| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Read about OVAE and other Department of Education announcements, including administrative changes and grant information. From the field, see Publications and Websites and Articles and Media Information.
Hansen Releases New Guide
to Federal Education Funding
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Bill Hansen released a new guide to education
funding to help better explain the Bush administration's financial commitment
to the nation's schools and students.
Adult Literacy Research Network
This new research network, charged to determine scientifically-based reading
instructional methods, will design, develop, implement and study the effectiveness
of adult literacy interventions for low-literate adults.
Paige Signs Memorandum
of Understanding with his Counterpart from Singapore
Education officials in the U.S. and Singapore have signed a cooperative agreement
to improve math and science education by exchanging curricula and teaching strategies.
Talk
of the Nation
Assistant Secretary Carol D'Amico was the featured guest on National Public
Radio's Talk of the Nation's back to school series, answering questions about
the future of vocational education. Check out the September 4 program, 3rd segment.
New
State Scholars Initiative
U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today joined President Bush to unveil
a new partnership among the business community and high schools, colleges and
universities, and non-profit and other organizations to encourage students to
take more -- and more rigorous courses -- to better prepare them for postsecondary
education and the workplace.
New Director of OVAE's Policy Analysis Staff
Assistant Secretary Carol D'Amico is pleased to announce the addition of Daniel
F. Bonner to the Office of Vocational and Adult Education. Mr. Bonner will bring
a wealth of experience as the new Director of the Policy Analysis Staff, particularly
as we begin our work on reauthorization of Perkins and WIA.
"No Child Left Behind"
Highly Qualified Teachers
Vocational education teachers who teach core academic courses are covered by
the definition of a "highly qualified teacher" according to the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act as amended by "No
Child Left Behind."
Smaller Learning Communities Program
Grantees
The Department of Education has announced the list of grantees who received
a 2001 Smaller Learning Communities award.
Technology
Briefs for "No Child Left Behind"
The Northeast and Islands Regional Technology Consortium (NEIRTEC) has created
a series of "Technology Briefs for NCLB planners." The topics were
selected to reflect the U.S. Department of Education requirements for state
and local applications, and they provide NCLB planners with effective strategies,
key questions to consider, and selected resources that will inform the application
and planning process.
Kentucky Doing More
Adult education enrollments are up 23% over the last two years and GEDs are
up 11% in 2001.
"No Child Left Behind" Best Practices
The American Association of School Administrators has compiled web tools and
resources for implementing the ESEA 2001.
White House Conference on Character and Community
Assistant Secretary Carol D'Amico recently attended the White House Conference
on Character and Community, hosted by First Lady Laura Bush. During his
remarks, President Bush recognized the public schools as, "the most
important institutions in democracy."
$15M in CTC Grants Available
Community Technology Centers (CTC) grants totaling $15M are available for eligible
applicants, the Department announced June 4. The CTC program helps eligible
applicants create or expand centers to provide disadvantaged residents of economically
distressed urban or rural communities access to technology and the training
to use it. This year's competition requires applicants to offer adult education
and family literacy activities through technology and the Internet. Approximately
83 grants are expected and the deadline for applications for this competition
is July 19. Download
notice and application forms.
OVAE Seeking Field Readers for Grant Competition
OVAE is seeking applications from individuals interested in serving as Field
Readers for its FY2002 Community Technology Centers (CTC) Grants Competition.
Richard LaPointe Tapped as New Director of High School, Postsecondary Education
and Career Education
Assistant Secretary Carol D'Amico is pleased to announce that Richard La Pointe
will be joining our staff. Richard has been appointed to the position of Director,
Division of High School, Postsecondary and Career Education. As such, he will
serve as the principal program advisor to the Office of the Assistant Secretary
on matters related to high school, postsecondary and career education programs
under the overall purview of the OVAE. Richard has had an extensive career at
the Department of Education. He has held various positions in Office of Elementary
and Secondary Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, Office
of Postsecondary Education, and the Office of the Secretary and is currently
working for the Deputy Secretary. Richard also served as Senior Advisor to the
Secretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, President of a major, not-for-profit
literacy organization, and Superintendent of Public Instruction for the Commonwealth
of Virginia. He holds a Ph.D and Masters degree from U.C.L.A. and an A.B. from
the University of California, Berkeley. While in Federal service he earned a
certificate in Management from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.
Keenan Named New Director of Division of Adult Education and Literacy
Cheryl L. Keenan, former Director of the Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy
Education in the State of Pennsylvania, has been selected as the new Director
of the Division of Adult Education and Literacy (DAEL) (Press
Release). Kennan has served on numerous state and national committees and
task forces in the areas of adult education reform, workforce development, program
accountability, research, and special initiatives. She has also played a pivotal
role in shaping and implementing the new requirements in Title II of the Workforce
Investment Act of 1998 and will provide a wealth of experience, insight,
and vision to the Division and OVAE as reauthorization activities are conducted
relative to the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act section of WIA.
Assistant Secretary's Testimony Stresses Four Main Education Principles
Assistant Secretary Carol D'Amico, Ed.D., presented testimony on "High
School and Transition Into the Workforce" before the House Appropriations
Committee, Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies. Dr. D'Amico
directs the Office of Vocational and Adult Education. She testified along with
four other U.S. Department of Education Assistant Secretaries: Sally Stroup,
Assistant Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary
Education; Bob Pasternack, Assistant Secretary for the Office
of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Russ Whitehurst, Assistant
Secretary for the Office of Education Research and
Improvement and Susan Neuman, Assistant Secretary for the Office
of Elementary and Secondary Education. The testimony
emphasized the Administration's four key education principles, which include
closing the achievement gap, focusing on what works, providing greater flexibility
in the delivery of education, and providing both parents and students with options.
View the webcast of April 4th, "Preparing America's Future: The High School Symposium," at the National Research and Dissemination Center for Career and Technical Education website. Once in the website, click on "Professional Development Speaker Series" and scroll down to "Archived Webcasts." You can also download the Microsoft Word document for all the details. A series of commissioned papers on the symposium are available online.
Assistant Secretary D'Amico Appoints a Special Assistant for Community Colleges
and a Communications Director
Asst. Secretary Carol D'Amico has appointed Joan Athen as the new Special Assistant
for Community Colleges. Athen comes with 23 years of experience as an entrepreneur
in the telecommunications industry. Before joining OVAE, Athen was a founding
member of JA Associates, LLC., a consulting company specializing in providing
start-up support to small businesses. She is also the former Chair of the Maryland
Association of Community College Trustees and is former Board Chair and Vice
Chair of Howard Community College. Athen was born in Washington, DC, and currently
resides in Maryland.
Asst. Secretary D'Amico also just appointed Amy Horton as OVAE's new Communications Director in the Office of the Assistant Secretary. Horton comes to OVAE from the House Government Reform Committee, Subcommittee on Criminal Justice Drug Policy and Human Resources, where she served as the Subcommittee Deputy Staff Director. Prior to working for the Subcommittee, Amy worked as the Legislative Director/Counsel to U.S. Representative Mark Souder (R-IN). She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Denison University and a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Indiana University.
Assistant Secretary D'Amico visits schools nationwide to promote "No
Child Left Behind"
Assistant Secretary Carol D'Amico launched a series of site
visits to promote President George W. Bush's "No Child Left Behind"
legislation. While visiting her home state of Indiana as well as stops in Florida,
and Maryland Assistant Secretary D'Amico took time to talk with students, teachers,
and legislators about the issues most important to them.
Secretary and OVAE Staff Celebrate Success of Groundhog Job Shadow Day
Secretary Rod Paige and OVAE staff joined mentors throughout the country on
February 1st by hosting 24 junior high and high school students.
Groundhog Job Shadow Day was created to provide these young people with
an opportunity to see a normal work day in the life of a public service professional.
A wonderful day was experienced by everyone!
Federal Student Aid for 2002-2003 School Year is Now Available
Students can now apply for an estimated $49.4 billion in federal grants, loans,
and work-study funds available for postsecondary study. Approximately 8.2 million
students are expected to receive some form of this financial aid. Complete information
is available at the "Financial
Aid" section of the ED website.
President Bush Signs Historic Education Bill
President George W. Bush signed the No
Child Left Behind Act of 2001 on January 8, 2002. This legislation is considered
the broadest rewriting of federal education policy since 1965. Complete information
is available on the "No Child Left Behind" homepage.
Congress Boosts FY 2002 Adult Education Appropriations
Congress approved a boost of $35 million (or 6.48 percent) in
adult education state grants on December 18, 2001, when work on the FY 2002
appropriations drew to a close. From the state grant amount of $575 million,
some $70 million is reserved for English Literacy/Civics education. In addition
to the $575 million, the final appropriations agreement continues the Community
Technology Centers (CTC) program at $32.4 million and keeps the program in the
Department of Education's budget.
Remarks by Assistant Secretary Carol D'Amico at the ACTE Convention, 2001
Read Assistant Secretary Carol D'Amico's address
to the Association for Career and Technical
Education's (ACTE) 2001 Convention as she speaks on the challenges facing
educators, the work of her office to prepare students for the future, and the
four core principles of the Bush Administration regarding education.
OVAE's Website Getting a Facelift!
The OVAE website is going through many improvements these days. At OVAE, we
want our website to be a true portal to high school, community college, and
adult education for students, educators, researchers, and our other visitors—-a
place where information is at your fingertips. To achieve this goal, we're adding
more information for each program, changing the navigation to make existing
information easier to find, and making it easier for our visitors to communicate
with us and with each other. As content changes, the OVAE Website will also
change its appearance to complement the "look and feel" of the new
ED Website. The OVAE Website's informational and physical changes will occur
gradually over the next few months, so check back often to see our progress
and access the best that OVAE has to offer!
All Over the Map: State Policies to Improve the High School
This Institute for Educational Leadership report highlights trends, assumptions,
and tensions that key state education policy provisions hold for high schools.
2020 Visions: Transforming
Education and Training Through Advanced Technologies
ED and the U.S. Department of Commerce have released a report consisting of
14 essays written on how technology could revolutionize education. Suggestions
included virtual mentors, a digital environment paced entirely by the individual
student, and computer simulations. Neither department endorses these ideas as
the future of technology in education, but considers the report an exercise
in thinking out of the box.
Pathways to Parent Leadership
Action Alliance for Children profiles nine California programs that are successfully
training parent leaders.
National
PTA Schools of Excellence
The National PTA has created a new program to recognize schools where superintendents,
principals, teachers, parents and community members work together for student
success.
"Is a Bachelor's Degree the Gateway to the American Dream?"
On September 24th, NCCTE sponsored a live webcast in which a panel of experts
debated issues related to preparing students for life and work. The full discussion
is available at the NCCTE website.
Teacher Retention a Serious Problem
The National Commission on Teaching & America's Future has released a report
showing that the nation's teacher shortage is caused more by retention problems
than recruiting problems, with attrition rates highest in the fields of mathematics,
science and special education.
New Website for Adult Learning Community.
OVAE has launched Community Partnerships for Adult Learning which offers information
to help adult educators form new partnerships or to enhance existing ones. It
features a ToolBox of how-to's, research, and related websites, organized by
topic.
Adult Education Report to Congress
and Vocational Education Report to Congress
These Reports to Congress, which summarize accountability data by state for
program year 1999-2000, have been posted. 2000-2001 data will be available in
the fall of 2002.
Business Leaders' Reform Toolkit
The Business Roundtable has an
online toolkit
to help business leaders engage in community school reform partnerships focused
on President George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind initiative.
Girls Still Behind in Vocational Education
A new
study from the National Women's Law Center finds that girls face discrimination
and harassment in high school vocational programs.
Quality Initiative Materials Online
Initiative overview, panel presentations, guidebook, and the template from the
May Quality Initiative Institute are
now available online at the Peer Collaborative Resource Network.
Washington Post Features New Adult Education Website
The Washington Post Online now features a site dedicated to Adult
Education and Training. The new site contains news, articles, online interviews,
career information and special features related to adult education.
Fastest-Growing Career Paths for the Next Decade
What are the fastest growing career paths of the next decade? According to the
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor
Statistics computer engineers and software specialists top the list. Other occupations
making the national listing are speech-language
pathologists, health aids and medical assistants. The Pennsylvania
Department of Labor and Industry created their own list
of the 25 fastest growing occupations, which includes several of the careers
listed at the national level and additions such as special education teachers,
respiratory therapists, and emergency medical technicians. Both lists reflect
the national trend that the vast majority of careers in the next decade require
some form of postsecondary education.
Adult Literacy and the American Dream is now available from CAAL
The Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy
(CAAL) recently published "Adult Literacy and the American Dream"
by Forrest Chisman. The paper is available via the "Occasional Papers"
section of the CAAL website and may be used free of charge if used in any planning,
advocacy, or program development purposes.
Access Your State's Latest Legislature Information
The National Conference of State Legislature's web site "State
Legislatures Online" offers information on each state. If you go to
"State Legislature Online" (there is a link on the right-hand navigational
bar), you can access information on any state and read the latest news on what
that state is doing in adult and continuing education, state statutes, bill
status and content, committee membership, as well as contact information, reports
and legislative studies, and much more.
Dropout Rates Remain Stable Over Last Decade
While progress was made during the 1970s and 1980s in reducing high school dropout
rates and increasing high school completion rates, these rates have remained
comparatively stable during the 1990s, according to the new report "Dropout
Rates in the United States" from the U.S. Department of Education's National
Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
The report provides a clear picture of dropout rates in this country. Information is presented on statistics for three different measures: event dropout rates, status dropout rates, and high school completion rates. The report also provides state and regional data and examines the characteristics of high school dropouts and those who finished high school (in 2000). More information, including how to access the report electronically, is available through the NCES website.
Professional Development Speaker Series Webcasts Available
The National Dissemination Center for Career
and Technical Education's Professional Development Speaker Series is designed
to create an interactive learning environment and to enrich the professional
development experiences of secondary and postsecondary career and technical
educators across the country. All presentations will be available via both live
and archived webcasts. Upcoming webcasts (3:00-4:30 EST):
- Live from Washington, DC, Week of January 14 (Date and time TBA), Policy Issues for Career and Technical Education During the Next Decade and Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO): Their Role and Impact in Student Development and Achievement.
- Debra D. Bragg and Carrie Brown, January 25, 2002, Tech Prep Evaluation Community College and Beyond: A Longitudinal Analysis of Postsecondary Education and Employment Outcomes for Tech-Prep Participants and Non-Participants.
Can
IBM Reinvent Education? (The World & I, December 2002)
Working with teachers, IBM has committed substantial resources toward "Learning
Village" software that helps teachers create meaningful lesson plans that
engage students in learning.
Governor Takes
New Jersey Down Testing Road Less Traveled (Education Week, 12/4/02)
Spurred by the No Child Left Behind Act, New Jersey is developing new tests
that combine standardized and performance-based assessment.
Tougher Standards for Vocational Students (Boston Globe, 12/1/02)
Massachusetts would like to integrate strong English and math curricula into
state vocational programs, and strengthen the occupational portion of the curriculum
as well. Access the article through the Boston
Globe Archives.
Educational Research in the Spotlight (American Educational Research Association,
November 2002)
The November issue of AERA's ER Online focuses on educational research and its
importance in the No Child Left Behind Act.
Parents' Guide (National Education Association, 2002)
The National Education Association has developed a guide for parents on choosing
supplemental education services for struggling students as specified in the
No Child Left Behind Act.
Education
Scholars Finding New "Value" in Student Test Data (Education Week,
11/20/02)
Value-added analysis of student achievement attempts to track individual student
progress, and also can measure an individual teacher's effectiveness. More states
are adopting value-added techniques to give greater depth to test score data.
Pennsylvania Raising
Teacher Standards (Philadelphia Inquirer, 11/15/02)
The Pennsylvania Board of Education has adopted new requirements for the designation
of "highly qualified" teachers as specified in the No Child Left Behind
Act.
Success for Some (New York Times, 11/10/02)
Educational reform programs are proliferating, but only a few have shown concrete,
statistically valid results. This article looks at the strengths and weaknesses
of three programs shown effective by research.
Voters Support
Education Initiatives (Christian Science Monitor, 11/07/02)
Voters agreed to several statewide education initiatives in the recent elections,
even though they may involve considerable cost.
Regional Teacher's
License Contemplated (Education Week, 11/06/02)
Officials in Delaware, Washington DC, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia are
working on a regional teacher's license that would allow teachers to move freely
among schools in the region.
High
School? Business School! (Philadelphia Inquirer, 11/06/02)
Cherry Hill High School students (New Jersey) take college-level courses through
an innovative program that matches empty college course seats with interested
high schoolers.
Abandoning What Doesn't Work (AASA School Administrator, November 2002)
School administrators and teachers can improve the way schools function by adopting
the business practice of regularly clearing out procedures and practices that
are no longer working.
Three Schools,
One Building, Many Reforms (Christian Science Monitor, 10/22/02)
Administrators, teachers and students try to make reform work as a Colorado
High School breaks up into three separate schools.
Instruction Front and
Center (Harvard Education Letter, September/October, 2002)
An analysis of Chicago school reform shows that when instruction is the central
principle, student learning improves.
Schools
Turn to Public Partnerships (Pennsylvania Times Leader, 08/25/02)
Schools are recruiting parents and community members to lend their time and
expertise to public school issues.
Educational Improvement Linked to Trusting School Communities (Education Week,
10/16/02)
Research in Chicago schools shows that trust among principals, teachers and
parents is a key ingredient in school reform.
Americans in Urban Areas Concerned About Schools (School Communities That Work,
October 2002)
The Annenberg Institute for School Reform conducted a survey among Americans
who live in urban areas and found there is widespread agreement that urban schools
need improvement; that improvement should be coordinated at the district level;
that urban schools need better teachers; and that schools should be safe, drug-free
and in good physical condition.
Web Shines Light on Schoolwork (Minnesota
Star-Tribune, 10/15/02)
Some Minnesota school districts are posting class attendance, assignments, and
grades online, giving parents an extra tool to monitor their children's learning
and behavior at school.
First Early
College High Schools Announced (Jobs for the Future, 10/09/02)
Three sites have been selected for the Early College High School Initiative,
designed to increase the number of low-income, minority students who are the
first in their family to earn a Bachelor's degree.
Adult Literacy Students Bloom (Washington Times, 10/4/02)
Adult literacy students in Washington, DC find a new world open to them when
they learn to read.
Putting
the "Parent Piece" in Schools (Education Week, 10/2/02)
Two California school districts are making parent participation a top priority.
Pitching Technical
Careers (Christian Science Monitor, 10/1/02)
Mack Truck makes a high-tech pitch to high school students on pursuing technical
careers.
Technology in
Schools (Education World, 9/18/02)
Technology teachers from around the country discuss their roles and responsibilities
in an Education World article on whether the state of technology in education
is improving.
Data
Making a Difference (Education World, 9/17/02)
More administrators are using data to spot the strengths and weaknesses in their
schools, and adjust strategies accordingly.
Teacher Quality Encouraged; Debated (Boston Globe, 9/22/02)
The Carnegie Corporation of New York is launching a teacher quality initiative
that focuses more on professionalism. Schools of Education applaud the effort,
but note that the issue of teacher quality is complicated.
School Choice Under "No Child Left Behind" (The Catalyst, September
2002)
The "No Child Left Behind" initiative requires that school districts
give parents a choice to move their children from underperforming schools. Chicago
and other districts are trying to implement the policy while retaining control
over placement.
Business Refocusing Education Dollars (USA Today, 9/18/02)
Some businesses are using concrete results to decide where and how to fund education
activities.
Politics in Urban City Schools (Washington Post, 9/10/02)
Tension between elected school boards and superintendents in the nation's urban
school districts may be working against student interests.
City Districts
Seek Licensed Teachers (Education Week, 9/11/02)
The "No Child Left Behind" initiative aims for a highly qualified
teacher in every classroom, and urban school districts are working to meet that
standard.
High School Plus (Ford Foundation, September, 2002)
High schools located on community college campuses, integrated into college
life, and offering an Associate's degree after five years are proving effective
for average students once at risk of dropping out. (You must search for the
publication on the website.)
Quality Teachers
in Demand (Christian Science Monitor, 8/26/02)
Standards for teachers are rising at the same time many districts face a teacher
shortage.
Challenging
Math and Science Program Helps Minority Students Achieve (Christian Science
Monitor, 7/30/02)
An intensive summer program at Phillips Academy in Massachusetts helps talented
minority students from across the country realize their potential.
School Climate Helps Reform (Harvard Education Letter, July/August 2002)
Trust--between principals and teachers, among teachers, and between school and
community--is an important element in successful school reform.
Community Technology Centers Provide
Needed Access.
Examples of how Community Technology Centers (CTCs) provide young people in
underserved communities with technology access and skills. View information
about OVAE's work with CTCs.
Divide
is More Than Digital. (Wired, 7/15/02)
Disadvantaged teens are learning computer skills but often lack career and networking
know-how.
Degrees and
Dollars (Christian Science Monitor, 7/18/02)
College and graduate degrees are becoming more important for ensuring a good
income.
Teens Trade
Summer Jobs for College Prep (Christian Science Monitor, 7/5/02)
As the country grows more affluent, teens are using summer time to strengthen
their college chances.
Moving
from Input to Outcomes
Ruth Stiehl talks about reconstructing community college curriculum with student
outcomes as the basis of all teaching and learning.
Early College High Schools
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is sponsoring an initiative to increase high school
and college graduation rates for underserved youth by developing "early
college high schools," where students graduate with both a high school
diploma and two years of college credit (or a college level Associate of Arts
degree).
European Vocational Education Conference
Delegates from 29 European countries met in Brussels in early June to discuss
improving the quality and performance of vocational education and training in
Europe.
Senator Glenn Lauds Service-Learning Service-learning can help disengaged students connect academics with the real-world and fuel their curiosity for learning, according to former astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn.
Beyond Babysitting
(Christian Science Monitor, 6/24/02). Young teens are becoming increasing entrepreneurial,
starting their own businesses in place of traditional summer lawn-mowing and
babysitting jobs.
UNEVOC Bulletin Online
The most recent bulletin from UNESCO's International Centre for Technical and
Vocational Education and Training is now available
online.
Not Bilingual, But Alingual
A new class of American citizens born to immigrant parents are fluent in neither
their parents' language nor English. Read the article in the June 9, 2002 edition
of the Washington Post.
Girls Get High-Tech Options
Oklahoma GirlTech helps girls and adult
women explore nontraditional career options.
Assistant Secretary Carol D'Amico Featured in April's Edition of Techniques
Recently, Assistant Secretary Carol D'Amico sat down with Techniques,
a publication of the Association of Career and Technical Education, to discuss
her prior experience at Ivy Tech State College, the role of career and technical
education in addressing the demands of the new economy, and how OVAE is "Preparing
America's Future."
Career and Technical Educators Receive National Awards
Awards On January 4th, the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE)
announced the
winners of national awards in education
. Coleen Cly Keffeler, a school-to-careers coordinator at Sturgis Brown High
School in Sturgis, SD, was named national Teacher of the Year. Robert J. Kemmery,
Jr., principal of Eastern Technical High School in Baltimore, MD, was named
Outstanding Career and Technical Educator. Billie Sue Burris, a computer information
systems instructor and department chair at Quapaw Technical Institute in Hot
Springs, AR, was named Outstanding New Career and Technical Teacher.
Exemplary Programs and Promising Practices Awards to be Announced
The National Dissemination Center for Career and Technical Education's (NCCTE)
"Exemplary Programs and Promising Practices 2001 Awards" was announced
at the ACTE Convention General Session on Saturday, December 15, in New Orleans.
The sharing and celebrating of outstanding programs is one of the Center's ways
of providing the field with information about programs that work. Awards will
be made for outstanding programs at the secondary and postsecondary levels.
For names and profiles on the winning programs, go to
NCCTE's website
. Additional information is also available at ACTE's
website.
|
|
|||||||||||