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4401-A
Connecticut Avenue, Box 294, Washington, DC
20008
Tel: (202) 244-7535, Fax: (202) 244-7584
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Education Exchange
Volume 2, Issue 3 -- March
1998
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Focusing on
Education Reforms at Your School, in Your State
Legislature, and in Congress
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Distance
Learning Moves into the Mainstream
President Clinton has proposed to expand financial aid
for distance learners in his recommendations for
reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. In the
proposal, students who attend degree-granting institutions
that provide education primarily through distance learning
would be eligible for financial aid through a $30 million
pilot program.
Distance learning has been around for more than a
century. Until recent years, however, it was comprised
almost entirely of traditional correspondence courses which
typically offered low-cost education to working people. Now,
with the advent of satellite technologies, high-tech video
and audio conferencing, audiographics, CD-ROM, and the World
Wide Web, distance learning has increased its numbers and
potential constituency like never before.
Rather than requiring students to come to a fixed
location and sit in a class with dozens or hundreds of
others, distance learning, with its new technologic
capabilities, brings education to the students. This creates
modern efficiencies of management that can significantly
lower the cost of education without lowering the quality.
In a word, distance learning offers convenience to
students. According to Peterson's, a well-known college
guide, "Most students who enroll in distance education
courses are over 25 years old, employed and have previous
college experience." In 1993, Peterson's included just 93
"cyberschools" among their listing of colleges and
universities. By 1997, that number had risen to 762.
According to a recent Information Week story, "The
University of Phoenix is the acknowledged model for many of
the online training programs now being offered. It began
offering electronic courses eight years ago to a handful of
students." Approximately 2,600 students now participate in
the University of Phoenix's virtual classrooms.
Growing numbers of mainstream colleges and universities
now offer non-degree and degree programs online. Fees for
distance learning are reduced from those charged on campus,
in part because students can avoid paying for room, board
and transportation.
The University of Phoenix, which is a for-profit
enterprise, offers its online credit-hours for less than
half the price charged by Arizona State for conventional
courses. This is possible because Phoenix's online faculty
members, all holding master's or doctoral degrees, are
part-time employees who mostly hold down full-time jobs in
the specialties they teach. For these professional
accountants, lawyers, business executives, and the like,
teaching is simply an extra source of income and mental
stimulation.
Notable management philosopher Peter Drucker states,
"Universities won't survive. The future is outside the
traditional campus, outside the traditional classroom.
Distance learning is coming on fast." While one could
question his dire prediction about the survival of
traditional campuses, distance learning certainly is
bringing about an increasing degree of educational
competition, particularly in the realms of higher education.
Additionally, corporate America has thrown its collective
might behind distance learning as a means for providing
continuing education to the workforce. Alan Arkatov, CEO of
The Home Education Network (THEN), says, "Corporate America
spends $50 billion a year on continuing education to improve
their employees' skill sets and retrain them to deal with
the rapid pace of change in the workplace. More and more of
that funding is going to go into distance learning."
Corporations find distance learning programs to be far
less expensive than onsite training for continuing
education. There are no hotel bills, no air fares, and less
employee downtime involved in this manner of training.
There are some drawbacks in the distance learning arena.
Among them are unscrupulous institutions that misrepresent
themselves to potential students and basically run scams on
the public. The Distance Education and Training Council (see
related article), a clearinghouse for information on how to
find legitimate distance-education programs and avoid those
that may be questionable, provides a valuable service to
people who may be interested in signing up for online
education (or other forms of distance learning).
Additionally, because there is less direct personal
contact in the distance learning environment, students are
often more rude online than they would likely be otherwise.
This atmosphere has led some companies to avoid, or at least
temporarily steer away from, online training for their
employees.
Drawbacks aside, however, the advantages are clear.
Distance learning is in a rapidly moving upward curve.
DETC
Serves as Distance Learning Accrediting Commission
The Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) serves
as a clearinghouse of information about the distance
study/correspondence field. DETC's accrediting arm, called
the Accrediting Commission, is approved by the U.S.
Department of Education as a "nationally recognized
accrediting agency" under the terms of public law. The
Accrediting Commission is also recognized by the Council for
Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
Established in 1955, DETC's seven-member Accrediting
Commission has accredited more than 60 distance learning
institutions to date.
According to DETC's web site, "Distance study
accreditation is an institution-wide source of national
accreditation that covers all distance study courses offered
by an institution. It is unique in American accreditation
because it is one based upon a method of instruction rather
than educational level or subject matter discipline. It
covers all programs, courses and distance study endeavors of
an institution, including degree, non-degree, vocational and
avocational programs."
The Commission, comprised of four members representing
the public and three representing the private sector, meets
twice yearly, in January and June, to accredit or reaccredit
institutions. They are limited, due to their agreement with
the U.S. Department of Education, to dealing with high
school level and postsecondary courses through the Masters
degree level.
States Step
Up Efforts to Provide Education Tax Credits
Faced with increasing criticisms of failing government
schools, state legislators are considering education tax
credits and/or deductions to provide parents with a tax
break when choosing the best education opportunity for their
children.
Tax credits are a dollar-for-dollar reduction of federal
or state income taxes and are widely used for child and
dependent care, or credit for the elderly. Unlike tax
credits, deductions reduce the taxable income of the
taxpayer.
Education tax credit and/or deduction proposals vary
widely, but generally relate to qualified education expenses
paid at public, private or religious schools.
The inclusion of private and religious schools has raised
the ire of the teacher unions -- the National Education
Association and the American Federation of Teachers. The NEA
and AFT, along with the National PTA, claim these tax breaks
for parents threaten public education.
Despite strong opposition, Minnesota and Arizona passed
tax credit laws in 1997; however, the NEA is challenging the
Arizona law in court. Education tax credits were defeated in
Illinois and Idaho. Michigan lawmakers may take steps toward
a similar proposal, but the state constitution would have to
be amended first.
Minnesota
Families with an annual income of up to $33,500, and a
dependent K-12 school student enrolled in a homeschool
program, public, private, or faith-based school, may claim
up to $1,000 per child and $2,000 per family. The new
education tax credit serves as a reimbursement for
educational expenditures, such as for computer software and
hardware, tutoring services, textbooks, equipment, and
instructional materials. Tuition costs are excluded.
Rebate checks for qualified expenditures will be issued
to families who owe no state income tax.
Education deductions previously available, are now $1,625
(up from $650 in 1997) for each child in grades K-6, and
$2,500 (up from $1,000 in 1997) per child dependent in
grades 7-12. Educational expenses qualifying as a deduction
include fees and tuition paid for academic instruction
provided through tutoring, summer academic camps, and
enrichment programs not part of the normal school day.
Arizona
Arizona taxpayers -- individuals, with or without
dependent K-12 children, and corporations -- can claim up to
$500 credit by making a donation to nonprofit groups that
give scholarships to students attending private or religious
schools. There is no rebate if no state income tax is owed.
Taxpayers can also claim up to a $200 credit per child
for money paid to a public school in support of
extracurricular activities such as athletics, computer lab
fees, band, music, drama, and other programs held outside
the regular school day.
Illinois
Siding with the NEA/AFT and other education groups,
Governor Jim Edgar vetoed legislation that would have
provided a $500 state income tax credit for K-12 education
expenses at public, private, or parochial schools.
Michigan
Unlike other proposals, the Michigan plan would allow a
credit to any taxpayer who pays tuition for a K-12 student
at a public, private, or religious school. As proposed, "The
Universal Tuition Tax Credit: A Proposal to Advance Parental
Choice in Education" would be phased in over a ten-year
period.
It will require a two-thirds vote from both the House and
the Senate to put the plan on the general election ballot in
1998. Because the Michigan constitution explicitly bans
public payments or credits that would aid non-public
schools, the constitution would have to be amended. Early
polling suggests that a majority of voters would vote to
amend that portion of the state constitution to allow the
tuition tax credits.
Iowa
Parents can receive up to a $100 credit for private
school tuition and textbook fees. Governor Terry Branstad
has proposed the credit be increased to $250.
Idaho
The House Revenue and Taxation Committee voted down (nine
to eight) a proposal that would have given a $1,500 tax
credit to parents of children in private schools. Last year,
the House passed a similar bill but the Senate rejected it.
Colorado
Earlier this month, the House Education Committee heard
pro and con testimony on a tax credit proposal tied to
scholarships. The measure is strongly supported by the
Denver Parents Association, home schoolers, and groups
favoring programs that allow greater parental choice.
Opponents include the state affiliates of the NEA, AFT, and
PTA, the Colorado League of Women Voters and the Colorado
Association of School Boards.
PTA Urges
Rejection of Education IRA
Members of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, by an 11-8
vote, approved legislation that would allow parents,
relatives, and corporations to deposit $2,000 into an IRA
account. Withdrawals of principal and interest to pay for
education-related expenses at public, private and religious
schools would be tax-free.
In keeping with its long held support of the public
education system only, the National PTA urged committee
members to reject the measure which is expected to come to a
vote in the Senate this month.
AASA
Recognizes 'Other' Parent Organizations
By a vote of 113-20, delegates to the annual convention
of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA)
last month in San Diego changed its long-standing resolution
on parent organizations.
Recognizing the impact of independent parent groups --
those organizations not affiliated with the National PTA --
AASA expanded its recognition of other constituent groups.
As passed, the new resolution, with the change in bold,
reads: "AASA supports the National Congress of Parents and
Teachers, its state and local affiliates, and other parent
organizations in their continuing efforts to improve
education."
EPI's
Education Quick Facts
- A Rutgers University professor who has researched the
phenomenon says that 87 percent of the students he
surveyed in 1993 admitted to cheating on written work, 70
percent cheated on a test at least once, 49 percent
collaborated with others on an assignment, 52 percent
copied from someone and 26 percent plagiarized. (Source:
Mar. 9, 1998 Insight on the News)
- In a poll of college freshmen done by UCLA's Higher
Education Research Institute, just 26.7 percent think
keeping up with political events is important, compared
to 57.8 percent in 1966. (Source: Jan. 23, 1998, Ed
Facts, a publication of the Family Research
Council)
- The Washington [D.C.] Scholarship Fund stopped taking
applications for an additional 1,000 scholarships on
January 31, 1998. The total number of applications
received was 7,573, which represents over 17 percent of
the eligible population. (Source: On the
Move, a publication of CEO America)
- Revenues for public elementary and secondary
education in fiscal year 1997 are estimated to be $297.2
billion, and they are expected to rise to approximately
$309.7 billion in fiscal year 1998. The per-pupil
expenditure for public education is anticipated to be
$6,131 for the 1997-98 school year. (Source: Public
Elementary and Secondary Education Statistics: School
Year 1997-98. NCES, February 1998)
- The 1996 NCEI survey of teachers showed that more
than half (54 percent) of public school teachers, and 68
percent of teachers in private schools agreed that
recruiting adults who have experience in careers other
than teaching would improve America's educational system.
(Source: National Center for Education Information)
Copyright 1998
Education Policy Institute, PMB 294, 4401-A Connecticut
Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20008-2322 202/244-7535, Fax
202/244-7584 http://www.educationpolicy.org
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