ED REVIEW

January 12, 2007

...a bi-weekly update on U.S. Department of Education activities relevant

to the Intergovernmental and Corporate community and other stakeholders
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NCLB UPDATE (http://www.ed.gov/nclb/)

On January 8, Secretary Spellings celebrated the fifth anniversary of the No Child

Left Behind Act with a major address to national business and education leaders at
the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and an Oval Office meeting with President Bush and
Congressional leaders. "Anniversaries remind us that we have to recommit ourselves
to the things that are important to us. And when it comes to education policy, this is
a critical moment," she asserted. With No Child Left Behind, we set the goal to have
every student reading and doing math on grade level by 2014. And it's working!" As
evidence, the Secretary cited gains by fourth-graders on the National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) (see fact sheet at
http://www.ed.gov/nclb/overview/importance/nclb5anniversary.html). She also re-
minded leaders of the administration's efforts over the past five years and explained
why she and the President are pushing for renewal this year, noting some of her "bright
line" principles to be preserved while improving the law: annual testing in grades 3-8 and
high school; disaggregated test score data; and grade-level proficiency for all students
by 2014. "The truth is, No Child Left Behind helps kids by measuring their progress and
holding schools accountable for helping them improve," she said. I've worked in policy-
making for 20 years, and I've yet to see a perfect law -- especially one as far-reaching
as this one. But, the core principles of No Child Left Behind are as strong and sound as
they were five years ago." FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2007/01/01082007.html.

Later that afternoon, the Secretary hosted an "Ask the White House" chat on No Child
Left Behind and other topics. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO
http://www.whitehouse.gov/ask/20070108.html.

Then, on January 11, the Secretary visited M. Hall Stanton Elementary School in north
Philadelphia and participated in an education roundtable with district chief Paul Vallas.
In anticipation of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service (January 15), she also
presented a Stanton student and parent with the President's Volunteer Service Award.
Despite its challenging urban environment, the number of Stanton fifth-graders reading
at grade level has increased almost six-fold since 2002, while the percentage of fifth-
graders proficient in math increased from 19 percent in 2003 to 83 percent in 2006.
Principal Barbara Adderley employed many strategies to turn things around, including
breaking the school into smaller academies, carefully structuring the school day, and
closely tracking student progress through regular assessment. Last year, Stanton was
named a "Dispelling the Myth" school by Education Trust. FOR MORE INFORMATION,
PLEASE GO TO http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2007/01/01112007.html.
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TEACHER AWARDS AND WORKSHOPS

The Department is currently accepting nominations for its 2007 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. One teacher will be recognized
from each state and the District of Columbia. The deadline for nominations is April 1.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO
https://www.t2tweb.us/AmStar/About.asp. (Note: Previous award winners are posted
at https://www.t2tweb.us/AmStar/Prior.asp.)

Also, in a recent press release, the Department named 22 cities as sites for its summer
regional workshops for teachers to learn best practices from fellow educators who have
proven effective at raising student achievement. This year's co-hosts include two fed-
eral agencies: the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Nat-
ional Park Service (NPS); a number of TechNet partners: Microsoft, EMC, AMD,
Symantec, the University of Nevada, and Motorola; and General Motors, Siemens, Tar-
get, and MATHCOUNTS. Agendas for each workshop will be posted during January.
Registration for the workshops, which are free of charge, will begin April 8. FOR MORE
INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO http://www.t2tweb.us/Workshops/Schedule.asp.
(Note: Some teachers may be eligible for professional development credits through
their states or school districts. Go to http://www.t2tweb.us/Workshops/FAQ.asp.)
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 FEDERAL STUDENT AID

January marks the start of the season for new and returning college students to apply
for financial aid. Therefore, Secretary Spellings is encouraging all students to file for
a share of the more than $80 billion in federal grants, loans, and work-study assistance.
Meanwhile, to further publicize the availability of federal aid, the Department is
launching a public awareness campaign with the message, "The most costly education is
the one not begun." FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO
http://federalstudentaid.ed.gov/.

Also, students who participate in a recognized secondary school program of study may
qualify to receive an Academic Competitiveness (AC) grant of up to $750 for the first-
year of higher education and up to $1,300 for the second-year of higher education, if
otherwise eligible. The Department's Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) has re-
leased a list of recognized programs for each state for students graduating in 2007
(see http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/about/ac-smart/2007/state-programs-07.html).
(For students graduating in 2005 or 2006, see
http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/about/ac-smart/state-programs06.html.) FOR MORE
INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/ac-
smart.html.
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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

More money? A couple of new grant competitions are in progress. The Teaching
American History Grant Program funds three-year projects to improve teachers'
appreciation for and knowledge of traditional American history through intensive, on-
going professional development. School districts and independent charter schools are
eligible to apply. All grantees must work in partnership with one or more organizations
that have extensive knowledge of American history: libraries, museums, non-profit
history or humanities organizations, and/or higher education institutions. A notice of
intent to apply is due February 7. Applications are due March 9. The Transition to
Teaching Grant Program funds the development and expansion of alternative routes to
state teacher certification and the recruitment and retention of highly qualified mid-
career professionals, recent college graduates who have not majored in education, and
paraprofessionals to teach in high-need schools operated by high-need school districts.
States, high-need school districts, and partnerships of states, high-need districts, and
for- or non-profit organizations are eligible to apply. A notice of intent to apply is due
February 7. Applications are due March 26. http://www.ed.gov/GrantApps/ lists all
competitions that are underway and provides links to electronic application packages,
forms, and other basic information.
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NCLR ON NCLB

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights and
advocacy organization, recently unveiled a new web site with links to major publications,
data sources, and analyses offering information on the No Child Left Behind Act and
Latinos. In particular, the site provides information on English language learners (ELLs)
in the U.S. public education system. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO
http://www.nclr.org/nclb.
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JOB SHADOW DAY

On February 2, working professionals across the country will kick-off Job Shadow Day,
part of a national, year-long effort to enrich the lives of students by acquainting them
with the world of work through on-the-job experiences and a special school curriculum
that ties academics to the workplace. Sponsored by the financial services firm ING and
coordinated by America's Promise, Junior Achievement, and the U.S. Departments of
Education and Labor, over one million students and 100,000 businesses are expected to
participate. Notable past workplace mentors include former President George Bush,
Secretary of State Colin Powell, governors, mayors, and other elected officials, and
Today show anchors Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, Al Roker, and Ann Curry. FOR MORE
INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO http://www.jobshadow.org/.
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 QUOTE TO NOTE

"I am proud of this piece of legislation. I think it's made an enormous difference,
particularly in the lives of some of our poorer students. This country needs to get it
right when it comes to public education, and the bill that I was honored to sign is an im-
portant first step toward making sure every child gets a good education in America.
And in our discussions today, we've all agreed to work together to address some of
the major concerns that some people have about this piece of legislation -- without
weakening the essence of the bill -- and get a piece of legislation done. We showed
in the past that we can work together to get positive results, and I'm confident we can
do so again."
-- President George W. Bush (1/8/07),
on reauthorization of No Child Left Behind
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UPCOMING EVENTS

A negotiating committee will begin tackling issues related to the Academic Competitive-
ness (AC) and National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART)
grant programs February 5, 6, and 7 in Washington, D.C. FOR MORE INFORMATION,
PLEASE GO TO http://www.ed.gov/policy/highered/reg/hearulemaking/2007/nr.html.
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Please feel free to contact the Office of Communications and Outreach with any questions:
Director, Intergovernmental Affairs -- Rogers Johnson, (202) 401-0026, mailto:Rogers.Johnson@ed.gov
Program Analyst -- Adam Honeysett, (202) 401-3003, mailto:Adam.Honeysett@ed.gov
To be added or removed from distribution, or submit comments (we welcome your feedback!),
please contact Adam Honeysett. Or, visit http://www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/edreview/.

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