>Date: Tue, 02 May 2006 14:12:39 -0400

>From: OVAE <OVAE at ed.gov>

>Subject: OVAE Review

>

>

>

>THE OVAE REVIEW

>

>April 30, 2006

>Beto Gonzalez, Acting Assistant Secretary

>Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE)

>U.S. Department of Education

><<http://www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/ovaereview/2006/042806.html>http://www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/ovaereview/2006/042806.html> 

>

>

>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.

>

>Community Colleges

>

>Community College Improves Teacher Education Program

>

>Over the past several years, the teacher education program at Anne Arundel 

>Community College (AACC) in Anne Arundel County, MD, has been making 

>significant strides in improving its collaboration with local high schools 

>and increasing the number of students in its program.  This program is 

>part of OVAE s Community College Transitions Initiative (CCTI)-an 

>initiative designed to strengthen the role of the community and technical 

>colleges in easing student transitions between secondary and postsecondary 

>education and into employment and to improve academic performance at both 

>levels.

>

>

>AACC has initiated a number of strategies to facilitate the transition 

>from high school to college for those students who express an interest in 

>the teacher education field.  Through its Education and Child Care (TEACH) 

>Institute, and working with its CCTI partners, AACC has instituted a 

>program with the Anne Arundel County Public Schools and parents.  A 

>part-time Anne Arundel County Public Schools resource teacher provides 

>outreach to high school students enrolled in the Introduction to Teaching 

>and Childhood Development course, making students aware of career 

>opportunities in teaching and the steps required for entry into college.

>

>In addition, the TEACH Institute retains a recruitment and advisement 

>coordinator who is the pivotal connection from AACC to the high school 

>guidance counselors, college advisors, and education department staff at 

>four-year colleges and universities.  Colleen Eisenbeiser, Director of 

>TEACH, says that working with our CCTI partners has prompted us to look at 

>strategies for retaining students, including ways to reduce the need for 

>students to take remedial college courses, one of the primary barriers 

>students face in making a successful transition from high school to college.

>

>AACC also supports parental involvement by offering an annual parent 

>information session.  This session provides information on CCTI, placement 

>exams, the TEACH Institute, and financial aid.  CCTI has prompted the 

>college and partnership to think and do things differently, says Kathleen 

>Beauman, Director of Business Education Partnerships for AACC.   These 

>differences have yielded results such as tripling the number of high 

>schools in the program and increasing the number of students in their 

>program by 20% over a 3-year period.    In addition to easing the 

>transition into the 2-year community college program, AACC supports 

>students in moving into a 4-year program to complete the baccalaureate 

>degree required for a teaching certificate.

>

>For more information on the Anne Arundel Community College s TEACH program 

>contact Colleen Eisenbeiser at ckeisenbeiser at aacc.edu 

><<mailto:ckeisenbeiser at aacc.edu>mailto:ckeisenbeiser at aacc.edu> or Kathleen 

>Beauman at kmbauman at aacc.edu 

><<mailto:kmbauman at aacc.edu>mailto:kmbauman at aacc.edu>.

>

>CCTI is an OVAE- funded project administered by the League for Innovation 

>in the Community College consortium in cooperation with several nationally 

>recognized partner organizations.  For more information on CCTI, contact 

>Larry Warford at warford at league.org 

><<mailto:warford at league.org>mailto:warford at league.org> or go to 

><<http://www.league.org/league/projects/ccti/index.html>http://www.league.org/league/projects/ccti/index.html>.

>

>Adult Education and Literacy

>

>Adult Numeracy Initiative

>

>To address the issue of adult numeracy skills, OVAE has launched an Adult 

>Numeracy Initiative.  This initiative will provide some baseline data 

>about the adults enrolled in adult numeracy programs and the practices 

>that have been found to be effective.  Among the goals of the initiative 

>are developing a thorough understanding of the current state of the field 

>in adult numeracy, identifying effective instructional strategies for 

>adult learners, and examining the effectiveness of current assessment 

>instruments in adequately measuring adult quantitative skill acquisition.

>

>The December 2005 study released by the National Center for Education 

>Statistics (NCES), the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) found 

>that 55% of American adults scored in the lowest 2 levels of quantitative 

>literacy.  As an example, at these levels adults were able to add two 

>amounts on a bank deposit -the Below Basic Level-and compare ticket prices 

>-the Basic Level.  They were not able to handle questions at the 

>Intermediate Level-for example those that asked them to calculate the 

>total cost of ordering specific office supplies from a 

>catalog.   Furthermore, on the 2003 International Adult Literacy and Life 

>Skills Survey, adults in other countries such as Switzerland and Norway 

>outperformed American adults in quantitative literacy. Clearly, American 

>adults who lack basic numeracy skills are at a disadvantage in the United 

>States workforce, as well as in the global marketplace.

>

>Addressing the problem of poor adult numeracy skills is a complicated 

>task.  For one thing, education programs that seek to enhance the 

>quantitative literacy of adults are quite diverse, including adult basic 

>education programs, General Educational Development (GED) programs, family 

>literacy programs, welfare-to-work programs, vocational programs, and 

>correctional programs.  And, the adults who attend these programs are as 

>diverse as the programs themselves, with a wide range of skills and 

>backgrounds and practical experiences.  It is hoped that the Adult 

>Numeracy Initiative will be a starting point for finding a solution to 

>this problem.

>

>For more information on OVAE s Adult Numeracy Initiative, please 

>visit: 

><<http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/index.html>http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/index.html> 

>

>

>Secondary, Career, and Technical Education

>Eight New States Chosen For State Scholars Initiative

>Eight new states have been chosen for participation in the State Scholars 

>Initiative, a national business/education partnership effort designed to 

>increase the number of students who take a rigorous curriculum in high 

>school.  The Scholars Core Course of Study includes:

>·       Four years of English;  ·    Three years of math (algebra I and II 

>and geometry);  ·    Three years of science (biology, chemistry and 

>physics);  ·    Three and a half years of social studies (U.S. history, 

>world history, geography, economics or government); and  ·    Two years of 

>a language other than English.

>

>The eight new states are: Colorado, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nebraska, 

>North Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.  These states join 14 

>previously-funded and currently-operational states: Arizona, Arkansas, 

>Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New 

>Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Washington.

>

>Rigorous academic coursework in high school is the critical foundation 

>students need whether they plan to attend college or enter the workforce, 

>said U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings.  In today s global 

>economy, we must encourage students to pursue more challenging courses of 

>study in high school to better prepare them and put them on a path towards 

>future success.

>

>Under the State Scholars Initiative, each state will receive up to 

>$300,000 during a two-year period to implement scholars programs in at 

>least four school districts.  Local business-education partnerships will 

>work with students in those districts, encouraging them to take a rigorous 

>course of study, one that will give them a boost whether they go to 

>college after they graduate or straight to work.

>

>With funding through OVAE, this initiative is overseen by the Western 

>Interstate Commission for Higher Education in Boulder, CO.

>

>For more information on the State Scholars Initiative, see the program s 

>Web site at www.wiche.edu/statescholars 

><<http://www.wiche.edu/statescholars>http://www.wiche.edu/statescholars>

>

>CTE State Directors Spring Leadership Meeting

>

>OVAE and the National Association of State Directors of Career and 

>Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc) held a jointly sponsored annual 

>spring meeting for the state directors of career and technical education 

>(CTE) in Washington, DC, on April 10-12, 2006.  The conference was well 

>attended by state directors and their staff members, as well as national 

>association staff members.

>

>The overall themes pertained to increasing academic rigor in CTE and the 

>role of CTE in high school reform-two themes critical to preparing 

>students to meet the needs of the 21st Century workforce.  Speakers 

>included OVAE s Acting Assistant Secretary Beto Gonzalez, Congressional 

>staff, and many experienced researchers and educators.  Presentations from 

>the meeting have been posted at: 

>www.careertech.org/show/spring_meeting_2006 

><<http://www.careertech.org/show/spring_meeting_2006>http://www.careertech.org/show/spring_meeting_2006>.

>

>Upcoming Regional Data Quality Institutes

>

>OVAE will be providing technical assistance to states directors of career 

>and technical education and their accountability staff members during two 

>upcoming Perkins Regional Data Quality Institutes.  The first session will 

>be held in Phoenix, AZ, on June 14-16, 2006, and the second in Atlanta, 

>GA, on June 21- 23, 2006.  The draft agenda for the Arizona session is 

>available at the Web site below.  The Atlanta agenda will be similar.

>

>The primary objectives of the regional DQI sessions will be to finalize a 

>set of agreed-upon standard definitions and measures for the Perkins core 

>indicators of performance and provide technical assistance to help states 

>prepare to implement them.  At present, and consistent with the current 

>Perkins III legislation, each state sets their own definitions and 

>measures.  However, states are increasingly interested in standardizing 

>their definitions and measures so that more valid and reliable data may be 

>available for career and technical education nationally.

>

>For further information and to register, please visit: 

>www.edcountability.net 

><<http://www.edcountability.net>http://www.edcountability.net>.

>

>Center for Rural Education

>

>NCES Revises Urban-Centric Locale Codes

>

>Perhaps the greatest challenge to the field of rural education is defining 

>what s rural.   The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has 

>revised its eight-category locale code classification system to 

>incorporate changes in the Office of Management and Budget's definition of 

>"rural."  The resulting 12-category system continues to use the same 

>standard geographic concepts found in the original eight locale codes, but 

>now prioritizes an urban approach that combines both population size and 

>distance from an urbanized area.

>

>The new system has four basic groups-city, suburb, town, or rural-each of 

>which is divided into three subcategories.  Cities and suburbs are 

>classified as large, midsize, or small on the basis of their population 

>size.  Towns and rural areas are described as being in the fringe, 

>distant, or remote in relation to the closest urbanized area.  Until the 

>new locale codes are fully adopted at federal, state, and local levels, 

>NCES' Common Core of Data (CCD) survey system will continue to publish 

>both the traditional and new locale codes for public schools and local 

>education agencies beginning with the 2003-04 school year and continuing 

>through the 2006-07 school year.

>

>To download, view and print the new local code and documentation files, 

>please visit: 

><<http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006332>http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006332>

>

>NCES Updates Rural Education Web Page

>

>The National Center for Education Services (NCES) has updated its rural 

>education Web page entitled, Navigating Resources for Rural Schools.  The 

>updated Web page is part of NCES ongoing efforts to provide current 

>information about educational changes taking place in rural America, as 

>well as the latest data collected by NCES and selected contractors and 

>grantees of the department.

>

>To view this Web page, please go to: 

><<http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ruraled/>http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ruraled/>

>

>Other Department News

>

>President Establishes National Mathematics Advisory Panel

>On April 18, 2006, President Bush issued an Executive Order creating a 

>National Mathematics Advisory Panel to advise him and Secretary Spellings 

>on the best use of scientifically-based research for teaching and learning 

>math.  Building on the National Reading Panel, the math advisory panel 

>will convene experts to evaluate the effectiveness of various approaches 

>to teaching math and, in so doing, create a research base to improve 

>instructional methods for teachers.

>

>The group's interim report is scheduled to be submitted to the President 

>and Secretary by January 31, 2007, with specific recommendations on a 

>range of topics related to math education, based on the best available 

>scientific evidence.  Among the topics will be the skills needed for 

>students to learn algebra and be ready for higher levels of mathematics, 

>the appropriate design of systems for delivering math instruction 

>(combining elements of learning, curricula, instruction, teacher training, 

>standards, assessments, and accountability), and further research needed 

>in support of math education.

>

>"We look forward to receiving the panel's recommendations, and we hope it 

>will form a blueprint on how to promote excellence in mathematics 

>education," Secretary Spellings said. "As I've said before, it is more 

>important than ever that our students receive solid math instruction in 

>the early grades to prepare them to take and pass algebra and other 

>challenging courses in middle and high school."

>

>The National Mathematics Advisory Panel is part of the President's plan to 

>strengthen math education so that America's students receive the tools and 

>skills necessary for success in the 21st century.

>

>For more information on the President's National Mathematics Advisory 

>Panel, please visit: 

><http://www.ed.gov/news/opeds/factsheets/index.html?src=gu>http://www.ed.gov/news/opeds/factsheets/index.html?src=gu 

><http://www.ed.gov/news/opeds/factsheets/index.html?src=ct>

>

>U.S. Department of Education To Hold Regional Workshops for Teachers to 

>Learn Best Practices

>On April 17, 2006, Secretary Spellings announced plans to convene 14 

>Teacher-to-Teacher regional workshops for teachers to learn from fellow 

>educators who have had success in raising student achievement.  Among the 

>topics of the sessions will be enhancing teaching skills in math, science 

>and critical foreign languages-subjects central to President Bush's 

>American Competitiveness Initiative. The American Competitiveness 

>Initiative is designed to strengthen education as a gateway to opportunity 

>and the key to a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy.

>

>"Teachers have given us a lot of positive feedback from the workshops we 

>held over the past two summers," Spellings said.  "This summer we're more 

>than doubling the number of workshops so that many more teachers will have 

>the opportunity to learn new practices that work in the classroom - 

>practices that will help us close the achievement gap and get every child 

>to grade level in reading and math by 2014."

>

>Workshops will be held across the country from June to August.  Four will 

>cover the full range of subjects taught in elementary and secondary 

>schools; three will be co-sponsored by the National Park Service and be 

>dedicated to math, science, and history; four will be co-sponsored by 

>TechNet Partners and will be geared solely to math and science; two will 

>focus on the teaching of foreign languages; and one will focus exclusively 

>on teaching reading and English as a Second Language.

>

>"Educating our children is a shared responsibility, and we are delighted 

>to have the support of the National Park Service and four TechNet 

>Partners-Microsoft, Cisco, National Semiconductor, and EMC-in sponsoring 

>this year's summer workshops," Spellings said. "With their help, the 

>Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative will reach teachers of more than a million 

>students this coming year."

>

>The workshops are part of the Department's Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative, 

>which is designed to support teachers, keep them informed of the latest 

>strategies, and disseminate research that helps their students meet high 

>standards.

>

>For further information on the Teacher-to-Teacher, please 

>visit:  www.ed.gov/teacherinitiative 

><<http://www.ed.gov/teacherinitiative/>http://www.ed.gov/teacherinitiative/>. 

>For information and to register for this summer s workshops, please visit: 

>www.t2tweb.us/Workshops/Registration.asp 

><<http://www.t2tweb.us/Workshops/Registration.asp>http://www.t2tweb.us/Workshops/Registration.asp>. 

>

>

>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