Series 2558: Constituent Correspondence, 2000-2003
38648
From: "Honeysett, Adam" <Adam.Honeysett@ed.gov> BC: Governor Musgrove Created: 11/23/2001 7:35 AM Subject: ED Review (11/23/01) Message: > <<...OLE_Obj...>> > ED REVIEW > November 23, 2001 > > ...a bi-weekly update on Education Department activities relevant to > the Intergovernmental and Corporate community > ________________________________________________________ > > <<...OLE_Obj...>> NAEP 2000: SCIENCE ASSESSMENT > > The latest results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress > (NAEP) science assessment show the average scores of fourth- and > eighth-graders were essentially unchanged from 1996, while the > twelfth-grade score declined three points -- a statistically significant > drop. On a 300-point scale, the fourth-grade science score remained at > 150, the eighth-grade score edged up one point to 151, and the > twelfth-grade score fell from 150 to 147. Moreover, the percentages of > fourth-grade students attaining "Advanced," "Proficient," and "Basic" > achievement levels showed no changes from 1996 to 2000. But, the > percentage of eighth-graders at the "Basic" level decreased (producing a > related increase in the percentage "At or Above Proficient") and the > percentage of twelfth-graders "Below Basic" increased (producing a related > decrease in the percentage "At or Above Basic"). Meanwhile, males had > higher scores than females at both the fourth- and eighth-grade level and > scores disaggregated by race and ethnicity illuminated only one > significant change: a decline for twelfth-grade whites. FOR MORE > INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO > http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/science/results/. > > Note: 20 of the 44 states and jurisdictions that participated in the 2000 > assessment for fourth-grade scored higher than the national average score > of 150 (13 scored below it). Additionally, 18 of the 42 states and > jurisdictions that participated in the eighth-grade assessment scored > higher than the national average score of 151 (13 scored below it). Of > the jurisdictions that participated in both 1996 and 2000, only > eighth-graders in Kentucky, Missouri, Vermont, and Department of Defense > domestic and overseas schools showed an increase in performance. NAEP did > not assess state fourth-graders in 1996. > ________________________________________________________ > > <<...OLE_Obj...>> FREEDOM TIMELINE > > As part of its popular http://whitehousekids.gov web site, the White House > has unveiled a Freedom Timeline, highlighting important features of > America's history as a beacon of liberty and freedom. The Freedom > Timeline (http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/timeline/) consists of five > stories, a vocabulary list, a quiz, and a teacher's guide. It spans 1777 > to 1948 and includes the following anecdotes: > > * Unlikely Spy is a story of a Quaker woman from Philadelphia who > learned of a surprise attack at Valley Forge in 1777 and warned General > Washington's troops; > * Underground Railroad explains how Harriet Tubman liberated 300 > slaves through the Underground Railroad; > * Statue of Liberty is the history of France's gift to the United > States; > * March of Dimes tells how, through funding from the March of Dimes, a > cure for polio liberated Americans from the fear of this disease; and > * Berlin Airlift-Candy Bombers is the story of America's effort to > provide humanitarian aid to the people of war-torn Berlin in 1948 by > dropping food from airplanes as part of Operation Vittles. > > The timeline is related to the "Lessons of Liberty" > (http://www.va.gov/Veteranedu/) effort initiated by the President during > Veterans Awareness Week (November 11-17). > ________________________________________________________ > > <<...OLE_Obj...>> DROPOUT RATES > > According to a new report from the National Center for Education > Statistics (NCES), "Dropout Rates in the United States: 2000," 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. As evidence, the > report presents statistics for three different measures. Event dropout > rates describe the proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds who dropped out of > grades 10 through 12 in the 12 months proceeding October 2000 (4.8 percent > overall, higher for blacks and Hispanics and lower for Asians and whites). > Status dropout rates track the proportion of 16- to 24-year-olds who are > out of school and who have not earned a high school credential (10.9 > percent overall, similar racial breakdown). High school completion rates > represent the proportion of 18- to 24-year-olds who have earned a high > school diploma or an equivalent credential, including a GED (85.6 percent > overall, 94.6 percent for Asians, 91.8 percent for whites, 83.7 percent > for blacks, 64.1 percent for Hispanics). The report also provides state > and regional data and examines the characteristics of high school dropouts > and high school completers in 2000. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO > http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2002114. > ________________________________________________________ > > <<...OLE_Obj...>> RECENT GRANTS > > On November 14, Secretary Paige announced $16.1 billion in grants to > states and local school districts to strengthen educational programs for > America's children and adults. The grants, awarded between September 1 > and October 18, will be used for a variety of programs, including efforts > to: > > * boost the performance of disadvantaged students (Title I, migrant > education, and TRIO); > * help special needs students (special education); > * promote innovative educational strategies (Innovative Education > Strategies -- http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SIP/programs/ieps.html); > * strengthen students' reading skills; > * offer vocational programs (vocational education, Community > Technology Centers); and > * keep students and teachers safe (Safe & Drug Free Schools and > Communities). > > A state-by-state list of awards is available at > http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/11-2001/11142001.html. You may also wish > to utilize the grant award databases housed at > http://www.ed.gov/offices/OCFO/grants/grntawd.html. > > Also: While many of the Department's discretionary grant competitions have > yet to be initiated, a number of competitions actually close in the next > couple of months, such as the Charter Schools Facilities Financing > Demonstration Program (1/4/02) and several Office of Special Education and > Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) programs. Questions? > http://www.ed.gov/GrantApps/ lists the grant competitions that are > currently open and provides links to application packages, forms, and > other information. > ________________________________________________________ > > <<...OLE_Obj...>> CAMPUS CRIME DATA > > The most recent crime statistics for the nation's 6,269 colleges, > universities, and career schools are now available on the Education > Department's web site: http://ope.ed.gov/security/. The data is > categorized under one of four locations where the crime occurred: > residence halls, other on-campus locations, non-campus buildings or > properties, or nearby public property. "In the weeks ahead, students and > parents around the country will be making important decisions about > postsecondary education," Secretary Paige said, introducing the site. > "The security and safety on and around our college campuses is one of > several factors they will consider." Institutions are required to collect > such statistics and distribute an annual security report to current > students and employees under the Jeanne Clery Act (originally enacted in > 1990). The law was amended in 1998 to require the Department to collect > the data from schools and make it widely available. This marks the second > year that the Department has made the data accessible via the Internet. > ________________________________________________________ > > <<...OLE_Obj...>> 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 > 2001 report, "Improving the College Experience: National Benchmarks of > Effective Educational Practice," summarizes the views of 155,000 > first-year and senior students at 470 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. Among the > survey findings? A gap exists between the amount of time students spend > on key educational activities and what faculty members say is optimum. > For example, students spend only about half as much time preparing for > class as their teachers recommend is necessary, and 20 percent of all > students often come to class unprepared. The report also contains > numerous examples of how colleges and universities are using their results > to improve undergraduate education. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO > http://www.iub.edu/~nsse/. > ________________________________________________________ > > <<...OLE_Obj...>> QUOTE TO NOTE > > "This year, American servicemen and women are spending the holiday season > fighting for our freedom and liberty abroad, as well as at home, as part > of Operation Enduring Freedom. I hope that all of us can all take time > during the Thanksgiving holiday to reflect upon the values and principles > that they are protecting and that make our nation great. Thanksgiving > also offers us the opportunity to think about our own mission and our > efforts to offer every student in this country access to a quality > education. Thank you for your contribution to our country. I wish you a > happy and healthy holiday." > -- Education > Secretary Rod Paige (11/20/01) > ________________________________________________________ > > <<...OLE_Obj...>> UPCOMING EVENTS > > Don't forget to register for the last remaining Improving America's > Schools (IAS) conference in San Antonio, TX (December 17-19). The > conference represents an ideal opportunity for members of the community, > including businesses, to learn more about the Department's programs and > priorities and explore ideas to better promote equity and excellence in > schools. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO > http://www.ncbe.gwu.edu/iasconferences/. (Curious? The Secretary's > plenary address in Mobile is available for viewing at the same site.) > > The conference is also the final, scheduled public forum to provide > comments and suggestions regarding the Department's reauthorization of the > Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). FOR MORE INFORMATION, > PLEASE GO TO http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/New/. > ________________________________________________________ > > For your convenience, the current issue of ED Review is saved, below, as a > PDF file. Viewing, printing, and forwarding the issue from the PDF file > should reveal all graphics. > <<112301.pdf>> > _______________________________________________________ > > Please feel free to contact the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs with > any questions: > Deputy Assistant Secretary -- Linda Wilson, (202) 401-0404, > mailto:Linda.Wilson@ed.gov > Special Assistant -- Matt Becker, (202) 401-1989, > mailto:Matthew.Becker@ed.gov > Program Analyst -- Adam Honeysett, (202) 401-3003, > mailto: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/. > - Attachment Filename: C:\archives\governor\mail\Governor Musgrove\_attach\ED Review (11_23_01)\TEXT.htm - Attachment Filename: C:\archives\governor\mail\Governor Musgrove\_attach\ED Review (11_23_01)\112301.pdf - Attachment Filename: C:\archives\governor\mail\Governor Musgrove\_attach\ED Review (11_23_01)\Mime.822
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