EDUCATION & EQUITY NEWS    

NATIONAL

"Most Parents Back School Standards"
The Washington Post, October 5, 2000

An nationwide opinion poll found that the vast majority of public school parents support using standardized tests to hold schools and students accountable. Of the 800 parents surveyed, 87% support the standards movement, while only 2% advocate a return to education without test-based accountability. Most parents, however, are opposed to schools determining student advancement to the next grade solely on the basis of a single test.

"New Test Probes Superintendents' Leadership Skills"
Education Week, October 23, 2000

The first national licensing examination for superintendents was administered to 100 graduate students in Missouri, where passing the test is a requirement to become a local superintendent. The test, which focuses on issues of instruction and management centered around the goal of effective teaching, reflects the growing emphasis on student learning, rather than just administration, for school leaders. Missouri and North Carolina have piloted the test and about 20 states have expressed interest in using the test (developed by the Educational Testing Service) as a licensing tool.

Reducing Class Size: A Smart Way to Improve America's Urban Schools
The Council for the Great City Schools, October 5, 2000

The above report claims that reducing class size contributed to improved reading skills and test scores among students. The urban school districts covered in the report used $242 million in federal Class-Size Reduction Program funds to hire nearly 4,100 more teachers.

"ETS Study Links Effective Teaching Methods to Test-Score Gains"
Education Week, October 25, 2000

According to an Educational Testing Service study based on 1996 NAEP data, students of math teachers who had been trained to work students of different cultures, limited English proficiency, or special needs scored more than one full grade level above their peers. The students of science instructors who had learned laboratory skills scored 44% higher than their peers. The report advises using professional development to improve teacher quality and raise student achievement.

MARYLAND

"Prince George's Joins Home-School Trend"
The Washington Post, October 19, 2000

Although less than two percent of the home-schooling population nationwide is black, the home-schooling movement is on the rise in Prince George's County, MD, which a high concentration of middle- and upper-middle-class African Americans . Black parents in this community cite an unchallenging curriculum, poor teaching, low achievement and low test scores among their reasons for turning to home-schooling. Some parents who initially considered enrolling their students in parochial and private schools say that they chose home-schooling instead -- due to the lack of diversity and Eurocentric curriculum they found at these predominantly white schools.

"Diversity Dominates Montgomery Schools"
The Washington Post, October 18, 2000

The once predominantly white Montgomery County public school system is becoming increasingly diverse. Currently, the county's white students account for less than half of all enrollments for the first time ever, while 21.3% of students are African American, 16.2% are Latino, 13.3% are Asian American and 3% are Native American. Superintendent Jerry D. Weast acknowledges the need to close the achievement gap between black and Latino students and their peers. Since taking office last year, Weast has implemented initiatives such as reducing class size and expanding full-day kindergarten to help close the achievement gap.

PENNSYLVANIA

"Smaller Classes, Newer Teachers"
The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 24, 2000

The Philadelphia Inquirer has released its annual Report Card on the Schools, covering the 167 school districts in the Philadelphia region. Among the trends reported in the review are shrinking elementary class sizes, high rates of teacher retirement and the rise of a younger and less experienced teaching force.

VIRGINIA

"Graduation at Stake as First Class Faces SOLs"
The Washington Post, October 22, 2000

Ninth graders in Virginia public schools have the distinction of being the first class that must pass the state's Standards of Learning tests between now and June 2004 in order to graduate. The SOL tests cover English, math science and social studies. Students take an exam once they have completed the course in the subject. Those who fail a test will have several opportunities to retake it before the end of their senior year.

RESOURCES

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Bilingual Education

The Education Department is accepting applications for grants to help recruit and train educational personnel to meet high professional standards as bilingual teachers.
Deadline Nov. 30; Funds: $5 million; Estimated Number of Awards: 25, averaging $200,000 each. Online info or contact:

   Mahal May or Elizabeth Judd
   U.S. Department of Education
   400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Room 5090
   Switzer Building
   Washington, D.C. 20202-6510.
   Phone: May (202)205-8727 / Judd (202)205-9157
   E-mail: Mahal_May@ed.gov / Elizabeth_Judd@ed.gov

National Girls Institute

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is requesting applications to establish a National Girls Institute to raise public awareness of the underlying factors that place girls at risk of involvement in the juvenile justice system. The institute is intended to advance promising prevention, intervention, treatment, education, detention, and aftercare programs and services within the context of an integrated continuum of care for delinquent and at-risk girls and their families. Deadline: December 1, 2000. Funds: $1.2 million a year for five years per award. Eligibility: public and private agencies, organizations and institutions, and for profit organizations that waive their fees. Call (800) 638-8736 or (202) 514-4822 for applications.


RESEARCH STUDIES

Safe Schools Initiative
In light of the recent spate of school shootings, the U.S. Secret Service has undertaken a study of school violence that analyzes the behavior and thinking of the perpetrators, in order to assist schools, communities and law enforcement in identifying potential offenders and preventing violence in the future. The study found that in most cases, the attackers announced their plans to classmates prior to the incident.

BOOKS

Effective Programs for Latino Students
edited by Robert E. Slavin and Margarita Calderon

A comprehensive discussion of the latest research on effective instructional programs for Latino students. Covers effective elementary, middle and high school programs; two-way bilingual programs and transitional bilingual programs, among others.
Publisher: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. 10 Industrial Avenue, Mahwah, NJ 07430-2262.
Tel:(201) 236-9500 or (800) 926-6579
Fax:(201) 760-3735, E-mail: orders@erlbaum.com

MAEC BESTSELLER!

Why Boys Don't Talk and Why We Care: A Mother's Guide to Connection, by Susan Morris Shaffer and Linda Perlman Gordon

MAEC's all-time best selling publication! The book addresses the difficult realities of growing up male today and provides explanations of current psychological, educational, sociological, and scientific theories about boys' behavior, and points out the societal constraints many boys face during adolescence.

Since the debut of the book in the spring, the authors have been on a whirlwind of book signings, interviews and conferences, including the White House Conference on Teenagers 2000," hosted by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and the presidential conference on the Mental Health Initiative. Interviews and book reviews have appeared in local and national papers such as USA Today, Parent's Journal, the Montgomery County Gazette, the Washington Times and the Los Angeles Times, and the book is now in its second printing.

To order, go to: http://www.maec.org/order.html or http://www.amazon.com

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