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

Table of Contents After-School Funding Workshops on Applying for After-School Funds New Higher Education Tax Credits Available All Classrooms Connected to the Internet... State of American Education Address Diversity the Focus of January 19 Town Meeting "Teaching Reading"... January 12 Teleconference on 21st Century Skills... Groundhog Job Shadow Day Year 2000 Kit & Video New Family Involvement Resources Online Credits

AFTER-SCHOOL FUNDING President Clinton announced last week that he is seeking to triple funding for after-school programs, from $200 million this year to $600 million in fiscal year 2000. He said also that, when making awards under this 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, the Department would give priority to schools that discourage "social promotion" -- the practice of allowing students who have failed a school year to move up to the next grade level. These proposals are expected to be part of the President's budget for 2000, which will be sent to Congress early in February.

WORKSHOPS ON APPLYING FOR AFTER-SCHOOL FUNDS Free workshops are being offered this month to assist schools & districts thinking of applying for support under the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program. The workshops will help eligible applicants -- public elementary & secondary schools in inner-cities & rural areas, as well as consortia of those schools & or school districts applying on their behalf -- plan & implement high-quality after-school programs. Workshop features include... tips on how to prepare the grant application research results on high-quality after-school programs examples of high-quality after-school programs & activities in the region. If you are interested in applying, please plan to attend a workshop in one of these cities: January 11, 1999: Reno, NV, & Providence, RI January 12, 1999: Boise, ID January 13, 1999: Billings, MT, & Minneapolis, MN January 15, 1999: Portland, OR January 16, 1999: Washington, DC January 20, 1999: Omaha, NE, & Philadelphia, PA January 21, 1999: Flint, MI January 30, 1999: Houston, TX, & Atlanta, GA. For more information on the conferences, hosted by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, call the National Community Education Association (703-359-8973). Questions about the application package or the competition should be directed to the Department by e-mail (21stCCLC@ed.gov), fax (202-219-2198), or phone (202-219-2089 or 202-219-2180). http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/21stcclc/

NEW HIGHER EDUCATION TAX CREDITS AVAILABLE 1998 is the first tax year that parents sending children to college or adults continuing their education may take advantage of the HOPE Scholarship tax credit or Lifetime Learning tax credit. A Hope tax credit of up to $1,500 can be claimed for 2 years for each student in a family who is enrolled in higher education at least half-time at an eligible educational institution & who has not yet completed his or her first two years of study. The credit is 100% of the first $1,000 of payments for qualified tuition & fees, & 50% of the second $1,000. The Lifetime Learning tax credit is available for vocational, college, graduate & professional students, & adults who want to upgrade their job skills or acquire new ones or pursue another course of study, & even for a student taking one course as long as it is job-related. In 1998, tax filers can claim a Lifetime Learning credit up to $1,000 -- 20% of the first $5,000 paid in qualified tuition & fees on or after July 1. A taxpayer can claim only one Lifetime Learning credit per tax year for the aggregate amount of qualified tuition & fees of those students in the family for whom no Hope credit is claimed. There is no limit, however, on the number of years a taxpayer may claim the Lifetime Learning tax credit. To take advantage of the 2 credits, which could benefit some 13 million families, taxpayers must submit IRS form 8863 with their federal tax return. For more information, call the IRS Help line at 1-800-829-1040, read IRS publication 970 or visit the Treasury Department's website: http://www.irs.ustreas.gov

ALL CLASSROOMS CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET; ALL STUDENTS TECHNOLOGICALLY LITERATE The application package for the fiscal year 1999 Technology Innovation Challenge Grant program, which closes on March 12, is now online. You'll also find answers to frequently asked questions & brief descriptions of 1998 projects. http://www.ed.gov/Technology/challenge/

STATE OF AMERICAN EDUCATION ADDRESS Last week Secretary Riley announced that he will deliver his 6th annual State of American Education Address at California State University, Long Beach, on February 16, at 11 a.m. PST (2 p.m. EST). Riley will present his view of the nation's schools & colleges as the year 2000 approaches, with a focus on the critical role of teachers in preparing students for the 21st century. He will discuss the nation's need to recruit & train more than 2.2 million teachers over the next decade & the importance of making sure they are well prepared for today's & tomorrow's classroom. In last year's State of American Education Address, the Secretary called on Congress to pass President Clinton's initiative to link low-income middle schools with colleges & universities to give students resources to help them prepare for successful futures. In the fall, Congress responded by passing GEAR UP, a national effort to encourage young people to set high expectations, stay in school & study hard, & go to college (for information on GEAR UP, see http://www.ed.gov/gearup/ & http://www.ed.gov/inits/FY99/index.html). The speech will be broadcast live via satellite & available on the Internet (http://www.connectlive.com/events/deptedu). For more information, please see: http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/01-1999/calst.html

DIVERSITY THE FOCUS OF JANUARY 19 TOWN MEETING Five school districts in the U.S. now serve students from over 100 different racial & ethnic groups, & next year, there will be 12 such school districts. Researchers say that within 50 years there will be no single racial or ethnic group that will be in a majority in the U.S. The challenges & opportunities posed by the increasing diversity of the nation's student population will be the focus of the January Satellite Town Meeting, "Learning Together: Diverse Schools Building One America" on Tuesday, January 19, 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. (ET) Secretary Riley will talk with high school students, in a taped segment, about how race & diversity affects their learning & lives. Judith Winston, executive director of the President's Initiative on Race & the Department's General Counsel, will moderate a panel of school & community leaders who are meeting the challenge of racial & cultural diversity. Among the topics be discussed: ways that diversity is an asset in schools, how teachers can be recruited for & prepared to teach in diverse classrooms, how schools can lead their communities on issues of race & diversity, how principals & teachers can encourage family involvement in a diverse school communities, & how findings from the President's Initiative on Race can help. For more information, please see: http://www.ed.gov/inits/stm/stm-9901.html

"TEACHING READING" THE TOPIC FOR FEBRUARY 16 TOWN MEETING On February 16, 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. (ET), Secretary Riley will host a Satellite Town Meeting (STM) on "Teaching Reading: Success Stories in Schools." Learn about the consensus on research-based reading instruction that promises to end the "reading wars" & to improve reading achievement for all students. Find out what works in the classroom, how your entire school can help, & what roles can be played by tutors, families, & communities. Look for additional details in the next ED Initiatives. To register & receive advance information on STMs, including satellite coordinates, call 1-800-USA-LEARN. To plan for other upcoming STMs, please see the schedule: http://www.ed.gov/inits/stm/

JANUARY 12 TELECONFERENCE ON 21st CENTURY SKILLS & JOBS Vice President Gore will moderate a teleconference on "21st Century Skills for 21st Century Jobs" on January 12, 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. ET. For the agenda, materials, registration, & other information, please call 1-800-USA-LEARN or see: http://www.vpskillsummit.org

GROUNDHOG JOB SHADOW DAY On February 2, students will arrive at workplaces across the U.S. to shadow adults & learn about careers, industries, & the world of work. For information on how you can participate in Groundhog Job Shadow Day 99, please call (410) 810-7910 or visit: http://www.jobshadow.org

YEAR 2000 KIT & VIDEO Last month during a Year 2000 teleconference, Secretary Riley announced the Year 2000 "Readiness Kit" for postsecondary schools. During the teleconference, Acting Deputy Secretary Marshall Smith discussed the Department's own Year 2000 efforts & described opportunities for schools to test the exchange of their data with the Department's financial aid delivery systems. The kit is available by calling 1-877-4ED-PUBS & by visiting: http://www.ed.gov/y2k Two 40-minute videotape excerpts of the teleconference -- "Meeting the Year 2000 Challenge: Schools, Colleges, & the Millennium Bug" -- are now available. Both explain the Year 2000 problem & offer practical advice & resources. There is no charge for these tapes (only one tape per order, please), but you are invited to make copies. Be sure to order the one that is right for you: "For K-12 Schools: Excerpts from 'Meeting the Year 2000 Challenge." "For Colleges & Universities: Excerpts from 'Meeting the Year 2000 Challenge."

NEW FAMILY INVOLVEMENT RESOURCES ONLINE The new Partnership for Family Involvement in Education (PFIE) homepage, developed with USA Today, offers a weekly "Spotlight" on education & PFIE issues; examples of how families, schools, businesses, & community & religious organizations are improving education in their communities; & how you can get involved. A "Partner Listing" database can help you find a particular organization among the more than 4,000 PFIE member organizations nationwide. http://pfie.ed.gov/ "Employers, Families, & Education" tells how employers can improve education through family-friendly business policies & partnerships with local schools. http://www.ed.gov/pubs/EmpFamEd/ "The Corporative Imperative: Results & Benefits of Business Involvement in Education" explores how businesses can create strategic education alliances that meet business objectives & promote systemic education change. http://www.ed.gov/pubs/CorpImp/

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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