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From: NCFLRGS@aol.com
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Subject: D.O.E. Update
Date: 8 Dec 1995 18:10:11 -0500
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Pardon the deluge of informational cross-postings, but here's another edinfo
report that relates to our work. Just let me know if you would prefer that I
not share these kinds of postings. Thanks for your input.
Ronna Spacone
NCFL_RGS@aol.com
*************************************************
A weekly look at progress on the Secretary's priorities
************************************************
December 4
----------
GOALS 2000
---------- New Jersey & West Virginia were awarded second-
year funding last week, bringing the total of second-year
Goals 2000 awards to 33 states. Comprehensive education
improvement plans have been *received* from West Virginia &
Minnesota. To date, 14 state plans have been peer reviewed
& approved.
NEW CENTURY HIGH SCHOOL (WA) has used Goals 2000 funding for
staff development & peer coaching as part of its overall
school improvement effort. The school has instituted a
number of changes aimed to help all students reach high
levels of learning. The school now stays open during
afternoons & evenings. Community planning teams are shaping
school policy. Students & parents are helping lead the
school, & they're running a computer laptop check-out
program. Businesses, teachers, & students are exploring
together the links between the classroom curriculum & the
world of work (through the school's "Learning Community
Projects" program).
--------------
SCHOOL-TO-WORK
-------------- The National Skill Standards Board met last
month at Motorola, Inc. in Shaumburg, IL. The Board was
authorized under Goals 2000 to encourage the creation &
adoption of a national system of skill standards. It is
currently working to develop a system of "occupational
clusters" for national skill standards, an agenda for
research, & activities to support voluntary *industry
partnerships* interested in developing standards.
Also last month, the U.S. Departments of Labor & Education,
in conjunction with the Institute for Educational
Leadership, hosted a meeting for directors of the 22
occupational skill standards projects funded by the
Department of Education (16) and the Department of Labor
(6). The directors discussed the "clustering" of
occupations (for purposes of developing standards), findings
from evaluations of the Labor Department's skill standards
projects, & other issues. The National Skill Standards
Board is working closely with these projects -- which have
been developing standards for 1-3 years -- to learn from
them & use their experiences to incubate & scale-up a
national skill standards system. For a list of skill
standards projects, please see ED Initiatives 11 (Oct.30).
------------------
FAMILY INVOLVEMENT
------------------ More than 160 national organizations have
joined the Family Involvement Partnership for Learning
(created to promote family involvement in children's
learning). Education "partner" organizations recently met
to discuss a common mission statement, a community pledge,
the challenges of involving parents in *meaningful* ways, &
areas where diverse education organizations can work
together -- on behalf of schools -- in promoting family
involvement in learning. Higher education organizations
have also begun working with the Department to highlight how
colleges & universities can focus on the importance of
family involvement in children's learning. Meanwhile, the
family-friendly business group is preparing for the kick-off
of the "Employers' Promise," a pledge developed by employers
to undertake internal, family-friendly practices that can
enhance children's learning. Secretary Riley & Bill
Marriott will host the December 11 event at Marriott
Corporate Headquarters in Bethesda. Other CEOs -- including
those from Hemmings Motor News, GTE, & Pizza Hut -- will
join them for the event, which will be videotaped for future
use by businesses nationwide. On December 13, religious
groups will meet with the Secretary to discuss additional
ways local houses of worship can support family involvement
in children's learning.
---------------
READ*WRITE*NOW!
--------------- The Secretary's reading & writing initiative
continues to grow. Telephone Pioneers of America has agreed
to reprint 10,000 copies of the READ*WRITE*NOW! Tutoring
Guide. In addition, this organization -- which represents
850,000 past & current communications workers from AT&T,
Southwestern Bell, NYNEX, & other major communications
businesses -- will make copies of the Tutoring Guide
available in employee locations nationwide (through the
Pioneer Lending Library Program). Telephone Pioneers will
also reprint black & white copies of the READ*WRITE*NOW! kit
& distributing it to every local chapter for use in both
their community service & employee programs.
-------------------
BILINGUAL EDUCATION
------------------- Delia Pompa, a native of San Antonio,
has been asked by U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W.
Riley to head up the Department's Office of Bilingual
Education & Minority Languages Affairs (OBEMLA). "Delia's
extensive experience in bilingual education & issues
affecting language-minority students will prove a
significant asset in helping to address the diverse
education needs of America's students," Riley said. OBEMLA
was established in 1974 to assist school districts in
providing equal access to quality education for children
whose primary language is not English.
------------
DIRECT LOANS
------------ More than 550 financial aid administrators from
around the country attended ED's "Electronic Data Exchange:
Your Gateway to the Future" conference in San Francisco the
week of November 27. Participants received updates on
Direct Loan legislation & regulations, an overview of
changes in store for the financial aid delivery system (in
1996-97), & other information & technical assistance. The
conference also gave Direct Loan administrators from
participating colleges and universities a chance to
brainstorm with each other & with ED on ways to improve
administration of the program. A second Electronic Data
Exchange conference will be held on December 11-13, 1995, in
Orlando, FL.
------
BUDGET
------ The President has said he will veto the
reconciliation bill that Congress sent to the White House
because of its cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, student loans, &
other domestic programs. The bill includes a 10 percent cap
on direct lending; the Administration opposes any cap on
direct lending that would deny students & institutions
choice of the loan programs. Congressional leaders are now
negotiating with the Administration to produce an acceptable
compromise.
In related but separate negotiations, Congress & the
Administration are trying to reach agreement on funding
levels for four fiscal year 1996 appropriations bills that
the President has said he will veto if they are sent to his
desk. The centerpiece of this discussion is the Labor-HHS-
Education bill. The House bill cuts ED by $3.7 billion in
1996 discretionary funds, the Senate by $2.2 billion. The
President has repeatedly stated that education & the
environment must be protected in any agreement. Our hope is
that negotiations will be completed before December 15, the
day the current continuing resolution (CR) expires, so that
a new CR might be free of any objectionable provisions the
President cannot sign into law.
TWO BUDGET-RELATED DOCUMENTS are now in the Online Library.
One describes the *impact* of House & Senate Appropriations
action on the fiscal year 1996 ED budget; the other COMPARES
the President & Congress's fiscal year 1996 proposals for
investing in education.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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