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

Table of Contents Teleconference on ... to Help Children Read Well April Town Meeting: Improving Teacher Quality Safe Schools, Healthy Students Initiative Improving America's Schools Conference 1999 Feedback Sought on Student Financial Aid Negotiated Rulemaking Website Two Expert Panels Invite Submissions Eight Days to Take Advantage of Tax Credits Year 2000 Readiness Community Update Newsletter New Online Credits

TELECONFERENCE ON TRAINING TUTORS TO HELP CHILDREN READ WELL On April 26, the Department & the University of Vermont are offering a national satellite teleconference, "Delivering Effective Tutor Training: An America Reads Tutoring Support Program." Whether you are beginning to create a reading tutor program or already have one underway, this program will help you & your organization develop & strengthen processes for your unique situation. Carol Rasco, Director of the America Reads Challenge, will moderate the program, which will be broadcast from 1:30-3:30pm ET. The first hour will feature... Research on effective tutoring of at-risk readers Effective pre-service training models Examining training options for your program. The second hour will look at... Effective in-service training models Managing a training program Customizing training for your school Retaining & encouraging student tutors. Join hundreds of colleagues at colleges & universities, as well as community-based organizations & schools involved in America Reads programs in learning about practical tools & approaches that can work for your school. For more information, please see: http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmreads or email Andrea Grayson at agrayson@zoo.uvm.edu For a registration form, email profprog@zoo.uvm.edu or call 1-800-639-3188.

APRIL TOWN MEETING: IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY What policies & practices can help ensure that there is a well-qualified teacher leading every classroom? That's the focus of the Satellite Town Meeting on Tuesday, April 20, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET. Secretary Riley & guests will discuss ways that school districts, states, & community organizations can create comprehensive efforts to improve teacher quality & how teachers can be involved in improving the quality of the profession. For details & to register, please see: http://www.ed.gov/inits/stm/stm60.html

SAFE SCHOOLS, HEALTHY STUDENTS INITIATIVE Fifty communities will receive grants to provide safer learning environments for youth & help them avoid drugs, violence, & other destructive behaviors, Attorney General Janet Reno, Secretary Riley, & Surgeon General David Satcher announced last week. Under the new "Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative," each community will receive funding for 3 years to link existing & new services & activities into a comprehensive, community-wide approach to violence prevention & healthy child development. The deadline for receipt of applications is June 1. Grants are expected to be awarded by the 1999-2000 school year. Applications & details are available at: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/grants/current.html#safeschool (or from the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse Fax-on-Demand service: 1-800-638-8736).

IMPROVING AMERICA'S SCHOOLS CONFERENCE 1999 This year's Improving America's Schools Regional Conferences are scheduled for: Eastern Region: Tampa, FL, October 6-8, 1999 Western Region: Salt Lake City, UT, November 8-10, 1999 Central Region: Chicago, IL, December 15-17, 1999. Principals, teachers, parents, superintendents, state education officials, local education officials, representatives of higher education, program managers, grant administrators, grantees, community-based educational organizations, & national educational organizations are invited to attend. For more information, please call 1-800-203-5494, or visit http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/iasconferences/ If you have a question, or would like to subscribe to the new IAS listserv, please send your name & email address to ias.conference@ed.gov

FEEDBACK SOUGHT ON STUDENT FINANCIAL AID If you are a student, a college or university administrator, or someone else who participates in federal student aid programs, your suggestions are invited. Our Customer Service Task Force in the Department's Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) is seeking your ideas & feedback as it explores "best in business" practices & develops recommendations for improving customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, & program performance. OSFA was designated in the 1998 Higher Education Amendments as the first performance-based organization (PBO) in the federal government. Please share your thoughts on what works (& what doesn't), what you would change, & anything else about the federal student aid system at: http://www.ed.gov/cstf

NEGOTIATED RULEMAKING WEBSITE Meeting summaries, schedules, participants, & other information about the "negotiated rulemaking" process under Title IV of the Higher Education Act are now available. Through this process, representatives of the higher education community & the Department are developing proposed regulations for student financial aid programs. Meetings began in January & will conclude in May. http://www.ed.gov/policy/highered/reg/hearulemaking/1999/

TWO EXPERT PANELS INVITE SUBMISSIONS Two of the 4 expert panels created to evaluate & recommend education programs for national recognition are now seeking applications. The Safe, Disciplined, & Drug-Free Schools Expert Panel invites applications from success *prevention* programs. The deadline is May 28. Guidelines are at: http://www.rmcres.com/expertp/index.html The Educational Technology Expert Panel requests applications from successful technology programs. The deadline is September 1. This panel is also soliciting comments on its draft guidelines (due by Friday, April 16), available at: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/ORAD/LTD/panel.html

EIGHT DAYS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NEW HIGHER ED TAX CREDITS Time is running out for tax filers to take advantage of new higher education tax credits available for the first time in the 1998 tax year. The Hope & Lifetime Learning tax credits can help families meet the cost of postsecondary education, whether for a bachelor's degree, graduate or professional study, or vocational or job-related training. 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 2 years of study. The Lifetime Learning tax credit picks up where Hope leaves off. It's 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. To take advantage of the Hope & Lifetime Learning tax credits, taxpayers must complete & submit IRS form 8863 with their federal tax return. For more information, call the IRS helpline at 1-800-829-1040, read IRS publication 970, or visit the Treasury Department's website: http://www.irs.ustreas.gov

YEAR 2000 READINESS Acting Deputy Secretary Mike Smith reported last month that "all of the Department's 175 data systems...have been renovated, independently validated & verified, & implemented...ahead of the government's self- imposed deadline." He noted, however, that the Department "is not taking anything for granted" & is working "to keep federal aid to states, schools, & students flowing without a hitch when the year 2000 arrives." For information on how your school can prepare, please see "A Year 2000 Compliance Guide for Elementary/Secondary Schools & School Districts" (produced with the Council of Great City Schools) & "A Y2K Readiness Kit for Higher Education" at: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OCIO/year/

COMMUNITY UPDATE NEWSLETTER The Department's monthly newsletter, "Community Update," aims to help communities learn from each other by showcasing best practices & model programs from around the country. The April issue looks at the Department's initiatives to help recruit, train, & support new teachers; the April Satellite Town Meeting on teacher quality; the "Everybody Wins" literacy initiative; the final E-rate discounts; & more. To subscribe or for back issues, see: http://www.ed.gov/G2K/community/subscribe.html http://www.ed.gov/G2K/community/

NEW ONLINE A number of Department officials delivered testimony before Congress in March on the fiscal year 2000 budget request. http://www.ed.gov/Speeches/03-1999/00budtst.html "Charter School Roadmap" surveys emerging policy issues related to charter schools nationwide. http://www.ed.gov/pubs/Roadmap/ "Review of Charter School Legislation Provisions Related to Students with Disabilities" examines charter school statutes in 29 states & special education provisions within extant statutes in February 1998. http://www.ed.gov/pubs/chartlegis/ The President's Committee on the Arts & the Humanities website features "Gaining the Arts Advantage: Lessons from School Districts That Value Arts Education," a report on the first national study examining the implementation of strong arts programs throughout entire school districts. The site also offers information on the 1999 "Coming Up Taller" awards nominations, which recognize outstanding after-school, weekend, & summer arts education programs for children from at-risk communities. http://www.pcah.gov/gaa/index.html http://www.pcah.gov

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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