[ECP] ED Review (10/26/07)
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ED REVIEW
October 26, 2007
...a bi-weekly update on U.S. Department of
Education activities relevant to the
Intergovernmental and Corporate community and other stakeholders
NCLB UPDATE
As Congressional members continue to debate
legislative language for the reauthorization of
the No Child Left Behind Act, President Bush
issued a stern warning to those who would change
the law's focus on student achievement. "Any
effort to weaken No Child Left Behind will get a
presidential veto," he said during a town
hall-style meeting in Arkansas. "I believe this
piece of legislation is important, and I believe
it's hopeful, and I believe it's necessary to
make sure we've got an educated group of students
who can compete in the global economy when they
get older." While the No Child Left Behind Act
does not formally authorize spending for its
programs beyond fiscal year 2007 (which ended
September 30, 2007), it included an automatic
extension for fiscal year 2008 (which started
October 1, 2007). Nevertheless, the leaders of
both chambers' education committees have pledged
to approve a bill to reauthorize the law by the
end of the year. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO
TO http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/10/20071015-5.html
To ensure more students will receive supplemental
educational services (SES), the Department has
granted flexibility to four school districts
identified in need of improvement to become SES
providers. Normally, sanctioned districts are
prohibited from serving as SES providers. Also,
the agency has granted flexibility to four
states, allowing some of their districts to offer
SES to students in Title I schools in the first
year of improvement (in lieu of public school
choice). If a school is identified for a second
year, it would have to offer both choice and
SES. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO
http://www.ed.gov/nclb/choice/help/ses/07agreements.html
The Department's LEP Partnership seeks to improve
the assessments of English language proficiency,
reading, and math for limited English proficient
(LEP) students. The partnership's web site holds
transcripts of public meetings (the next meeting
is October 28), practical guidelines for the
education of LEP students, and descriptions of
six technical assistance projects. FOR MORE
INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO http://www.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/lep-partnership/
NAEP FORECASTING
A recent study by the Department's National
Center for Education Statistics (NCES) attempts
to relate student achievement on the
twelfth-grade National Assessment of Educational
Progress (NAEP) in math in terms of postsecondary
educational outcomes. For example, of the
seniors who scored below NAEP's "Basic" level,
46% did not go on to higher education and only
18% went on to receive a bachelor's degree. In
contrast, of the seniors who scored at NAEP's
"Basic" level, 82% went on to college (53% to a
four-year institution) and 50% went on to receive
a bachelor's degree. Moreover, of the seniors
who scored at NAEP's "Proficient" level, most
students (95%) went on to college (84% to a
four-year institution) and 79% went on to receive
a bachelor's degree. And, of the seniors who
scored at NAEP's "Advanced" level, nearly all
students (98%) went on to college (94% to a
four-year institution) and 91% went on to receive
a bachelor's degree. On their own, the study's
findings are intuitive. Yet, in light of an
earlier NCES study
(http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2007482),
which found that most state fourth- and
eighth-grade proficiency standards fall at or
below NAEP's "Basic" range, they do suggest the
need to raise expectations to improve students'
odds in higher education. FOR MORE INFORMATION,
PLEASE GO TO http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2007328
OTHER K-12 REPORTS
Several new K-12 reports are worth noting:
"Why Rural Matters 2007"
(http://www.ruraledu.org/site/apps/nl/content.asp?c=beJMIZOCIrH&b=3508831&ct=4537855),
from the Rural School and Community Trust,
analyzes the importance of rural education in
each of the 50 states and calls attention to the
urgency with which policymakers should address
rural issues. Overall enrollment in rural
schools is up by 15% -- reversing years of
declines -- and there has been a 55% increase in
rural minority students, with some states
experiencing increases of more than 100%.
A cost-benefit analysis of high-quality teacher
induction programs
(http://www.newteachercenter.org/pdfs/hill-brief-release.pdf),
from the University of California at Santa Cruz's
New Teacher Center, finds that every $1 spent on
such programs generates a return of $1.66, after
five years. The return on investment is
primarily enhanced student learning and reduced teacher turnover costs.
"The School Health Policies and Program Study"
(http://www.cdc.gov/SHPPS/), by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, proclaims U.S.
schools have made "significant progress" in
health, fitness, and nutrition over the last six
years. 30% of school districts have eliminated
junk food from vending machines (up from 4% in
2000), and the percentage of schools that sell
french fries a la carte in their cafeterias has
decreased from 40% to 19%. On the other hand,
about one-fifth of schools still do not require any physical education.
SENATE CONFIRMATION
The Senate has confirmed Williamson "Bill" Evers
as Assistant Secretary for Planning, Evaluation,
and Policy Development. As assistant secretary,
he will serve as the principal advisor to
Secretary Spellings on all matters relating to
K-12 and higher education policy development and
review, performance measurements and evaluation,
and budget processes. Evers joined the
Department in February 2007 as a senior advisor
to the Secretary. Previously, he worked at
Stanford University's Hoover Institution, where
he was a research fellow and a member of the
Koret Task Force on K-12 Education. In 2003, he
was senior advisor for education to Administrator
Paul Bremer of the Coalition Provisional
Authority in Iraq. Evers received his bachelor's
degree, master's degree, and Ph.D. in political
science from Stanford. FOR MORE INFORMATION,
PLEASE GO TO http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2007/10/10172007.html
FOCUS: HIGHER EDUCATION
On October 25, the Department announced national
and state-level data from the first year of
Academic Competitiveness (AC) and National
Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent
(SMART) grants. These grants encourage students
to take more challenging courses in high school
and pursue college majors in high demand in the
global economy -- math, science, technology,
engineering, and critical foreign languages. The
agency's goal is to double the number of AC/SMART
grant recipients by 2011. FOR MORE INFORMATION,
PLEASE GO TO http://www.ed.gov/programs/smart/performance.html
Other higher education-related resources:
"First Look at the Initial Postsecondary
Experiences of the High School Sophomore Class of
2002"
(http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2008308),
an NCES brief, provides selected, nationally
representative information about the transition
of 2002 high school sophomores to college.
As promised, the Department has posted clips from
the 2007 Community College Virtual Summit
(http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/cclo/virtualcc07.html)
The event targeted the two-to-four-year
transition, approaches for serving adults and
working students, accountability, and
leadership. A panel of community college leaders
interacted with a live audience in Washington, D.C., and four downlink sites.
The College Board recently released its annual
"trends" reports, "Trends in College Pricing
2007" and Trends in Student Aid 2007"
(http://www.collegeboard.com/press/releases/189547.html),
with data on the price of higher education and
the financial aid available to help pay that price.
SPEAK UP SURVEY
Through December 15, K-12 students, teachers,
administrators, and parents from across the
nation have the opportunity to share their ideas
and opinions on how technology should be used in
the education process through Project Tomorrow's
fifth annual Speak Up survey. This year's survey
features new questions, addressing student
interest (and parent support) in math, science,
and technology careers; utilizing web 2.0 tools,
like MySpace, in school; the merit of 21st
century skills, such as learning a new language;
the value of emerging technologies, such as video
games, in education; and designing the ultimate,
21st century school. Results are shared with
participating schools and school districts so
they can use the data for planning and community
discussion. Results are also used by government
agencies and various organizations to inform new
programs and polices. FOR MORE INFORMATION,
PLEASE GO TO http://www.netdayspeakup.org/
QUOTE TO NOTE
"Education is not something that is done best in
isolation. It's most effective when private
sector, government, and educators work
together?. Through shared collaboration of ideas
and invention, we can make our world and the
world our children inherit one of great promise
and opportunity. And, as we pioneer new
frontiers in health, energy, and space, let it be
a race we run together and in doing so accomplish
great things for both our nations and our citizens."
-- Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings
(10/22/07), speaking at Moscow State University in Russia
______________________________________________________________________
UPCOMING EVENTS
National Veterans Awareness Week (November 11-17)
reminds schools to invite veterans into their
classrooms in the days leading up to and
following Veterans Day (November 11). Veterans
are asked to share their experiences and teach
short lessons about the history and significance
of Veterans Day, helping students reflect upon
the ideals of liberty, freedom, and
democracy. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO
http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/. (Note: A school
kit, with sections for students and teachers, may
be downloaded at http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/schoolkit.asp.)
The Department's next "Education News Parents Can
Use" broadcast, concerning higher education, is
scheduled for November 20. FOR MORE INFORMATION,
PLEASE GO TO http://www.ed.gov/news/av/video/edtv/.
The Department will be exhibiting at the National
Coalition of ESEA Title I Parents' 34th Annual
In-Service Training Conference in Rochester, New
York (October 31-November 4). If you are
attending this event, please stop by the Department's booth.
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