the Office of Educational Research & Improvement (OERI). The National Research Council, which is administering the Visiting Scholars Program for the Department, is conducting a national competition to award 1- 2 fellowships for each of the 5 institutes. Applications must be postmarked by January 5. For details, including the application, please see http://fellowships.nas.edu
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Read With Me: A Guide for Student Volunteers Starting Early Childhood Literacy Programs is designed for college students interested in starting public service reading programs in their communities. While geared toward college students working with preschool children, ideas in the booklet can be adapted for children of different ages. http://www.ed.gov/pubs/ReadWithMe/
Perspectives on Education Policy Research: Meeting the Information Needs of Education Policymakers summarizes issues & research needs facing policymakers, as expressed by policymakers & leaders themselves at a planning forum sponsored by the National Institute on Educational Governance, Finance, Policymaking & Management. http://www.ed.gov/pubs/MeetInfoNeeds/
New Skills for New Schools offers a framework & examples for improving teacher training in family involvement. http://www.ed.gov/pubs/NewSkills/
Student Outcomes Information for Policy-Making identifies policy issues currently facing American higher education, a taxonomy of student educational outcomes, a procedure for linking outcomes & policy, and recommendations for further development of useful outcomes information for policymaking. http://nces.ed.gov/pubs97/97991.html
Fathers' Involvement in Their Children's Schools looks at the extent to which resident (excluding foster) & nonresident fathers are involved in their children's schools & examines the influence their involvement has on how their children are doing in school. Includes information on mothers' involvement with schools as well. http://nces.ed.gov/pubs98/fathers/index.html
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ED Initiatives...