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

A biweekly look at progress on the Secretary's priorities

Table of Contents All Classrooms Connected to the Internet... Helping All Children Reach High Standards All Students Prepared, Able to Afford 2 Years of College School-to-Work Workforce Investment Vocational Education Charter Schools Year 2000 New Online Credits

ALL CLASSROOMS CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET; ALL STUDENTS TECHNOLOGY LITERATE Secretary Riley spoke last week in Washington, D.C., about the potential of today's technology & the threat of a "digital divide" between computer haves & have-nots. In the speech, "Technology & Education: An Investment in Equity & Excellence," he noted that while only 27% of the nation's classrooms have Internet access, the number falls to 13% in low income communities & minority neighborhoods. He stressed the importance of the E-rate -- discounts for telecommunications access for schools & libraries -- and pledged the administration would continue to oppose any efforts to eliminate the E-rate. "The fastest way I know to close the digital divide," he said, "is by providing significantly discounted telecommunications services for schools & libraries." The text & archived webcast of the speech, and information on the E-rate, are at: http://www.ed.gov/Speeches/980729.html http://www.ed.gov/Technology/eratemenu.html

HELPING ALL CHILDREN REACH HIGH STANDARDS Math scores have been rising across grades 5-7 at Columbia Middle School since the school began using Goals 2000 for "Algebra Readiness Through Environmental Studies" -- an effort to improve professional development, integrate technology, collaborate across school districts, develop leadership & school-change capacity, and use data to improve performance. The success of the school, located in northeast North Carolina, has led to a $1.1 million National Science Foundation grant, additional grants for teachers, 12 computers & water testing kits from Glaxo-Wellcome company, & a role for the school in coordinating other federal grants. Audubon Middle School -- a Milwaukee school experiencing rapid administrator turnover, sagging morale, & low student achievement -- used its first-year Goals 2000 award to help develop, with its community, a school plan based on a data-driven needs assessment. Education technology emerged as the focus, & Audubon's students are being linked in technology & instruction to Wisconsin's student "Proficiencies 2000" initiative in mathematics, science, & communications. The school is now coordinating its Title I, Goals 2000, & Technology Literacy Challenge funds, as well as other resources, in pursuit of its vision for improving student performance. Audubon is also using technology to compile baseline data on student achievement, so the school can better report & improve student learning. For more information on Goals 2000, please see the April 1998 report to Congress, "Goals 2000: Reforming Education to Improve Student Achievement" at: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/G2KReforming/

ALL STUDENTS PREPARED, ABLE TO AFFORD 2 YEARS OF COLLEGE The new "Think College Early" (TCE) website was announced last week by Secretary Riley in his speech on "Technology & Education: An Investment in Equity & Excellence." The site encourages middle school students (ages 10-14) to explore higher education choices -- community colleges, universities, career, & technical colleges. It features a range of information on financial aid, courses students need to take (in what grades) to get ready for college, & more. The site is ideal for "first-generation college goers" & offers helpful information & encouragement for parents who have not attended college themselves. http://www.ed.gov/thinkcollege/early/ For more information on Think College Early, please contact Diana Phillips, (202) 205-3687, diana.phillips@ed.gov

SCHOOL-TO-WORK Five states & one territory (SC, KS, MT, IL, ND, & PR) have been awarded School-to-Work (STW) grants over the past 6 months to implement or expand their comprehensive STW systems. South Carolina, for instance, will receive $3.8 million to implement its technology focused plan, which includes electronically connecting all classrooms & identifying technology skill standards on a grade-by-grade basis. An emphasis on professional development, including internship opportunities for teachers so they can see how lessons in their particular subject area are applied on the job, is also part of the comprehensive plan. The state's ongoing commitment to STW includes support from all school districts, technical colleges, 4-year colleges & universities, parents, employers & organized labor.

WORKFORCE INVESTMENT On August 7, President Clinton signed the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, legislation that includes his proposals to make America's employment & training system more responsive to our changing economy & more focused on the needs of our workers. The new law includes measures that will... give participants more control & choices in training, through "Individual Training Accounts." provide universal access to core services such as placement assistance, career counseling, & follow-up services to assist in job retention. consolidate current individual training programs supported by the federal government. enhance accountability through performance standards for states, localities, & training providers. increase flexibility so that states can innovate & create new ways to train America's workers better. help create jobs & opportunities through the authorization of $1.25 billion over 5 years in Youth Opportunity Grants, which will direct resources to high-poverty areas & help increase employment & school completion rates for disadvantaged youth.

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION State vocational education programs have received more than $1 billion in funding, Patricia McNeil, Assistant Secretary for Vocational & Adult Education, announced last month. "Today's vocational- technical education students are learning robotics, computer assisted design, aviation technology & other related subjects," she said. "They are being prepared for both college & 21st century careers." The grants, authorized under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational & Technology Education Act, will be used to improve the academic, technological, vocational & employability skills of secondary & postsecondary students by promoting high academic standards. Funding will also help foster the integration of vocational technological instruction & develop strong partnerships with businesses, educational institutions, & economic development systems. The press release & a list of state grants, along with contact information, are at: http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/07-1998/vocgrn.html

CHARTER SCHOOLS Parent demand for & student attendance in charter schools has grown, says "A National Study of Charter Schools," released by President Clinton last month. The President also announced new Department estimates that more than 1,000 charter schools will serve over 200,000 students in the 1998-99 school year. The report describes the charter school movement, & documents & analyzes ways charter schools are being established & run. It reports that charter schools are... standing the test of time -- once established, they have remained open. growing -- 279 additional charters became operational in the 1997-98 school year. in demand -- more than 70% of charter schools sampled said they had more applicants than could attend. in need of start-up funds. small, & many have non-traditional grade configurations. This is the second in a series of 4 reports. Last year's study findings showed that chartering statutes differ dramatically from state-to-state in allowing school autonomy (http://www.ed.gov/pubs/charter/). Future reports will address broad policy issues, including the charter school movement's potential effect on other public schools. The executive summary is at: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/charter98/execsum.html The Department also released "The Charter School Review Process: A Guide for Chartering Entities" to provide those issuing charters, applicants & policy-makers with practical advice. The "Charter School Review Process" is available by calling 1-877-4ED-PUBS. For information, resources, & discussion areas on charter schools, please visit the U.S. Charter Schools website: http://www.uscharterschools.org/

YEAR 2000 The Department's Year 2000 team continues to inform partners, stakeholders, & others about the urgency of the Year 2000 problem. At the National Governors' Association's recent Year 2000 summit, Acting Deputy Secretary Marshall Smith updated Governors on the Department's efforts & explained how they can assist elementary & secondary schools & postsecondary schools. For information about the Department's Year 2000 efforts, see: http://www.ed.gov/y2k

NEW ONLINE A new interactive calculator now allows you to estimate monthly payments on your student loan & compare the repayment plans for a Direct Consolidation Loan. http://www.ed.gov/DirectLoan/ConsolCalc/dlentry3.html Educational & Labor Market Performance of GED Recipients is designed to address the lack of balanced & objective information needed to guide the actions & decisions of researchers, policy makers, teachers, administrators, students, & parents. http://www.ed.gov/pubs/GED/

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.

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