Education Reform Briefs

From the Institute for Justice, 7/25/97

Arizona Tax Credits

Clint Bolick writes, "We last reported that the Arizona Education Association was gathering signatures for a referendum on the recently enacted tax credit for private school scholarship contributions. The union needed roughly 40,000 signatures, which would have delayed implementation of the credit until the November 1998 election.

We're pleased to report in the face of a public information blitz led by Superintendent Lisa Graham Keegan, the union was able to collect only about 10,000 signatures by the filing deadline. Instead, the union announced it will resort to litigation."

From the Daily Report Card, 7/24/97

Gallup Poll on Music in the Schools

An increasing number of Americans want schools to provide instrumental music instruction, according to a recent survey conducted by the Gallup Organization. Eighty-eight percent of respondents agreed that schools should offer instrumental music instruction as part of the regular curriculum, up from 84% in 1992.

Other findings from the survey included: 70% of respondents felt music education should be mandated by the states to ensure that children receive music exposure, and nearly 90% definitely agree that music helps a child's overall intellectual development.

Visit the American Music Conference web site for further information at www.amc-music.com.

From the American Association of School Administrators, 7/15/97

African American Learning Gaps Reported by UNCF

A new report from the United Negro College Fund, "The African American Education Data Book Volume II: Preschool Through High School Education," finds African American preschoolers score about the same as white peers in tests of verbal memory, but lower on vocabulary tests. This, it says, may be the first indication of an achievement gap that often persists through school and beyond.

The report adds that more than 30% of schools with a majority of African American students (compared with only about 5% of schools with no African American students) relied on long and short-term substitutes to fill teaching vacancies. Additionally, nearly half of African American public school teachers are at least 50 years old, compared with only a quarter of all public school teachers.

From the American Association of School Administrators, 8/4/97

Congressional Hearing on Best Practices

In a congressional hearing on July 31 where Republicans and Democrats differed in their views of the effectiveness of Title I and bilingual education, they joined in a lukewarm response to President Clinton's "America Reads Challenge." Central to the president's plan, which was allocated $260 million in the budget agreement, is the recruitment of one million reading tutors.

Witnesses at the hearing, similarly to experts that testified before the panel earlier in July, emphasized the need for teacher professional development, dissemination of research-proven practices, and parent and family involvement as key to improving the literacy of disadvantaged youth.

From the National Education Association, 8/4/97

Education Public Policy Debate -- NEA Style

In the Education and Society section of its Information web page, the NEA offers its own view of four issues currently among the more prominent public policy points being debate in education circles. Much of what they write on vouchers, charter schools, corporate takeovers, and English only is from a negative perspective. Check out the NEA site and judge for yourself.

From the American Federation of Teachers, Inside AFT, 7/28/97

Pandering to the Union

Following a video of President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore paying tribute to the late AFT president Albert Shanker during the opening session of QuEST on July 26, U.S. Education Secretary Richard Riley reiterated his respect for the long-time education union leader. He also noted, "I am one Secretary of Education who will never put you down and will always lift you up."

From the Family Research Council, New Ed Facts, 8/1/97

Parent and Student Savings Account Plus Act

At a July 31 Capitol press conference, congressional leadership expressed astonishment and outrage over the president's willingness to sabotage the entire tax relief package if parents were allowed to save their own money to make the same choice the Clinton's made in sending Chelsea to a private school.

Sen. Paul Coverdell announced that he would introduce a new bill in both houses of Congress the following day. That bill, the "PASS A+ Act," or the Parent and Student Savings Account Plus Act, S. 1133, quickly gathered co-sponsors. Action on the bill will begin when legislators return to Washington in September.

From the Education Intelligence Agency, 8/1/97

Alabama Education Assn. Protests at NEA Convention

An unreported protest by the Alabama Education Association took place at the NEA convention this year. The Alabama delegation fought with the NEA's Gay and Lesbian Caucus (GLC) over use of an assigned room. When the caucus refused to vacate the room, the Alabama delegation marched around the convention floor with signs saying they had been "locked out." Jim Testerman, the GLC co-chair, announced that he would file discriminatory grievances against the Alabama delegation.

From the Council of Chief State School Officers, (CCSSO) 7/23/97

Upcoming Hearings on National Voluntary Tests

The CCSSO and MPR Associates, Inc. will hold a public hearing of the Reading Committee on August 13 in Atlanta. The hearings are part of an effort to develop the test and item specifications for the Voluntary National Test for grade 4 reading in English planned for 1999. The hearing's goal is to provide a forum for maximum input and guidance from students, parents, teachers, local school administrators, the business community and the general public.

A similar hearing of the Mathematics Committee will be held August 5 in San Francisco. It covers test and item specifications for grade 8 mathematics.

From the Phyllis Schlafly column, 7/23/97

Has the NEA Co-opted Congress?

Schlafly writes, "The NEA bragged that the Association had counterattacked with a "historic grassroots effort and legislative crisis campaign" that "paid off."

Indeed it did. Congress reversed two years of record cuts to education and, in September 1996, passed the single, largest increase ever in federal education funding: $3.5 billion for FY 1997. This surpassed even Clinton's budget request.

The NEA's political work is as much about ideology as harvesting increased tax dollars for public schools. The NEA took credit for defeating the Parental Rights and Responsibilities Act, all voucher bills, and all attempts to make English the official language of our public schools and to curtail Goals 2000, School-to-Work, and affirmative action."

From the Internet News Bureau, 7/30/97

Basic Skills Checkup

A new web site, Parent Tech, Inc. at www.basicskills.com offers information on The Basic Skills Checkup, a new software introduction that reliably assesses grade 3-8 children at home.

Once only available in schools, The Basic Skills Checkup is a home use version of the oldest, most extensively used computerized basic skills assessment in the country. The software was developed by Northwest Evaluation Association.

From the U.S. Department of Education, 7/29/97

Back to School Projects for Migrant Workers

U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley announced that the Education Department will participate in six summer pilot projects aimed at back to school efforts for migrant workers and their families.

The new initiative is called Agriculture+Industry+Migrant Families=AIM For Success in Schools and Communities. AIM for Success seeks to improve migrant families' access to education and enhance their children's opportunities for achieving high academic standards.

From the U.S. Department of Education, 7/22/97

Illinois Becomes 12th Ed Flex-State

To help advance local school improvement in Illinois, U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley announced he has awarded the state the authority to waive federal education rules and regulations that can hinder community efforts to improve teaching and learning.

The authority comes under the Education flexibility Partnership Demonstration Program (Ed-Flex). Under the Ed-Flex partnership, states can waive for their school districts and schools federal rules and regulations if a waiver would likely promote effective innovation and other school improvement efforts.

Eleven other states -- Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Texas and Vermont -- have already received Ed-Flex authority. Illinois is the 12th and final state to earn the status under the Goals 2000 Act.

From The Fairfax [VA] Journal, July 1997

Creationists File Suit

Some Fairfax County parents asked a judge to give them what the county school board would not: the right to elevate creationism to a scientific theory in a high school biology book. The parents filed suit against the board, asking that a label be inserted inside the book's front cover apologizing for the text's characterization of creationism as a pseudoscience, and stating that evolution is not fact, but theory.

William Nowers, president of the parents association, said the group was never given a fair hearing on its complaint. "The board made insulting comments that were irrelevant and arrogant to smoke screen the real issue," he said. Nowers added that the text violates school policy that prohibits the schools from engaging in activities that disparage or advocate religion.

See www.jrnl.com/news/97/Jul/jrn6020797.html for the complete article.

From the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE), 8/4/97

State Public School Profiles Online

The NASBE web site provides profiles of all states and the District of Columbia pertaining to population demographics within districts; federal, state, and local revenues received; high school completion rate; average daily attendance; average SAT scores; average number of students per computer; and percentage of students eligible for free and/or reduced lunch.

All data currently included is from the 1994-95 school year.

From the American Association of School Administrators, 7/28-8/1/97

Substance Abuse (Stat-a-day)

The percentage of students in each grade level reporting illicit drug use has increased substantially between 1992 and 1996: from 14% to 25% of 12th graders, from 11% to 23% of 10th graders, and from 7% to 15% of 8th graders. Prior to 1992, illicit drug use by 12th graders had fallen sharply from 30% in 1985 to 14% in 1992. Also, 24% of white 12th graders reported illicit drug use in 1995, as compared to 18% of black and 21% of Hispanics.