>===== Original Message From OVAE <OVAE at ed.gov> =====

> THE OVAE REVIEW

>

> January 31, 2006

> Beto Gonzalez, Acting Assistant Secretary

> Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE)

> U.S. Department of Education

>

> Angela Desrochers-Editor

>

> "> The Review> ">  is an update from the Office of the Assistant Secretary 

at the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education.

>

>

> Hurricane Update

> Additional Help for Colleges Affected by Katrina and Rita

> On January 18, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced the 

availability of an additional $30 million in education funds-on top of $200 
million appropriated by Congress-to help institutions of higher education that 
were directly impacted by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as well as other 
colleges and universities around the country that enrolled displaced students.
 The $30 million is unspent federal financial aid funding that is being 
redirected to help the hurricane-affected institutions.  Secretary Spellings 
made the announcement following a meeting at Tulane University with presidents 
and students of eight New Orleans area colleges and universities.

> "Institutions of higher education are a vital component in the rebuilding of 

New Orleans," Spellings said.  "We know that much work remains to be done, and 
we stand ready to help the colleges, universities, and other postsecondary 
schools that have been deeply affected by the hurricanes, as well as those 
schools that rallied to their aid and took in students in the spirit of 
cooperation."

> In addition to the $30 million in redirected funds, another $200 million is 

available through the Hurricane Education Recovery Act.  Included in this is 
$10 million for the 99 postsecondary institutions around the country that 
enrolled displaced students following the hurricanes and $190 million for 
Louisiana's and Mississippi's boards of higher education ($95 million each to 
the Louisiana Board of Regents and the Mississippi Institutes of Higher 
Learning).

> The Bush Administration and Secretary Spellings have initiated numerous 

efforts to benefit students and colleges affected by the hurricanes, including 
assistance in repaying student loans and flexibility in awarding financial 
aid.  More information about the Hurricane Education Recovery Act can be found 
at: <http://hurricanehelpforschools.gov/index.html>.

>

>

>

> Center for Rural Education

>

> Rural Education Task Force/Center for Rural Education

>

> On January 20, 2006, seventeen teachers from rural schools in thirteen 

states converged on the nation> '> s capital to discuss issues facing rural 
teachers and to share promising practices that they use in their classrooms.  
The morning session of the daylong focus group prompted discussions on the 
teaching profession - how teachers can balance work/life; the unique 
challenges of teaching in rural, often isolated locations; and professional 
development.  The afternoon> '> s discussion centered on students in the rural 
classroom - how they are motivated, strengthening parent-teacher relationships 
in all grade levels, and preparing rural students for involvement in a global 
workforce.

>

> The teachers shared examples of > "> promising practices> ">  that are used 

in their classrooms to help students achieve and to help close the achievement 
gap.  Several agreed to be videotaped to share this information with other 
rural teachers.  Highlights will be available on the Center for Rural 
Education> '> s Web site in the near future.

>

>

>

> Community Colleges

>

> An Apprenticeship Program with Sound Academics

>

> People in the trades often opt for that path without considering the value 

of a high school diploma and/or the value of higher education or further 
academic training.  West Virginia> '> s Marshall Community & Technical College 
offers an innovative program targeted to those generally outside the 
postsecondary academic mainstream: an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) 
Degree in Occupational Development.  This initiative combines on-the-job 
training with postsecondary general education that is provided in the 
classroom or online-and it involves business, industry, and labor.>

> While this kind of degree structure has been in place since 1987, it is now 

taking off because of an emphasis in both business and education for more 
formal education and the recognized value of postsecondary education that 
occurs outside the classroom.  Last summer, while providing leadership 
training for the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, the 
participants recognized the value of education for their members, and the 
union now has over 50 degree candidates pursuing an A.A.S. degree.  While 
teachers see that such students are often timid beginning the program, once 
they find out that they can be successful, they show self-confidence and often 
an interest in pursuing higher education and a striving to reach their full 
potential.

>

> Marshall> '> s degree program consists of three components:  (1) general 

education (written and oral communication, quantitative mathematics, science, 
computers, and social science, plus seven general education electives; (2) 
classroom instruction in the occupation, i.e., 450-750 classroom/laboratory 
hours of occupational education converted to credit hours; and (3) on-the-job 
training, i.e., the total number of contact hours experienced on the job by 
the student that may be placed on the college record.

>

> The program follows West Virginia> '> s guidelines for occupational 

development that include integrating academically sound > "> registered 
apprenticeship programs> ">  (RAPs) that are recommended by the U. S. Bureau 
of Apprenticeship and Training (BAT).  This approach enhances RAPs by adding 
the general education component, encourages program participants to adopt a 
philosophy that embraces the practice of lifelong learning, and enhances the 
occupational skills of the workforce and the climate for economic development.

>

> For more information on Marshall Community & Technical College> '> s 

Occupational Development program on the Web, go to: 
<http://www.marshall.edu/ctc/>.

>

>

> Adult Education and Literacy

> National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) Report Released

> American adults can read a newspaper or magazine about as well as they could 

a decade ago, but have made significant strides in performing literacy tasks 
that involve computation, according to the first national study of adult 
literacy since 1992.

> The National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), released on December 15, 

2005, by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), found little 
change between 1992 and 2003 in adults' ability to read and understand 
sentences and paragraphs or to understand documents such as job applications.

> "One adult unable to read is one too many in America," said U.S. Secretary 

of Education Margaret Spellings, who announced plans to coordinate adult 
education efforts in 2006 across multiple federal agencies. "We must take a 
comprehensive and preventive approach, beginning with elementary schools and 
with special emphasis in our high schools.  We must focus resources toward 
proven, research-based methods to ensure that all adults have the necessary 
literacy skills to be successful."

> African Americans scored higher in 2003 than in 1992 in all three 

categories, increasing 16 points in quantitative, eight points in document 
literacy and six points in prose literacy.  Overall, adults have improved in 
document and quantitative literacy, with a smaller percentage of adults in 
2003 in the Below Basic category as compared to 1992. Whites, African 
Americans and Asian/Pacific Islanders have improved in all three measures of 
literacy, with a smaller percentage in 2003 in the Below Basic category as 
compared to 1992.

> Hispanic adults showed a decrease in scores for both prose and document 

literacy and a higher percentage in the Below Basic category.  The report also 
showed that five percent of U.S. adults, about 11 million people, were termed 
"nonliterate" in English, meaning interviewers could not communicate with them 
or that they were unable to answer a minimum number of questions.>

> NAAL in 2003 assessed a nationally representative sample of more than 19,000 

Americans age 16 and older, most in their homes and some in prisons.  NCES, 
which is part of the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education 
Sciences, conducted the assessment in both 1992 and 2003.

> NAAL uses three categories to define English-language literacy: prose, 

document and quantitative.  Prose literacy includes the skills needed to 
understand continuous text, such as newspaper articles.  Document literacy is 
the ability to understand the content and structure of documents such as 
prescription drug labels.  Quantitative literacy involves using numbers in 
text, such as computing and comparing the cost per ounce of food items.

> NAAL reports literacy in each category using a 0-500 scale score.  Scores 

are then grouped in four literacy levels: Below Basic, Basic, Intermediate and 
Proficient.  Below Basic is the lowest level and indicates having "no more 
than the most simple and concrete literacy skills."  Those who can perform 
"complex and challenging" tasks are considered at the Proficient level.

> The report, A First Look at the Literacy of America's Adults in the 21st 

Century, analyzed literacy results based on a variety of factors, including 
race/ethnicity, gender, age, and level of educational attainment.  A companion 
report, Key Concepts and Features of the 2003 National Assessment of Adult 
Literacy, describes the assessment's key features and major data types.  It 
was also released on the 15th.

> Other report highlights:

> *	White adults' scores were up nine points in quantitative, but were 

unchanged in prose and document literacy.

> *	Hispanic adults' scores declined in prose and document literacy 18 points 

and 14 points, respectively, but were unchanged in quantitative literacy.

> *	Asian/Pacific Islanders' scores increased 16 points in prose literacy, but 

were unchanged in document and quantitative literacy.

> *	Among those who spoke only Spanish before starting school, scores were 

down 17 points in prose and document literacy between 1992 and 2003.

> To put its findings in perspective, NAAL also reported on U.S. population 

changes between 1992 and 2003.  During the decade, the percentage of white 
adults decreased from 77 to 70 percent, while the percentage of Hispanic 
adults increased from eight to 12 percent.  The percentage of Asian/Pacific 
Islander adults doubled (to 4 percent).  The percentage of adults who spoke 
only English before starting school decreased from 86 to 81 percent.

>

> To view the reports and for more information, visit 

<http://nces.ed.gov/naal>.

>

>

>

> Secondary, Career, and Technical Education

>

> Perkins Data Quality Institute (DQI) to be Held In Washington DC

>

> OVAE will provide training via the Perkins Data Quality Institute (DQI), to 

be held in Washington, D.C., from noon on February 8 to noon on February 10, 
2006.  The prospective agenda and logistical information can be found at the 
Peer Collaborative Resource Network (PCRN) Web site (www.edcountability.net 
<http://www.edcountability.net>).

>

> There will be five objectives, but standardizing definitions and measures 

for the Perkins core indicators of performance will be the ultimate goal.  The 
institute will feature federal and state panelists who will discuss their 
strategies and tools for ongoing improvements in program and data quality.

>

> This DQI training will continue with regional meetings to be held in June 

2006.  One regional meeting will be held in Phoenix, Arizona, on June 14-16, 
following the Fourth Annual Career Clusters Initiative (go to 
www.careertech.org <http://www.careertech.org> for information), and another 
will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 21-23.  The PCRN Web site contains 
more detailed information about these regional meetings.>

>

> Registration for the Washington, D.C., institute ended on January 19.  For 

more information about the DQI meetings, please contact Jay Savage at (202) 
245-6612; jay.savage at ed.gov <mailto:jay.savage at ed.gov>.

>

> Business and Education Leaders Collaborate on State Scholars Initiative

> U. S. Department of Education Assembles High Level Advisory Board

>

> Deputy Secretary of Education Ray Simon convened the first advisory board 

meeting of the State Scholars Initiative in Arlington, Virginia, on January 
12, 2006.  This federal investment in school reform relies on the business 
community> '> s involvement in encouraging middle school and high school 
students across the country to take rigorous coursework.  At the core of the 
program is a college preparatory core course of study, which includes four 
years of English, three years of math (including Algebra I and II, and 
geometry), three years of science (including biology, chemistry, and physics), 
three and one half years of social studies, and two years of a language other 
than English.

>

> In remarks during the board meeting, Deputy Secretary Simon stated, > "> We> 

'> re losing the global race and may not be able to recover.  We need to take 
the great high schools from all over the nation and bring them to critical 
mass.  The State Scholars Initiative can help do that.> ">   He continued, 
saying that this program is a favorite of the President> '> s and that it 
ranks high on his and Secretary Margaret Spelling> '> s agenda for the 
department.

>

> A major topic on the agenda was aligning the State Scholars Initiative with 

other national high school reform efforts, including those of Achieve, 
American Diploma Project, Gates Focus, Jobs for the Future Early College, and 
the National Governors Association.  The advisory board> '> s expertise is 
broad and includes business and education executives from Achieve, 
Business-Higher Education Forum, Business Roundtable, Community College of 
Denver, Ed Trust, Education Commission of the States, National Governors 
Association, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Southern 
Regional Education Board, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, U. S. 
Chamber of Commerce, University of Alaska, and the XAP Corporation.

>

> The Initiative> '> s next major stride will be publishing a Request for 

Proposals to identify eight to twelve new states to join the existing network 
of 14 states, which includes Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, 
Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Mississippi, 
Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Washington.  The Western Interstate Commission 
for Higher Education is managing the State Scholars Initiative for the 
department (www.wiche.edu/statescholars <http://www.wiche.edu/statescholars>.)

>

> Contact: U. S. Department of Education, Nancy Smith Brooks, 202-245-7774.

>

>

> Budget

>

> Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related 

Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006

>

> On December 30, 2005, President Bush signed into law the Departments of 

Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act, 2006, which provides funding for Department of Education 
(ED) programs for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006.  For detailed budget information 
please visit the ED budget tables at 
<http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget06/06action.xls>.

>

>

>

> Other Department News

>

> "> American Stars of Teaching> ">  Nominations Open

>

> The U.S. Department of Education is accepting nominations for its 2006 > "> 

American Stars of Teaching> ">  awards, which recognize teachers who are 
improving student achievement -- using innovative strategies -- and making a 
difference in the lives of their students. Anyone can nominate an American 
Star.  After the Department receives a nomination, a verification form is sent 
to the teacher's principal.  The deadline is April 15.  For more information 
please go to > 
http://www.teacherquality.us/TeacherToTeacher/AmericanStars.asp.  (For the 
latest news and information, subscribe to Teacher Updates at 
<http://www.teacherquality.us/>.)

>

> What Works Clearinghouse Launches New Help Desk to Assist Educational 

Policymakers, Practitioners, and Researchers to Advance Evidence-Based 
Education:

> The What Works Clearinghouse of the U.S. Department of Education's Institute 

of Education Sciences announces the launch of an Evidence-Based Education Help 
Desk. The Help Desk's mission is to provide policymakers, practitioners, and 
researchers with practical, easy-to-use resources to advance evidence-based 
education.  Specifically, the Help Desk offers resources to assist in 
conducting rigorous evaluations of educational programs, sponsoring such 
evaluations, and identifying and implementing evidence-based programs.

> Users access the Help Desk through a Web site 

(http://whatworkshelpdesk.ed.gov) <http://whatworkshelpdesk.ed.gov> supported 
by knowledgeable moderators who are available by phone or via e-mail to help 
users navigate the available resources and to point them to specific items 
addressing their needs.

> Help Desk resources include practical, how-to guides, such as "Key Items to 

Get Right When Conducting a Randomized Controlled Trial in Education" and 
"Identifying and Implementing Evidence-Based Educational Practices: A 
User-Friendly Guide."

> The Help Desk is managed by the Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy 

<http://www.excelgov.org/evidence>, in partnership with the What Works 
Clearinghouse <http://whatworks.ed.gov>, under a subcontract with the 
Institute of Education Sciences 
<http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ies/index.html?src=oc>.

>

>

>

> Angela Desrochers

> Communications

> Office of Vocational and Adult Education

> U.S. Department of Education

> Potomac Center Plaza

> 550 12th Street SW

> Washington DC  20202-7100

> Phone-(202) 245-7722

> Fax-(202) 245-7837

>