Archived Information

Goal 1. Build a solid foundation for learning for

all children.

To foster the movement toward world-class student academic performance, our reform efforts focus
on four main objectives that address different stages of student development.

Objective 1A: All children enter school ready to learn through receiving high-quality
educational and developmentally appropriate preschool experiences. We must support
children's early development and education, including support for optimal early cognitive
development, so they are ready to learn when they begin formal schooling in kindergarten and
beyond.

Objective 1B: Every child reads well and independently by the end of the third grade.
Children need to be able to read independently and effectively in order to be able to apply reading to
learning other subjects.

Objective 1C: Every eighth-grader masters challenging mathematics, including the

foundations of algebra and geometry. Acquiring basic mathematics skills and knowledge by
the eighth grade prepares students for more advanced work and is critical to student success in high
school and beyond. In mathematics, the latest results from the Third International Mathematics and
Science Study (TIMSS) affirm that poor U.S. performance in the eighth grade is linked to mediocre
content, lack of instructional rigor, and inadequate training and support for quality teaching. We must
implement all recommendations of the Glenn Commission to strengthen the teaching of mathematics.

Objective 1D: Middle schools and secondary schools help all students make successful
transitions to college and careers. We must be sure that secondary school students get the
information, skills, and support they need to prepare successfully for postsecondary education and
careers. Students need to be able to clearly express their ideas, orally and in writing; apply new
information technology to education and, later, to work; and attain fluency in more than one language
and culture in an increasingly global arena in which U.S. students are competing with those around
the world.

American schools must meet these aims for all our students. We must address the diverse needs of the
student population in order that all students—including limited English proficient students, students with
disabilities, migrant students, students in high-poverty schools, and any students at risk of not acquiring
the knowledge and skills required to achieve high state standards—receive the support and
encouragement they need to succeed.

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Objective 1A: All children enter school ready to learn
through receiving high-quality educational and
developmentally appropriate preschool experiences.

Children’s early childhood experiences are critical to building a solid learning foundation. Research on
early brain development reveals that children who have high-quality early learning experiences, including
a language- and literacy-rich environment, are more likely to be successful learners when they are older
and are less likely to have difficulty learning to read. High-quality early childhood programs are
particularly important for children from families with limited education and for children with disabilities.

Preschool participation is increasing for poor children, however poor children are still less likely to
participate in preschool programs than higher income children. According to the National Household
Education Survey, participation rates for children from poverty-level families increased from 44 percent
in 1993 and 1996 to 52 percent in 1999. Non-poor children had higher rates of participation; in 1999, the
respective rates of participation were 52 percent for poor children and 62 percent for non-poor children.
Many children from low-income or less educated families also start kindergarten with a learning gap. For
example, 20 percent of the kindergarten children whose mothers had only a high school diploma were
proficient in recognizing beginning sounds compared with 50 percent of the children whose mothers had
at least a bachelor's degree (NCES: America's Kindergartners, Early Childhood Longitudinal Study,
2000). Similar disparities exist for Hispanic preschoolers. Once children enter school behind, they
usually fail to catch up in later grades without intensive interventions (Planning and Evaluation Service:
PROSPECTS, 1994).

Challenges to improving early childhood education include low teacher pay and a lack of high-quality
professional development, which make it difficult to hire and retain teachers who are well-trained in early
learning and development. Other challenges include the lack of equity and access to high-quality early
childhood services for low-income families, students from Hispanic and other non-English speaking
homes, and children from Native American communities.

Performance Indicators and Targets

1. By 2005, preschool participation rates for low-income children will rise to 60 percent.
2. By 2005, increasing proportions of low-income children who complete federally supported
preschool programs, will enter school prepared to learn as measured by appropriate assessments
of literacy and math competencies (in coordination with the Department of Health and Human
Services through FACES, a longitudinal study of Head Start) extended to Title I, ESEA, and Even
Start.
3. By 2005, at least half the states will have enacted program quality standards for early childhood
education programs, and curriculum content guidelines consistent with scientific understanding
of children' s early learning and special education including of non-English speaking students.

Our Role

The Federal role in early childhood education consists of providing funding, guidance and technical
assistance for Federal programs that support quality early-childhood education services; conducting and
disseminating research on early childhood development and learning; and measuring progress of young

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children, including children participating in Federal programs, on achieving the national goal of ready-to-
learn.

The U.S. Department of Education provides funding and guidance to support quality programs that serve
disadvantaged young children and children with disabilities and their families, such as Even Start,
preschool programs supported by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), IDEA Grants
for Infants and Toddlers, and preschool programs supported by Title I, Part A of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act. Through the America Reads Challenge, the U.S. Department of Education
disseminates research-based materials that support and encourage parents to read and talk to their children
and engage in other daily activities to increase children’s language development.

The U.S. Department of Education provides leadership in early childhood education by supporting and
disseminating research-based knowledge of effective policies and practices. Recent information from
research on brain development, early childhood education, and reading research, provides a sound basis
from which to develop and disseminate informational products. The National Research Council's recent
Eager to Learn report, partially funded by the U.S. Department of Education, provides information about
the necessary components of high-quality programs, including highly qualified staff, small class sizes,
and curriculum and pedagogical strategies that develop cognitive and emergent literacy skills in a
developmentally appropriate manner. To help grantees plan, evaluate, and improve their programs, the
U.S. Department of Education will develop a guide for local programs that identifies quality indicators
based on these components.

A considerable amount of the Federal funding that supports programs for young children is provided by
other agencies. The U.S. Department of Education is collaborating with other agencies, through the
Federal Interagency Coordinating Council under IDEA, and with the Department of Health and Human
Services, to coordinate early childhood education services and performance measures.

Core Strategies

 Work to help states and districts expand preschool services in cooperation with HHS and state
educational agencies.
− Provide resources to state and local providers under Title I, Part A, and the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in order to support programs aimed at infants, toddlers, and
preschool children with disabilities or those most at risk of developing disabling conditions.
− Provide resources to states and local districts under Title I, Part A and Even Start to support the
availability of language-appropriate, early childhood services including dual-immersion programs.
− Encourage states and communities to expand their preschool efforts, including identifying
opportunities for joint funding among states, the Department of Education, and the Department of
Health and Human Services, and particularly coordination between Title I, Part A; Even Start
Family Literacy Services; and Head Start.

 Facilitate state and local implementation of research-based standards through information and
assistance.
− Disseminate a self-assessment guide that supports continuous improvement in program quality
and outcomes and addresses the unique issues of educating special education and language
minority populations.
− Work with states and early childhood research and stakeholder groups to agree on model
standards and guidelines for program quality that are consistent with the research-based

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 recommendations of the National Research Council report Eager to Learn: Educating Our
Preschoolers.
− Strengthen monitoring and assistance in early childhood education programs for children with
disabilities, with a focus on implementing effective practices and identifying areas in need of
improvement.

 Improve collaboration and coordination within the Department of Education and with other
Federal and state agencies.
− Implement the recommendations of the Department of Education and the Department of Health
and Human Services cross-agency taskforce for greater coordination of early childhood
programs, services, and research.
− Strengthen coordination with state educational agencies in providing guidance and improving
program implementation and reporting.
− Promote effective models that facilitate collaboration between the many programs at the local and
state levels.
− Develop common performance indicators for the Departments of Education and Health and
Human Services for early childhood programs.
− Supplement the Department of Health and Human Services’ FACES study to provide measures
for Title I and Even Start populations and to explore providing nationally representative
information on school readiness.

 Collaborate with the Department of Health and Human Services to improve the language,
literacy, and reading competencies of young children in poverty by providing professional
development programs that will increase early childhood educators' knowledge and skills
needed to build the foundations required for later reading success, as described in Preventing
Reading Difficulties and Eager to Learn.
− Support community-based partnerships among early childhood programs and organizations,
public schools, and institutions of higher education that will offer early childhood teachers
research-based, language- and literacy-focused professional development opportunities,
particularly in high-need communities.
− Promote high-quality, research-based professional development activities through the enactment
and implementation of an Early Childhood Professional Development program.

 Provide leadership through the development and dissemination of research-based knowledge.

− Develop a U.S. Department of Education research agenda that is consistent with the
recommendations of the National Research Council report on research priorities in early
childhood learning and development and coordinated with the National Institute of Child Health
and Human Development (NICHD), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and other Federal
agencies.
− Support research and evaluation that use rigorous methodologies, especially studies employing
random assignment strategies, in order to identify the characteristics of programs that produce
beneficial results, especially in the areas of family literacy and involvement, and for programs
focusing on language minority children and children with disabilities.
− Evaluate models of promising applications of technology to early childhood learning.
− Provide ready access to up-to-date information on early childhood education, including through
the Web.
− Continue to support and widely disseminate the findings from the NCES Early Childhood
Longitudinal Study.

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Objective 1B: Every child reads well and independently by
the end of the third grade.

Reading is the foundation of all other skills essential for learning. The 1998 National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) reports that only 62 percent of fourth-graders read at the basic level or
higher. Although this shows some progress over the prior NAEP, especially for students in the highest
poverty schools, continued improvements are essential.

The 1998 National Academy of Sciences report funded by the U.S. Department of Education on
Preventing Reading Difficulties and the NICHD report Teaching Children to Read identify key strategies
that research has shown to be effective in overcoming children’s reading problems. However, far too
many teachers of reading lack the fundamental knowledge and training in research-based reading
instruction that would enable them to help children with reading difficulties.

Performance Indicators and Targets

1. By 2005, the percentage of all fourth-grade students who will meet basic levels in reading on the
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) will increase to 70 percent, up from 62 in
percent in 1998(about 300,000 children), and increasing percentages will achieve proficient
levels.
2. Increasing percentages of teachers of students in kindergarten through third grade in Title I
schools will receive ongoing, intensive professional development to enable them to successfully
use research-based strategies to effectively teach reading to diverse students, including those who
experience difficulties in learning to read and those with disabilities.

Our Role

The Department of Education’s resources are used to help states, local school districts, and schools
improve the teaching and learning of reading. The primary areas of focus are high-poverty children in
early childhood programs; at-risk school children in K-12 schools serving concentrations of low-income
children; and special populations that experience difficulties in reading, such as students with disabilities
and language minority students. The Education Department supports reading instruction through many
programs, including Title I, Even Start, the Reading Excellence Program, the Class Size Reduction
Program, and the Comprehensive School Reform Development (CSRD) program, and through other
programs that serve special populations such as special education, bilingual education, migrant education,
and Indian Education. These programs support activities that are critically important to improving the
quality of reading instruction including increasing professional development opportunities, upgrading
reading curriculum and materials, reducing class sizes, providing additional instructional time, and
providing one-on-one assistance for children with reading difficulties.

Through the America Reads Challenge the Department fosters community involvement in reading. The
Department also supports a major reading research agenda building on the historic, Department-supported
report: Preventing Reading Difficulties, which was complemented by the NICHD report on Teaching
Children to Read.

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There is a considerable amount of research-based information about how to teach reading effectively, as
demonstrated by the rigorous research syntheses of the National Research Council and the National
Institute for Child Health and Human Development. The U.S. Department of Education's major challenge
for the next five years is to provide support to states and districts to use this information in training
teachers to help students overcome reading difficulties.

Core Strategies

 Provide major financial support to continuously improve in-class instruction for children with
special needs in reading.
− Monitor and evaluate Title I, Even Start, Reading Excellence, Special Education, Class Size
Reduction, and Bilingual Education programs to continuously improve the reading instruction
they support.
− Continue major expansion of after-school programs with an emphasis on extending learning time
for reading through multiple strategies including reading tutors and encouraging reading through
the arts.
− Strengthen the America Reads initiative, which supports Federal Work Study students who serve
as reading tutors, through expanded outreach to institutions of higher education.
− Support smaller class sizes for early reading instruction through the Class Size Reduction
Program and Title I.

 Encourage states to integrate Federal and state resources to support a comprehensive reading
strategy.
− Provide states with technical assistance and information on effective reading practices and data
collection systems.
− Disseminate widely information on the progress of states and communities in improving
children's reading.

 Equip teachers and administrators to provide effective reading instruction, emphasizing the
findings of the National Research Council, National Reading Panel, and other evidence-based
reports through high-quality preparation and ongoing professional growth opportunities.
− Disseminate effective reading practices to support professional development through large-scale,
Web-based professional development modules.
− Ensure, through guidance, technical assistance, and widespread dissemination of research
findings, that Federally supported professional development meets standards of sustained,
intensive, high-quality professional development for reading and language arts.
− Strengthen teacher preparation in scientifically based reading instruction through Title II of the
Higher Education Act (HEA), including monitoring teachers' performance nationally on state
licensing exams.
− Meet the needs of limited English proficient (LEP), special education, and other at-risk
populations, the America Reads Office, the Office of Bilingual Education, the Office of Special
Education Programs, and others by developing instructional materials on basic knowledge needed
by teachers and administrators who teach these children to read.

■ Promote parent and community involvement.

− Encourage the involvement of private-sector organizations in supporting reading interventions
through the America Reads Challenge and the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education
and develop a range of reading materials with a pedagogical basis for community members to
use.

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 − Provide material and resources that are accessible to the parents of limited English proficient
students.
− Support parent involvement by providing technical assistance and effective reading materials.
Parent Information Resource Centers provide support to states, districts, and schools to help them
remove barriers to parent involvement in their children's education. The “Compact for Reading”
and support for materials developed by the National Institute for Literacy give parents effective
tools for reading with their children.

 Support research and development.

− Develop an analytic agenda to follow up on the research recommendations of the National
Research Council, Preventing Reading Difficulties report, especially in the areas of effective
interventions for primary-grade students with reading difficulties, appropriate use of instructional
technology, and reading strategies for children for whom English is a second language.
− Identify sound strategies for building the knowledge and skills of reading teachers in effective
methods of reading instruction.
− Support new research and translations of existing research that lead to the development of
effective interventions for reaching and helping at-risk families, who may lack formal education
or are non-English speaking, to create a language-rich home environment for their children.

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Objective 1C: Every eighth-grader masters challenging
mathematics, including the foundations of algebra and
geometry.

To be adequately prepared for postsecondary study and promising careers, students need to acquire
advanced knowledge in mathematics, science, and technology. U.S. NAEP math scores continue to
improve, more U.S. students are taking higher level math courses, and U.S. fourth-graders perform above
the international average [Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), 1997, 1998].
At the same time, however, U.S. students perform significantly below the international average by the end
of secondary school. Student performance is affected by many different factors. For example, although
the curriculum in the United States is broader than in other countries with high-performing students, it
lacks depth. Also, many mathematics teachers today lack the appropriate credentials and licensure for the
subjects they teach, and many of those who are appropriately certified are under-prepared in their
discipline.

Performance Indicators and Targets

1. The percentage of all eighth grade students who reach the basic level or above in math on the NAEP
will increase to 70% in 2005, as compared to 62% in 1996.
2. The average score of American students in relation to the average score on a comparable set of the
participating industrialized nations on international mathematics assessments will increase to the
median score by 2005.
3. The percent of eighth-grade students who demonstrate mastery on the NAEP subscales for algebra
and geometry will continually increase.
4. By 2005, the number of additional teachers entering the workforce with adequate preparation to
teach challenging mathematics to students in secondary school will increase, as measured by a
decline of 10 percentage points of out-of-field hires.
5. The number of teachers of mathematics completing intensive professional development to enable
them to teach challenging mathematics will increase 20 percent each year, as measured by successful
participation in summer institutes and school-based inquiry groups.

Our Role

The Department of Education’s resources are available to states, local school districts, and schools for the
purpose of improving teaching, upgrading curriculum, integrating technology and high-quality
instructional materials into the classroom, and motivating students to better appreciate how mathematical
concepts are applied in today's global workplace. Overall coordination is accomplished through America
Counts, a Department-wide mathematics initiative. A variety of programs, including, among others, the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title I and Title II programs and the Higher Education
Act (HEA) Title II program, provide support for improving the math achievement of students. The
Department also works with other Federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation, to
strengthen the impact of Federal resources on mathematics education nationwide.

Concerns about accelerating the Nation’s mathematics performance have led to recommendations for
improvements. For example, in September 2000, the nonpartisan National Commission on Mathematics
and Science Teaching for the 21st Century (The John Glenn Commission) announced three goals: (1)
Establish an ongoing system to improve the quality of mathematics and science teaching in grades K-12;

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(2) Increase significantly the number of mathematics and science teachers and improve the quality of
their preparation; and, (3) Improve the working environment and make the teaching profession more
attractive for K-12 mathematics and science teachers. To achieve those three goals 14 action strategies are
detailed in the Commission’s report, Before It’s Too Late. Implementing the action strategies will require
an investment of significant resources, as well as new partnerships with states and business, expanded
ongoing learning opportunities for mathematics and science teachers, enhanced collaboration within and
between universities to increase the number and quality of graduates in science and mathematics
education, and the promotion of research-based effective teaching methods which enhance student
achievement, especially the use of up-to-date technology for instruction.

Core Strategies

 Implement the findings of the Glenn Commission.

− In conjunction with other Federal agencies, provide funds to states to: conduct a comprehensive
assessment of the needs of mathematics and science teachers, offer summer institutes and
promote teacher inquiry groups, and implement comprehensive induction programs for new
mathematics and science teachers.
− In conjunction with other Federal agencies, provide funds to: train 15,000 teacher facilitators to
work with the state-based summer institutes and school-based inquiry groups, develop an Internet
Portal that promotes an ever-expanding knowledge base about effective mathematics and science
teaching, establish criteria for identifying exemplary programs for the preparation of mathematics
and science teachers, and create 15 Academies that prepare new mathematics teachers from
among recent college graduates and people at midcareer.
− Administer a Federal loan forgiveness program to attract college students into science and
mathematics teaching each year.
− Administer a scholarship program for high-achieving high school students to study mathematics
and science education at designated universities.
− Develop a public campaign to recruit outstanding individuals into the mathematics and science
teaching force.
− Provide funds for the Coordinating Council for Mathematics and Science Teaching to facilitate
and broker the implementation of The Glenn Commission Action Strategies.

 Provide Personal Attention and Additional Learning Time for Students.

− Encourage postsecondary institutions to support mathematics tutoring by providing Federal funds
to pay the wages of Work Study students who serve as mathematics tutors to elementary through
ninth-grade students.

 Equip teachers and administrators to provide challenging mathematics through high-quality

preparation and ongoing professional development opportunities.
− Strengthen teacher preparation in mathematics and science through Title II of the Higher
Education Act, including monitoring performance on state licensing exams.
− Support teacher professional development to ensure effective implementation of programs for
children with unique needs, children with disabilities, language minorities, and children gifted in
mathematics.
− In partnership with the National Science Foundation, provide guidance and offer technical
assistance, including through Federally supported laboratories and assistance centers, to state- and
district-level teams on how to better use Federal, state and local resources to improve
mathematics achievement.

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 Support high-quality research to inform best practices of mathematics teaching and learning.
− Follow up on the recommendations of recent studies jointly funded by the U.S. Department of
Education and the National Science Foundation, and undertaken by the National Academy of
Sciences (NAS), on mathematics learning and on calculus, biology, chemistry, and physics
Advanced Placement (AP) Programs.
− Continue to co-fund with NSF the Interagency Education Research Initiative, a $30-million effort
supporting research directed toward understanding how to make substantial improvements in
early learning in mathematics and other areas.
− Provide international benchmarks on the performance of American students in mathematics and
science and conduct internal and research studies of effective mathematics and science practices
that the U.S. may adapt.

 Build public understanding of the mathematics that today’s students must master.
− Support the joint U.S. Department of Education and National Science Foundation national public
engagement campaign.
− Broaden communication methods to engage parents and communities in supporting mathematics
learning, including the Partnership for Family Involvement and Compact for Mathematics.

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Objective 1D: Middle schools and high schools help all
students make successful transitions to college and
careers.

Objective 1D focuses on helping middle and high schools make changes in teaching and learning so that
all students can achieve to high academic and technical standards and make successful transitions to
college and careers. There has been significant progress in getting more students of all backgrounds to
take the tougher academic courses, including rigorous mathematics and sciences and advanced placement
subjects. NAEP results in reading and math for 13- and 17-year-olds are slightly higher today than they
were in the 1970s.

However, too many students are not acquiring the educational skills needed to succeed in the knowledge-
based economy of the 21st century, as evidenced by the high percentage of high school students who fail
challenging high stakes exit exams or who require remedial education in college; the disproportionately
high percentage of Hispanic youth who fail to complete high school; international comparisons of math
and science achievement indicating that U.S. 12th -graders score below students in most other developed
nations; and the great difficulty reported by employers in recruiting recent high school graduates with
academic skills needed in technically demanding occupations. Although college enrollment rates have
increased, a significant gap in college attendance and completion remains between white and other
racial/ethnic groups.

Performance Indicators and Targets

1. By Fall 2005, 60 percent (up from 45 percent in 1998) of high school graduates, including
vocational concentrators and students in high-poverty schools will complete core academic
curriculum requirements.
2. By 2005, 15 percent of high school students, including those attending high-poverty schools, will
complete Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses (up from 10.5 percent in
1999),
3. By 2005, high school graduation rates will reverse their recent decline and increase 3 percent
(up from 70.6 percent in 1999) both overall and for students from low-income families.
4. By Fall 2005, 90 percent (up from 87 percent in 1996) of high school graduates, including
vocational concentrators, students from low-income families, and students with disabilities will
make a successful transition into postsecondary education or employment, including the military.
5. An increasing percentage of high school students (from 41percent studying modern foreign
languages in 1995) will study and demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language (bi-literacy).

Our Role

The Department provides support for middle and high school reform and improvement both through
vocational education programs, which increasingly focus on both academic and technical skills
preparation for success in college or careers, and development and implementation of reform models
through the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) program and through the Office of
Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) grant programs. The Department of Education also
supports postsecondary preparation programs such as TRIO's Upward Bound and Talent Search, and
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP). These programs use
varying approaches to provide low-income youth with academic support, mentoring, and counseling to

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improve students’ preparation for college. Other programs are designed to facilitate successful transitions
for students with disabilities.

Core Strategies

 Commitment of Resources
− Link major financial support (currently more than $2 billion) to states, school districts and
postsecondary institutions to providing research-based programs to better prepare young people,
particularly those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, for college and careers.

 Middle and High School Reform

Strengthen the Smaller Learning Communities program to help large, primarily high-poverty high
schools. Current research suggests that small schools can reduce the disengagement and isolation
that breeds violence, and enhance student attendance and achievement by creating a positive
learning environment.
Encourage states and districts to utilize basic Vocational Education, IDEA, and ESEA grant funds
for secondary school reforms including research-based models such as High Schools That Work,
career academies, and Tech-Prep.

 Improved Accountability Systems

Work with state agencies and postsecondary grantees to improve the quality, efficiency and
effectiveness of their performance reporting and accountability systems, including the capacity to
report results for special populations.
Analyze data on the participation levels of special populations and provide technical assistance or
enforcement activities as needed to ensure access to higher education for those populations.
Build new pilot projects to reduce grantee-reporting burden and improve the quality of
performance information.
Test the use of alternative data sources such as student financial aid applicant data files to better
monitor the educational outcomes of TRIO program participants.
Expand the Integrated Performance Benchmarking System to include Vocational Education; this
experiment is intended to provide real-time information through "data harvesting" and eliminate
duplicative reporting requirements from different programs.

 Strengthen Fluency in a Second Language (bi-literacy)

Expand Federal support for second language learning—both for limited English proficient
students and for English-speaking students learning a foreign language—an increasingly
important skill for Americans to succeed within the global society of the 21st Century.
Examine ways to use technology, including the Internet, as a way to support English and foreign-
language instruction to help American children become truly fluent in more than one language.
Support increasing numbers of dual immersion school programs.

 Improving Links Between Secondary and Postsecondary Education

Through the Secretary's Commission on the High School Senior Year, headed by Governor Paul
Patton, issue recommendations in 2001 on ways to improve high schools and prepare students for
their transition to postsecondary education.

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 Work with states and postsecondary coordinating boards to better align high school graduation
standards and assessments with skills needed to succeed in postsecondary education.
Expectations for what students should know and be able to do when they leave high school differ
from expectations for students entering postsecondary education. This results in conflicting
standards for students, high levels of college remediation and low college completion rates.
Support education programs that combine at least two years of high school and two years of
college to better prepare students with the academic and technical skills to pursue careers in "high
tech" fields.
Expand the Education Department’s outreach campaign to inform middle and high school
students and their families about the academic requirements needed to attend a postsecondary
education, costs of attendance, and availability of financial aid.

 Strengthen Early Intervention Programs

Work with states and postsecondary governing boards to coordinate and strengthen programs
such as GEAR UP, TRIO's Upward Bound and Talent Search Programs, Community Technology
Centers, and 21st Century Community Learning Centers to increase the participation and success
of traditionally underserved youth.

 Strengthen Transition Services for Students With Disabilities

− Identify and disseminate information describing effective practices, model cooperative
agreements, and policies regarding school-to-work programs and transition services for students
with disabilities, including those operated by Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation agencies.

Focus Federal monitoring activities on transition activities that improve results for youth with
disabilities by examining states' monitoring and technical assistance practices around transition
services. A review of statements of needed transition services and the process for determining
needed transition services will be a major focus of record reviews and interviews with district
personnel. Also, as part of Federal monitoring, identify promising practices and post them on the
National Monitoring and Promising Practices Web site.

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Goal 1. External Factors and Management Challenges

External Factor: Curriculum and pedagogy are primarily state and local decisions.

Response: While the Federal government has no direct control over curriculum, it provides support to
allow states and communities to focus on and improve curriculum adequacy. For example, Federally
supported research on best pedagogical practices, such as the National Research Council report on
Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children, has been extraordinarily influential in focusing
attention on how much is known about helping children learn to read. Similar reports are forthcoming in
early childhood education and mathematics. The Education Department is actively disseminating this
information through conferences, Internet sites, and technical assistance mechanisms such as the
Comprehensive Assistance Centers and Regional Education Laboratories. States, districts, and schools
need information that will help them adopt good education practices, understand the evidence, and
support their efforts to change.

External Factor: Teachers often have inadequate qualifications and knowledge, especially in
programs serving at-risk students.

Response: Inadequate teacher and principal qualifications and lack of knowledge of fundamental
pedagogy and instructional content can be significant barriers to effective reforms. Staff weaknesses are
particularly severe for early childhood projects, which typically lack formal qualification standards and
suffer from low pay. This situation does not have to be accepted. Other nations with internationally
recognized preschool programs, including France and Italy, generally have much better trained preschool
teachers. The National Research Council report, Eager to Learn, calls for higher standards in early
childhood education.

New higher education legislation is strengthening preservice education and requiring new reporting on
student pass rates on state licensing exams. ESEA is supporting stronger alignment of entry teacher
qualifications and professional development with state content standards. The Department’s proposal to
reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act would substantially expand and strengthen
professional development and teacher quality at all levels from preschool through grade 12.

External Factor: Language minority and special-need students pose special challenges.

Response: Educating language minority students poses special challenges, including the lack of
availability of trained and certified bilingual education and ESL teachers and appropriate teaching
materials, as well as the varying educational attainment level of many students. Although no simple
solutions exist, a range of strategies can help address these special needs. The Department is ensuring
inclusion of language minority students in state assessments so that their special needs are recognized and
addressed. Internationally, the Department is working with Mexico, Spain, and other countries on
exchanges of teachers and developing effective practices for educating Hispanic students in the United
States. Similar efforts are underway to improve instruction, assessment, and learning for Asian English
language learners under the auspices of the President’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Initiative.
The Department’s major K-12 interventions, including Title I, target substantial resources to support the
educational opportunities of language minority students. The Department is also supporting increased
translation of information and education materials into non-English languages, particularly Spanish,
because of the large Spanish-speaking community. The Department has worked with the California
Department of Education on the development of a Spanish language version of its Compact for Reading,

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and California will be training over 20,000 teachers in its use. The Internet has the potential also to
provide real-time, individualized access to ESL training and language courses, and exploratory work is
underway to examine the best uses of this potentially powerful new medium. In addition, the new small
schools initiative can particularly address the need for smaller high schools and the special attention that
language minority youth need to reduce extremely high school dropout rates.

The focus on high standards for all students has focused education on attaining higher quality outcomes
for students with learning and physical disabilities in addition to ensuring their access to educational
opportunities. Curricula and instruction are being geared towards the post-school outcomes that students
with disabilities achieve by the time they graduate from high school. Higher standards are attained
through access to the general education curriculum, higher teacher and parental expectations, and
inclusion of students with disabilities in large-scale assessments with appropriate accommodations.
Students with disabilities continue to have higher levels of high school dropout rates and higher
unemployment rates than their peers without disabilities. Challenges are exacerbated by extreme
shortages of qualified special education teachers, particularly in urban and high-poverty areas.

External Factor: Parents are critical to their children’s success in school, but may not realize their
importance or adequately encourage their children’s learning.

Response: Parents want the best for their children, but many need help to act on that goal. The
Department is helping parents use research knowledge effectively to increase their children’s learning.
The America Reads initiative provides parents with videos and home-learning materials. The
Department’s Partnership for Family Involvement is able to enlist its 6,000 family, school, employer and
religious organizations to work within communities to involve families. The Title I parent involvement
provisions require joint school-family compacts in all Title I schools and are supported by the
Department’s research-based compact for reading materials.

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Goal 1. Strengthening Coordination

The Department of Education recognizes that, in addition to its oversight of the many Department
programs described above, assistance and support from other Federal agencies is also important. We work
with other agencies in the following major activities:

 Interagency research collaboration and sharing of research-based knowledge: The Department

has been involved in the interagency Early Childhood Research Working Group convened by the
National Institute on Early Childhood Development and Education to share research-based
information about young children and their families and to provide opportunities for interagency
research collaboration. The Education Department has used the findings from this exchange, such as
the information provided by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
(NICHD) on language and literacy development, to improve programs across Federal departments.
This exchange has facilitated collaboration by making Federal legislation among programs
compatible and encouraging interagency agreements at the state level. It has also helped the
Education Department and its partner agencies examine how collaborative efforts are evolving at the
state and local levels. The Education Department also coordinates return-to-work research with the
Department of Labor and the Social Security Administration.

 HHS-ED Joint task forces on early childhood education: The Department of Education and the
Department of Health and Human Services have formed a joint task force to increase collaboration
and coordination of services to children in early childhood. As part of this initiative, the two agencies
will facilitate collaboration of HHS- and ED-funded activities for reading and early childhood
development. The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education will
jointly disseminate reading publications on early childhood and will coordinate GPRA reporting.

 Interagency training: The Education Department collaborates with the U.S. Army and the Bureau of
Indian Affairs to improve extended learning programs in reading. The Education Department will
continue to help train Army staff directors to use America Reads Challenge Read*Write*Now!
interventions and materials in the Army’s extended learning programs. The Department of Education
will work with the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs schools to encourage
extended learning in reading programs that support the America Reads Challenge.

■ Children of families with special needs: The Education Department coordinates efforts with the
Departments of Health and Human Services and Labor to ensure that children from families moving
from welfare to work and others with special needs (e.g., migratory workers and homeless families)
receive opportunities to participate fully in educational activities. Through Impact Aid, the Education
Department works with the Defense Department to provide assistance to schools educating children
in military families.

■ Hispanic Education Action Plan: The Education Department’s efforts to improve educational
attainment and outcomes for Latino students are demonstrated through the President’s Hispanic
Education Action plan. As the lead agency in this effort, the Education Department has committed to
improve the provision of services to Latino and limited-English proficient students though increasing
accountability, ensuring inclusion of this population in state assessments, and expanding resources
such as technical assistance to reach under-served communities.

■ President’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Initiative: The Education Department is
committed to improve the provision of services to Asian and Pacific Islander students through

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 increasing accountability, ensuring inclusion of this population in state assessments, and expanding
resources such as technical assistance to reach under-served communities.

■ White House Indian Education Initiative. The Education Department coordinates across agencies
to strengthen programs and provide integrated and comprehensive services to improve school services
and student outcomes for Indian students.

■ Juvenile justice: Coordinate with the Department of Justice in supporting and disseminating
improved state-level strategies for the collection, analysis, and use of data regarding youth who are
placed in juvenile facilities.

 Improving services for children and young adults with disabilities: Continue to collaborate with
the Public Health Service in providing technical assistance and disseminating information to improve
mental health service delivery in schools. In addition, the Department of Education and the Social
Security Administration co-chair conferences focusing on enhancing work opportunities for
individuals with disabilities.

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Goal 1. Evaluation Highlights

Highlights of evaluations conducted in order to assess our progress toward meeting the four major
objectives in Goal 1.

Objective 1A: All children enter school ready to learn through receiving high quality and
developmentally appropriate preschool experiences.

National Evaluation of the Even Start Family Literacy Program: This study will evaluate the performance
and impact of Even Start projects through a random assignment study of 20 grantees and data on services
and performance from all Even Start Projects.

Development of Coordinated Title I, Even Start, and Head Start program performance and information
system: This study will design a program performance and information system for Title I and Even Start
early childhood activities that is based on the FACES longitudinal survey instrumentation used by Head
Start. This instrumentation will provide key outcome, program quality, and home indicators for these
programs starting with Fall 2001 school year.

Study of Even Start State Implementation: This study will examine the quality and effectiveness of Even
Start and Title I preschool projects on children’s literacy. The study will be coordinated with HHS. The
Education Department will administer the Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) used by HHS
for their Program Performance Measures Initiative.

Objective 1B: Every child reads well and independently by the end of the third grade.
Objective 1C:Every eighth-grader acquires challenging mathematics including the foundations of
algebra and geometry.

Title I State Performance Report: This study will collect and analyze annual state data on student
achievement, Title I participation, and staffing.

Longitudinal Evaluation of School Change and Performance: This study examines the impact of
standards-based reform on student achievement in high-poverty elementary schools. The study will also
look at the impact of reform policies on accountability and instructional practices in reading and
mathematics.

REA School Implementation and Impact Evaluation is a longitudinal study to examine the quality of
implementation of REA, the extent to which schools that participate in REA are improving the quality of
reading instruction and, the impact of REA on student outcomes. This study will collect both survey data
on a nationally representative sample of REA schools and more in-depth qualitative and impact data on a
subsample of 75 schools.

Effects of REA Model on Children’s Reading Growth is a longitudinal, experimental evaluation of a cohort
of kindergartners in well-implemented REA schools compared to a cohort in similar Title I schools to
determine the impact of the REA model on student achievement. The study is designed to examine the
impact on disadvantaged students overall, and on the most disadvantaged students, who typically have
flat growth curves.

Longitudinal Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Comprehensive School Reform Models and Title I School-
wide Interventions: This evaluation will examine the impact of promising school-wide educational
interventions on student achievement in high poverty schools. The study will include a sample of 75

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high-poverty, Title I elementary schools with schoolwide programs, including schools implementing
instructionally focused models funded through the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration
Program (CSRD).

National Assessment of Title I: New Data and Findings: This report will provide an update of the report to
Congress submitted in 1999. New data on student achievement for the Title I target population from
NAEP and state assessments will be included. New findings on the impact of standards-based reform on
student achievement in high-poverty schools will also be added.

Objective 1D: Middle schools and high schools help all students make successful transitions to
college and careers.

Study of Academic Achievement for Secondary Schools Students examines strategies for raising the
academic achievement of secondary schools students and examines the feasibility of rigorous impact
studies of promising instructional practices in reading and mathematics for secondary school learners.

Evaluation of Upward Bound Program: Upward Bound is designed to complement student financial aid
by providing economically disadvantaged high school students with supplemental services (counseling,
tutoring, special instruction, etc). Using an experimental longitudinal design, this study follows a sample
of 3000 students to assess the effects of TRIO’s Upward Bound program on college access and
performance of disadvantaged secondary school students.

Evaluation of Talent Search Program: Using existing state and federal data, this study examines the
impact of Talent Search participation on students' college enrollment and access to student financial aid.

Evaluation of Gear-Up Program: Gaining Early Awareness Readiness for Undergraduate Programs
(GEAR UP) is a middle and high school intervention aimed at increasing the enrollment rate of
disadvantaged students in postsecondary education. The evaluation follows a sample of project
participants and matched non-participants beginning in the seventh grade to assess the effects
implementing GEAR-UP on secondary and postsecondary educational outcomes.

Evaluation of High Schools That Work, Tech-Prep, Career Academies and Youth Apprenticeship: Using
existing educational and unemployment insurance data from three states, this study examines the impact
of these highly regarded high school programs on students' academic course-taking, postsecondary
enrollment and persistence, and initial earnings.

Evaluation of School-to-Work Implementation: School-to-Work, or school-to- careers as it is often called,

attempts to add meaningful context from the world of work to better engage the interest and intellect of
students and help them learn more effectively. The School-to-Work Opportunities Act sunsets in 2001.
Through case studies, surveys of local partnerships and students, the study collects information on a wide
range of issues including student access and participation in school-to-work, progress in establishing
school-to-work systems, and changes in student outcomes.

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