Education News Briefs

Children's Defense Fund
National Conference
The Children's Defense Fund's National Conference kicked off Wednesday,
March 25 in Los Angeles, California. The conference was an opportunity
for youth workers, educators, advocates, and individuals interested
in the issues of children and youth to learn what successful
organizations across the country are doing to impact the lives of
our children. With a wealth of workshops presented, topics ranged
from the Internet to advocacy, health care, youth programs, and
funding of youth programs.

This conference gave LGI associate Froswa' Booker-Drew an opportunity
to "sharpen my skills and find additional ways and ideals to impact
the lives of children in South Dallas, an area ridden with poverty,
crime and low-income housing." Booker-Drew continued, "It is a chance
to network with others instead of 'reinventing the wheel' when it comes
to developing programs and activities for children." As an educational
consultant, it is her desire to help organizations assist in "developing
strong, healthy families and children."

The Children's Defense Fund National Conference came to a close on
Saturday, March 28, with a keynote address from the founder, Marian
Wright Edelman, a crusader committed to children and making their
issues at the forefront of public policy.

Kansas Students Center of Free-Speech Debate
The Kansas state senate held hearings last week to consider
a law that would increase the control of public school administrators
over what is published in student newspapers. When the U.S.
Supreme Court ruled in 1988, Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, that
public school students don't have full free-speech rights and that
teachers could limit journalistic expression to improve learning,
six states, including Kansas, adopted laws guaranteeing student
press freedom. Senate Bill 699, now being considered by the Kansas
legislature, would scale back that freedom enough to give principals
the right to ensure "high standards of English and journalism," says
Sen. Laurie Bleeker, the Great Bend, Kans., Republican sponsoring the
new bill. John C. Hudnall, executive director of the Kansas Scholastic
Press Association, is fighting the bill. "It just rips the heart out of the
student press act that passed in 1992," he told the Kansas City Star
in an article published 3-9-98.

Controversy at several central Kansas schools last year moved Bleeker
to introduce her bill. Great Bend High School junior Alexis Vanasse
published an editorial suggesting that a school board member's
son in trouble for alleged sexual harassment was being given special
treatment. When Vanasse's editorial appeared in Panther Tales, GBHS
principal Mike Hester abolished the editorial page, sparking a fight that
threatened to turn into a civil-rights lawsuit, with involvement of the
American Civil Liberties Union. Hester restored the editorial page in the
fall and no suit was filed. Vanasse, now a senior, recently had another story
on sexual harassment squelched by the principal and the ACLU is once
again determining whether to file suit.

In the Star article, Sen. Bleeker said the stronger impetus
behind Senate Bill 699 was an incident last May in nearby Ellinwood, Kans.,
where the Ellinwood High School paper published pieces by graduating seniors
criticizing and ridiculing other students, in ways that Bleeker characterized as
slander, untruths and name-calling. She claims that while the 1992 student press act
prohibits material that doesn't meet English and journalistic standards, the act
doesn't sufficiently define those standards. Bleeker's bill would let administrators
or school boards determine guidelines and standards for student publications.
ACLU lawyer Gene Anderson, of Hays, Kans., says the current law is sufficient.
Anderson told the Star that the student press act spells out that students are to
be expelled or suspended for publishing libelous stories or obscenities as well as
for advocating criminal conduct or disruption of normal school activities.
In the same Star article, Bleeker is said to be interested in bringing the Kansas law
more into conformity with the 1988 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that limited the
protections of free speech in school settings.
source: Kansas City Star Online, March 9, 1998

Top-Notch Education Reporter Made A Difference
Boston Globe education reporter Karen Avenoso died
Wednesday, Feb. 25, 1998, of Ewing's sarcoma. She
had turned 31 on Monday, Feb. 23. Avenoso was a
graduate of Dartmouth College and a Rhodes Scholar.
According to an obituary in another paper where she
had worked, The Daily News, Avenoso "wrote vividly
on a range of education issues, including a series of
stories about public school students who had succeeded
against all odds." Because of her experience reporting
these stories, Avenoso tutored a New York City high
school girl who went on to attend Avenoso's alma mater.
Avenoso was once nominated for a Pulitzer Prize while
reporting for the Boston Globe. She was recently
researching a book about the Wildcat Academy in New
York City, which tries to help students considered
"incorrigible." According to the Daily News, Avenoso's
"keen intellect was coupled with a deep sense of
compassion and a finely honed wit familiar to her
wide circle of family and friends." In an article by
one of Avenoso's colleagues at the Globe ("Requiem for
a Deadline Dynamo," Feb. 27, 1998, p. B01, the Boston
Globe), the reporter was indefatigable in searching
for the tiniest details that made her stories so good,
and pulling all the information together on deadline.
According to the writer, Patricia Smith, Avenoso "could
gently lure a reluctant teenager out of his shell or
assure a worried parent that the rumors about her son's
school were being thoroughly investigated ... she kept
opening doors, and the stories kept coming." Smith's
moving report ends, "On Wednesday, the word of her
death spread through the city room. There's a hollow
space here, spaced suspiciously like her. And even the
word "deadline" wrenches at our hearts." Karen Avenoso
is survived by her husband, Jonathan Sherman, whom she
married last year; her parents, Frank and Ellen Avenoso;
and a brother, Kenneth, of Portland, Ore. In lieu of
flowers, her family asked that donations be made to
the Karen Avenoso ('88) Scholarship Fund, c/o Melanie
Norten, Stewardship Office, Dartmouth College, 63 S. Main
Street, Suite 6066, Hanover, N.H. 03755-2047. The fund
will aid a disadvantaged New York City high school girl
who is interested in writing.
sources: The Daily News (Feb. 26), The Boston Globe (Feb. 27)

Feb. 28 San Jose Conference on Standards
"Standards and Our Schools: Perceptions, Pressures and Possibilities,"
a day-long conference on standard-setting and diversity, was be held
on Saturday, Feb. 28, at the St. Claire Hotel in San Jose, CA. The conference
was open to the public, and aimed especially at school administrators as
well as K-12 and special education teachers. Sonia Hernandez, of the
California State Dept. of Ed. spoke on "California's Academic Standards:
A Call for Accountability." Stephen Arons, Univ. of Mass. at Amherst, Legal
Studies Dept., led a panel on "Critical Perspectives on Raising Standards."
Nel Noddings, Stanford University School of Ed., spoke on "A Democratic
Approach to Raising Standards."
source: Business Wire, on NCBE Newsline, week of Feb. 9, 1998

Computers in the Classroom: A Training Model for Rapid Growth!
Adult learners in the School of Education at National University's
San Jose, CA, branch campus faced a mock-panel of community
board members on Saturday, Feb. 28. Students in Dr. Jack McLaughlin's "Computers
in the Classroom" course made multimedia presentations about
Web pages they have built on Tripod's free
homepager. McLaughlin believes in rapid intellectual growth-- he takes
students from nearly zero computer experience to competence
both with multimedia programs and Web page authoring,
over the course of 8 class sessions during a month. The handiwork of
these students can be accessed at members.tripod.com/~nationaluniv.
McLaughlin says the course objectives are "for students to
understand several potential uses of technology in the classroom, and
how to access and integrate that technology into any subject area."
McLaughlin is projects administrator at Santa Cruz County Office
of Education.
source: Liberty Group News, Feb. 27, 1998

American 12th-Graders Fall Short in Global Math Assessment
12-graders from the United States scored lower than their counterparts
from other nations on the 3rd International Math and Science Study (TIMSS)
according to an announcement from the National Council of Teachers
of Math (NCTM). Since U.S. 4th-graders out-perform their international
peers, on tests focusing mainly on arithmetic, the NCTM suggests that
there must be problems in the math curricula between 4th and 12th grades.
On the latest TIMSS, American 4th-graders scored slightly above the
international average for 5 out of 6 areas measured. American 8th-graders,
however, scored below average, and U.S. 12-graders ranked near the
bottom compared to their global peers. Gail Burrill, NCTM president,
said the results mean "we have to reconsider what is taught and how it
is taught... Clearly other countries focus on algebra and geometry
earlier in the curriculum ... and require all students to study more
complex math throughout their high school years." But, cautions Burrill,
"we must define our own curriculum for our own country, not simply
replicate what seems to work in other countries." NCTM President-elect
Glenda Lappan said it's crucial to note that the performance of
American students on national measures has steadily improved over the
past 10 years, according to the NAEP 1996 Math Report Card for the
Nation and the States, which shows rises for grades 4, 8 and 12.
``Mathematics achievement in the United States has increased nationwide,"
said Lappan, "but the world is not standing still--we need to offer
all students a challenging curriculum focused on thinking and reasoning
mathematically." And NCTM leaders counseled a careful approach
to reforming math curricula. ``The recent math wars have done nothing
to improve mathematics education," said Burrill, "our teachers have
been caught in the crossfire and our children will be the casualties.''
U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley echoed the same sentiment
when he said in his State of American Education speech last week, ``I
urge a cease fire in the growing math debate about whether
adding and subtracting should be emphasized over solving more complex
problems. The answer is both, but there must be balance and there
must be results.''
source: NCTM, PRNewswire, posted on Yahoo, Feb. 24, 1998

Initiative on Reducing Binge Drinking Among College Students
Tretorn of North America, Inc., has started an initiative to help
curb binge drinking on college campuses. During October 1998, "National
Alcohol Awareness Month," Tretorn will donate 4 percent of its sales
to on-campus programs targeting the binge-drinking problem. This year
the program will focus on Boston, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Washington,
D.C., with plans to expand nationwide in the next few years. Tretorn
noticed the binge drinking problem when the company recently began
marketing products at college-age consumers. Bill Kirkendall, CEO of
Tretorn North America, said the most alarming stat he's encountered
is that 40 percent of all students in a recent survey admitted to
engaging in binge drinking within the 2 weeks prior to the survey.
Binge drinking is generally defined as having at least 5 drinks in one
sitting for males and 4 in one sitting for females. ``Our target market
is predominately college-age young women who are being hurt on a daily
basis on campuses across the country by either abusing alcohol themselves
or by becoming the victims of alcohol abusers,'' said Kirkendall.
Beginning in March, Tretorn will participate in a series of conferences
with colleges in each of its target markets to determine the best use
of its funds for this cause. Also, Tretorn is establishing a foundation
to raise funds to support education about the hazards of binge drinking.
More info, call Mary Puricellim (508) 583-8767.
source: Business Wire, Feb. 24, 1998

New College Offers B.S. in Video Game Development
On Feb. 18, Washington state Gov. Locke helped to dedicate the new
Digipen Institute of Technology, where students are able to pursue
studies leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in the development of
video games. Also present at the opening ceremony were Digipen students
and faculty, members of the Higher Education Board, and Nintendo execs.
The Digipen Institute of Technology is located at:
5001 150th Ave., NE
Redmond, WA 98052
Further info can be obtained through Golin/Harris Communications by
calling Mary Bacarella (425) 462-4220 or Eileen Tanner (509) 628-1993.
source: Nintendo, posted on Yahoo, Feb. 18, 1998

Volunteers For America: Students Donate Spring Breaks
Across the nation, more than 7,000 college and high school students
will devote their upcoming spring breaks to joining Habitat for Humanity's
"Collegiate Challenge." The spring break challenge, running from Feb. 15 through
April 11, gives students an opportunity to build homes for the homeless.
"Collegiate Challenge" is a year-round program that offers students
the experience of working alongside homeowners and other volunteers
to build homes from the foundation up. The program attracts the largest
influx of student volunteers during spring break each year. Habitat
for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian housing ministry
founded in 1976 by Millard Fuller and his wife, Linda. It works in
partnership with people in need, building simple, decent shelter
that is sold at no profit, through no-interest mortgages. Habitat
for Humanity reports having built more than 60,000 houses, which have
provided shelter for more than 300,000 people world-wide. For more
info, e-mail info@habitat.org or call (912) 924-6935.
source: Habitat for Humanity, Feb. 17, 1998

HTML by Liberty Group, Feb. 16

Intel Promotes "Bill Nye" Teacher's Guide
140,000 copies of "Bill Nye the Science Guy" teacher's guide
are being mailed to 4th grade teachers all over America, thanks
to a grant from the Intel Foundation. The guides expand on the
themes from the 15 new "Bill Nye" episodes that are airing on
public television stations and commercial stations in 1998, giving
step-by-step instructions for "Do It Yourself Science" activities.
Additional info is available at www.intel.com/pressroom.
source: NCBE Newsline, week of Feb. 9, 1998

Free Cyber Lessons from ACE
American Computer Experience (ACE), leaders of summer camps
for children at 21 universities, is offering "free cyber lessons" to
anyone with Internet access. PBS Kids will feature ACE's "How to Build
a Web Page" application at their site, so that "kids can create and post
their own Web pages for free and be entered into a national sweepstakes
program," according to Douglas Murphy, CEO of ACE. MaMaMedia
Online will host ACE's "Show What You Know" contest online offering
kids the chance to win free trips to the ACE summer camp. For more
info, visit the ACE Web site at www.computercamp.com.
source: NCBE Newsline, week of Feb. 9, 1998

American Memory Fellows Program
The Library of Congress's National Digital Library and the EDC Center for
Children and Technology are again offering American Memory fellowships.
Fellows will attend the National Digital Library's Educators Institute, July 27-31, 1998,
and design learning materials that utilize the American Memory collections.
Applications are sought from 2-person teams
of middle/high school humanities teachers, librarians and media specialists who are
familiar with the electronic technologies, have experience using primary sources to
motivate students and promote critical thinking, are active leaders in their fields and
work with diverse student populations. Applications must be submitted by regular
mail, by March 7, 1998. For more info, contact Bill Tally(212) 807-4206 or Nancy Rosenbaum
(212) 807-4216. The Library of Congress homepage is at www.loc.gov.
The American Memory homepage is at memory.loc.gov.
source: NCBE Newsline, Week of Feb. 9, 1998
HTML by the Liberty Group

Homeworkhelp.com
Accurate Research, Inc., announced Feb. 11 its new online
service aimed at helping high school students with basic
math, English, science, history and ESL via an interactive
tutorial-style interface. "Our approach to education is to
provide an individualized multimedia tutorial that we hope
will add another dimension to the classroom experience," said
Jan Chock, director of curriculum development at Accurate
Research, Inc., aka "The Super Tutor Company." Chock also
promises that the new tutorial service will soon incorporate
interactive quizzes to test students' understanding in "real time."
The complete version of this subscription-based service
will launch March 2, and targets grades 9-12, at a flat rate
of $9.99 a month. Membership includes access to other features
like chat areas, galleries and clubs. You can get a sneak
preview for free at www.homeworkhelp.com
For more info, contact Cindy Cloud at ccloud@supertutor.com,
(408) 523-4788, x 106.
source: Business Wire, posted on Yahoo, Feb. 11, 1998

Discrimination Suit Against Detroit Board of Ed.
According to an attorney for the family of ninth-grader
Angela Burns, a suit originally filed in December, 1996,
claiming that Burns, classified as learning disabled, was
illegally expelled from Hally Middle School in February, 1996,
without proper review of her case as required by federal
disabilities law, has been refiled as a class-action suit.
The class-action suit was filed on Feb. 11, 1998, in Federal
Court in Detroit on behalf of Detroit School System students
with disabilities who have been suspended or expelled by the
system in what attorneys assert is a violation of state and
federal law. If the court accepts the suit as a class action,
students who were victims of this kind of discrimination in
Detroit schools will be able to seek legal redress.
source: Dykema Gossett PLLC, posted on Yahoo, Feb. 11, 1998

"State of Education" Speech Given by Richard Riley

NEH Will Fund Projects for Technology in the Humanities

Online ERIC Brochures for Parents and Teachers

Feb. 17: Riley's Speech/Satellite Town Meeting

Campus.Tours.com Expands Site

'Cat in the Hat' Launches Reading Campaign

Bilingual Debate Rages in California

Deadline Approaches on E-Rate Discounts

Black History Month at Detroit's Museum of African American History

Clinton's 1999 Ed. Budget

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