EDUCATION & EQUITY NEWS    

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Study Points to Racial Slant in Special Education
The New York Times, March 3, 2001

According to a set of 14 studies commissioned by the Civil Rights Project at Harvard, black students are three times as likely as white students to be labeled "mentally retarded" or "emotionally disturbed" and put in special education classes, where they are less likely to end up with high school diplomas or a quality education.

See also:

Study Finds Racial Bias in Special Ed
The Washington Post, March 3, 2001

More Blacks Sent to Special-Ed Programs,
The Seattle Times. March 3, 2001

Progress on Dropout Rate Stalls
The Washington Post, March 3, 2001

After decades of improvement, the nation's school completion rate has stagnated over the past 15 years despite the large amounts of money and attention focused on education. Nearly one quarter of the nation's students fail to graduate, though some go on to earn GEDs and other alternative credentials.

New Administration Worries
Some E-Rate Proponents
The New York Times, February 28, 2001

Proponents of the E-rate, a program that subsidizes Internet connections for the country's schools and libraries, are worried that President George W. Bush's proposal to consolidate federal education technology programs into a single block grant could stifle its success.

Educators Face Tough
Road to Graduation Testing
Dallas Morning News, March 5, 2001

After adopting high-stakes graduation tests for high school students, some states are now struggling to implement them. Rather than withholding diplomas from the students unable to pass the tests, states are softening the blow by eliminating difficult questions, making tests shorter, lowering passing scores and allowing students to meet graduation requirements in other ways.

Study: Smaller Class Size Is
Racial Equalizer, Social Salve
USA Today, March 6, 2001

According to a new study by Princeton researchers Alan Krueger and Diane Whitmore, smaller class sizes can help schools narrow the black-white achievement gap, lower teen birth rates and possibly reduce crime rates.


Latino Education Gap Better, Worse
The Los Angeles Times, March 6, 2001

Recent census data shows that the education gap between Latinos and non-Latino whites is narrowing at the high school level but growing wider at the college level.

Fonda Donates $12.5 Million
for Gender Center at Harvard
The New York Times, March 3, 2001

The actress Jane Fonda is donating $12.5 million to the Harvard Graduate School of Education to set up the Center on Gender and Education, dedicated to examining how children's development and learning are influenced by gender.

MARYLAND

School Budgets Face the Ax
The Baltimore Sun, March 5, 2001

School boards in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties have in the past month approved budget requests that are as much as 11 percent higher than those of a year ago. Cuts in these budgets are likely as local governments are anticipating an economic slowdown that could erode recent growth in tax revenue.


Calvert Teacher Pay
The Washington Post, March 4, 2001

In comparison to its neighbors, Calvert County has the lowest starting teacher salaries. Some comparison figures: Starting salaries of teachers with a bachelor's degree -- Charles County ($31,200), St. Mary's ($31,510), Prince George's ($31,950), Montgomery ($33,416) and Calvert ($31,160).

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Teachers Say They Can't Quit Night Jobs
The Washington Post, March 4, 2001

Teachers in the D.C. metro area -- especially those new to the profession -- say they are working one or two extra jobs to supplement their income, as housing prices and the cost of living in the District and its suburbs climb faster than their paychecks.

Penmanship Problems Hurt Quality
of Student Writing, Study Suggests
Education Week, February 28, 2001

A study of Washington-area 1st graders identified as having handwriting problems found that students given handwriting lessons produced grammatical sentences much more fluidly than their counterparts in the control group.


Reviving McKinley High
The Common Denominator, February 26, 2001

Plans to reopen McKinley Technical High School in 2002 are underway through a collaboration between D.C. Public Schools and the mayor’s office, and with the support of area corporations in a public/private partnership.

PENNSYLVANIA

School Boards Group Revises Anti-Harassment Policy
Pittsburgh Tribune Review, March 6, 2001

The Pennsylvania State School Boards Association is preparing new policies for its members in reaction to a court ruling that said a school district was violating students' free speech.

Ridge Asks For More Testing Funds
The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 2, 2001

Gov. Ridge asked Congress yesterday for more money to expand Pennsylvania's student-testing program to comply with proposed federal standards.


7,500 Pennsylvania Teachers Rally at Capitol
The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 5, 2001

About 7,500 teachers from across Pennsylvania demonstrated at the state Capitol yesterday, calling for smaller class sizes, changes in special education funding, and other reforms.

Council to Get $1.7B Prelim School Budget
Philadelphia Daily News, March 6, 2001

The Philadelphia School District is expected to present to City Council today a preliminary budget that's about $200 million more than last year, and that has a projected deficit of the same amount.

PUBLICATIONS

Dropouts in America - Working Papers
Harvard Civil Rights Project, January 13, 2001

Minority Issues in Special Education
- Conference Papers
Harvard Civil Rights Project, November 17, 2000

A Guide For the Powerless -- And Those
Who Don't Know Their Own Power: A
Primer on the American Political Process
American Youth Policy Forum, 2001

Upcoming publication seeking submissions:
Putting the Movement Back into Civil Rights Teaching
Network of Educators on the Americas (NECA)

WEBSITES & LINKS

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