12/06/02 ED Review
What's inside...
NCLB Update
Binational Agreement
Education Sciences
Healthy Start, Grow Smart
Hurricane Strike!
College Quality
Quote to Note
Upcoming Events
NCLB Update
On November 26, Secretary Paige released final regulations for Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act. Approximately 140 parties submitted over 700 comments in response to the August 6 notice of proposed rulemaking. The Secretary made numerous changes to the proposed regulations—though in many cases he determined that the notice best reflected both the spirit and intent of the law. The final regulations also clarify federal, state, and local responsibilities under the federal law, as well as correct errors. Among the significant policies:
The application deadline for the first competition of the Local Flexibility Demonstration program (http://www.ed.gov/nclb/freedom/local/flexibility/), authorizing up to 80 local education agencies to consolidate certain federal education funds, is today. However, there will be another opportunity to apply for a Local-Flex agreement in 2003.
Top
Binational Agreement
On his first foreign trip as a Cabinet member, Secretary Paige traveled to Mexico City. "I am so happy to be in Mexico to discuss educational initiatives that benefit both of our countries, from migrant education and language acquisition to the development of new technologies," he said. In addition to touring an elementary school and addressing representatives of the Mexican Congressional Education Committees, Paige participated in a working group on education with his counterpart, Secretary Reyes Tamez Guerra. Annex VII, the new addition to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on education covering 2002-2004, addresses such topics as special education, higher education, adult and vocational education, and the strengthening of educational statistics and indicators. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/11-2002/11252002.html.
Top
Education Sciences
President Bush has appointed Grover "Russ" Whitehurst to serve a six-year term as the first director of the Institute of Education Sciences. Since July 2001, Whitehurst has served as the Department's Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement—the predecessor to the Institute. Before joining the administration, he was a professor of psychology and pediatrics and chair of the department of psychology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Advised by a 15-member board of research experts and practitioners, the Institute will consist of three separate centers for research, statistics, and evaluation. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/policy/rschstat/leg/PL107-279.pdf.
Note: "Projections of Education Statistics to 2012" is online at http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2002/proj2012/. The report includes 56 tables and 44 figures on elementary and secondary schools and degree-granting institutions.
Top
Healthy Start, Grow Smart
Back in August, ED Review highlighted a series of useful booklets first developed by First Lady Laura Bush and the Texas Department of Health—and subsequently revised by the Departments of Education, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services. The booklets outline activities designed to stimulate infant brain development and build skills that children will need once they start school. For example, "Your Newborn" walks parents and other caregivers through such topics as Checkups and Shots, Wonders of the Brain, and Ways to Soothe Your Baby. Separate booklets are available for each month between one-month-old and ten-month-old babies. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/parents/earlychild/ready/healthystart/. (Each booklet is also available, or will soon be available, in Spanish.)
Top
Hurricane Strike!
Developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Hurricane Strike! is a multi-media learning package aimed primarily at middle school students. It integrates disaster safety and preparedness with science instruction, providing an engaging, interactive learning environment. It also dovetails with science and safety content from cooperating partners like the American Red Cross, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Weather Service, and the Weather Channel. (A worksheet for each day can be printed out and used to evaluate students' progress and understanding, although progress through the module is not tracked automatically.) Teachers with a T1 or DSL line (or equivalent) can access Hurricane Strike! directly on the World Wide Web. Otherwise, the module can be downloaded and run locally. For more information, please go to http://meted.ucar.edu/emgmt/access.htm.
Top
College Quality
The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), co-sponsored by the Pew Forum on Undergraduate Learning and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, challenges the view of college quality popularized by national news magazines that rate institutions on the basis of their institutional resources and public reputation. Instead, NSSE's 2002 report, titled "From Promise to Progress: How Colleges and Universities Are Using Student Engagement Results to Improve Collegiate Quality," summarizes the views of 135,000 first-year and senior students at 613 different four-year colleges and universities on five benchmarks: (1) level of academic challenge, (2) active and collaborative learning, (3) student-faculty interaction, (4) enriching educational experiences, and (5) supportive campus environment. Some findings? 87 percent of all students rated their college experience as "good" or "excellent;" two-thirds of seniors did community service or volunteer work during college; and 57 percent of all students say diverse perspectives are frequently included in class discussions. But 42 percent of first-year students and 26 percent of seniors say they never discussed ideas from their reading or classes with faculty members outside of class. For more information, please go to http://nsse.iub.edu/redirect.cfm?target=.
Top
Quote to Note
"These [rules] represent the hard work and persistence of many at the Department of Education who sought the input and advice nationwide from local parents, teachers, principals and state school chiefs. At the same time, the dedicated staff at the Department provided guidance to the states; fielded hundreds of phone calls, faxes, and requests for information; and provided timely advice on our web site. I personally visited 26 states and 38 cities to meet with local and state educators—people who really have to make the new law work. I believe these regulations provide comprehensive and meaningful direction.... My hope is that states will accept this guidance in the spirit that it is given: to help close the achievement gap in America's schools that for too long split us into two nations—one that dreams and one that doesn't. One that is hopeful and one that is hopeless."
—Secretary of Education Rod Paige (11/26/02)
Top
Upcoming Events
The Department's next "Education News Parents Can Use" broadcast, on NCLB's one-year anniversary, is scheduled for January 21. For more information, please go to http://registerevent.ed.gov/downlink/event-flyer.asp?intEventID=163.
Let's Get Real (http://www.lgreal.org/) is a competition for teams of students to gain experience working on real business problems. Corporate sponsors supply real problems for which teams submit solutions in business format. Problems might include areas such as distribution, engineering, environmental issues, facilities design, health and safety, human resources, manufacturing, public relations, software creation, or any other areas deemed important to the corporations involved. Currently, Hershey Foods is sponsoring two challenges. Submissions are due by February 17, 2003.
Top
Credits
Please feel free to contact the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs with any questions:
Deputy Assistant Secretary—Terri Rayburn, (202) 401-0404, Terri.Rayburn@ed.gov
Program Analyst—Adam Honeysett, (202) 401-3003, Adam.Honeysett@ed.gov
To be added or removed from distribution, or submit comments (we welcome your feedback!), please contact Adam Honeysett. Or, visit http://www.ed.gov/offices/OIIA/OIA/edreview/.
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NCLB Update
Binational Agreement
Education Sciences
Healthy Start, Grow Smart
Hurricane Strike!
College Quality
Quote to Note
Upcoming Events
NCLB Update
On November 26, Secretary Paige released final regulations for Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act. Approximately 140 parties submitted over 700 comments in response to the August 6 notice of proposed rulemaking. The Secretary made numerous changes to the proposed regulations—though in many cases he determined that the notice best reflected both the spirit and intent of the law. The final regulations also clarify federal, state, and local responsibilities under the federal law, as well as correct errors. Among the significant policies:
- Adequate Yearly Progress. A state may continue to use its current accountability system if that system integrates adequate yearly progress as defined in the statute and regulations. Also, states are required to use graduation rates in high school and one other academic indicator in elementary and middle schools to determine whether or not a school or school district has made adequate yearly progress.
- School Choice and Capacity. The law does not permit a school district to preclude choice options on the basis of capacity constraints. Also, choice must begin as soon as possible after a school is identified in need of improvement.
- Supplemental Educational Services. States and school districts are responsible for ensuring that the list of approved supplemental educational service providers include some providers that can serve students with limited English proficiency and students with disabilities.
- Funding Choice and Supplemental Services. Schools districts must spend an amount equal to 20 percent of their Title I, Part A allocations on choice transportation and supplemental educational services, unless a lesser amount is needed to meet demand.
- Qualified Teachers. By the end of the 2005-06 school year, all teachers of core academic subjects must be fully certified (through traditional or alternative routes) and have demonstrated competency in the subjects they teach (by having a major or by passing a subject-matter test). Also, all teachers pursuing certification through alternative routes must receive high-quality professional development before and while teaching, participate in a program of supervision, and function as a teacher for no more than three years (until fully certified by the state).
The application deadline for the first competition of the Local Flexibility Demonstration program (http://www.ed.gov/nclb/freedom/local/flexibility/), authorizing up to 80 local education agencies to consolidate certain federal education funds, is today. However, there will be another opportunity to apply for a Local-Flex agreement in 2003.
Binational Agreement
On his first foreign trip as a Cabinet member, Secretary Paige traveled to Mexico City. "I am so happy to be in Mexico to discuss educational initiatives that benefit both of our countries, from migrant education and language acquisition to the development of new technologies," he said. In addition to touring an elementary school and addressing representatives of the Mexican Congressional Education Committees, Paige participated in a working group on education with his counterpart, Secretary Reyes Tamez Guerra. Annex VII, the new addition to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on education covering 2002-2004, addresses such topics as special education, higher education, adult and vocational education, and the strengthening of educational statistics and indicators. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/11-2002/11252002.html.
Education Sciences
President Bush has appointed Grover "Russ" Whitehurst to serve a six-year term as the first director of the Institute of Education Sciences. Since July 2001, Whitehurst has served as the Department's Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement—the predecessor to the Institute. Before joining the administration, he was a professor of psychology and pediatrics and chair of the department of psychology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Advised by a 15-member board of research experts and practitioners, the Institute will consist of three separate centers for research, statistics, and evaluation. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/policy/rschstat/leg/PL107-279.pdf.
Note: "Projections of Education Statistics to 2012" is online at http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2002/proj2012/. The report includes 56 tables and 44 figures on elementary and secondary schools and degree-granting institutions.
Healthy Start, Grow Smart
Back in August, ED Review highlighted a series of useful booklets first developed by First Lady Laura Bush and the Texas Department of Health—and subsequently revised by the Departments of Education, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services. The booklets outline activities designed to stimulate infant brain development and build skills that children will need once they start school. For example, "Your Newborn" walks parents and other caregivers through such topics as Checkups and Shots, Wonders of the Brain, and Ways to Soothe Your Baby. Separate booklets are available for each month between one-month-old and ten-month-old babies. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/parents/earlychild/ready/healthystart/. (Each booklet is also available, or will soon be available, in Spanish.)
Hurricane Strike!
Developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Hurricane Strike! is a multi-media learning package aimed primarily at middle school students. It integrates disaster safety and preparedness with science instruction, providing an engaging, interactive learning environment. It also dovetails with science and safety content from cooperating partners like the American Red Cross, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Weather Service, and the Weather Channel. (A worksheet for each day can be printed out and used to evaluate students' progress and understanding, although progress through the module is not tracked automatically.) Teachers with a T1 or DSL line (or equivalent) can access Hurricane Strike! directly on the World Wide Web. Otherwise, the module can be downloaded and run locally. For more information, please go to http://meted.ucar.edu/emgmt/access.htm.
College Quality
The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), co-sponsored by the Pew Forum on Undergraduate Learning and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, challenges the view of college quality popularized by national news magazines that rate institutions on the basis of their institutional resources and public reputation. Instead, NSSE's 2002 report, titled "From Promise to Progress: How Colleges and Universities Are Using Student Engagement Results to Improve Collegiate Quality," summarizes the views of 135,000 first-year and senior students at 613 different four-year colleges and universities on five benchmarks: (1) level of academic challenge, (2) active and collaborative learning, (3) student-faculty interaction, (4) enriching educational experiences, and (5) supportive campus environment. Some findings? 87 percent of all students rated their college experience as "good" or "excellent;" two-thirds of seniors did community service or volunteer work during college; and 57 percent of all students say diverse perspectives are frequently included in class discussions. But 42 percent of first-year students and 26 percent of seniors say they never discussed ideas from their reading or classes with faculty members outside of class. For more information, please go to http://nsse.iub.edu/redirect.cfm?target=.
Quote to Note
"These [rules] represent the hard work and persistence of many at the Department of Education who sought the input and advice nationwide from local parents, teachers, principals and state school chiefs. At the same time, the dedicated staff at the Department provided guidance to the states; fielded hundreds of phone calls, faxes, and requests for information; and provided timely advice on our web site. I personally visited 26 states and 38 cities to meet with local and state educators—people who really have to make the new law work. I believe these regulations provide comprehensive and meaningful direction.... My hope is that states will accept this guidance in the spirit that it is given: to help close the achievement gap in America's schools that for too long split us into two nations—one that dreams and one that doesn't. One that is hopeful and one that is hopeless."
—Secretary of Education Rod Paige (11/26/02)
Upcoming Events
The Department's next "Education News Parents Can Use" broadcast, on NCLB's one-year anniversary, is scheduled for January 21. For more information, please go to http://registerevent.ed.gov/downlink/event-flyer.asp?intEventID=163.
Let's Get Real (http://www.lgreal.org/) is a competition for teams of students to gain experience working on real business problems. Corporate sponsors supply real problems for which teams submit solutions in business format. Problems might include areas such as distribution, engineering, environmental issues, facilities design, health and safety, human resources, manufacturing, public relations, software creation, or any other areas deemed important to the corporations involved. Currently, Hershey Foods is sponsoring two challenges. Submissions are due by February 17, 2003.
Credits
Please feel free to contact the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs with any questions:
Deputy Assistant Secretary—Terri Rayburn, (202) 401-0404, Terri.Rayburn@ed.gov
Program Analyst—Adam Honeysett, (202) 401-3003, Adam.Honeysett@ed.gov
To be added or removed from distribution, or submit comments (we welcome your feedback!), please contact Adam Honeysett. Or, visit http://www.ed.gov/offices/OIIA/OIA/edreview/.
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Last Modified: 09/06/2006
