http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-656317.mp3
Albany, NY – YEAR-END EDUCATION HEADLINES AND UPDATES -
Well, it appears 2007 ends, much the way it began...with many important education measures still languishing in the U.S. Congress.
* The No Child Left Behind Law remains stalled. We'll feature more on that
later in this show.
* The Higher Education Act, which was last renewed in 1998, has had a flurry
of activity, but is still pending in Congress.
* The Department of Education's budget for fiscal 2008 remains up in the air, after Congress failed to override a presidential veto.
* One positive note...Congress has approved a long-awaited measure to renew the federal Head Start preschool program. It's been pending since 2003.
* And in - - higher education meets the controversial immigration issue in the U.S. - - North Carolina's community college system just ordered that state's 58 campuses to admit illegal aliens.
Dr. Karen Hitchcock and Glenn Busby. (1:10)
THE NATIONAL DROPOUT PREVENTION CENTER -
A few weeks ago, TBOOK told you about a new study that identified
17-hundred U.S. high schools as Dropout Factories. While combing
our archives for this year-end show, we quickly discovered that the
dropout issue surfaced several times during 2007.
With nearly 1.2 million high school students dropping out each year,
the socio-economic impact is huge. One report from Teachers College
Columbia University says the U.S. would gain 45-Billion dollars from
increased tax revenues and reduced social costs over the lifetime of
high school graduates.
Dr. Jay Smink is the Executive Director of the National Dropout Prevention Center. In this excerpt from last March, Dr. Smink told TBOOK's, Jim Horne,
his Dropout Prevention Center is now able to identify potential dropouts.
Jim Horne reports. (5:59)
**(Attention Program Directors and Listeners. For more details on the
study and information mentioned in the above story, go to their website
at: www.dropoutprevention.org)**
NATIONAL SUMMIT ON AMERICA'S SILENT EPIDEMIC -
By May of 2007, more than 100 organizations were holding what they
called a Summit On America's Silent Epidemic. 500 superintendents,
teachers, parents, students, state and federal policy-makers, and
community leaders were launching a national movement to try and help
reduce the high school dropout crisis. Here is a portion of what Secretary
of Education, Margaret Spellings, told that gathering.
Glenn Busby reports. (6:06)
**(Attention Program Directors and Listeners. For a detailed list of all
the initiatives sparked by the summit, go to: www.silentepidemic.org)**
GUEST COMMENTARY: NO CHILD LET AHEAD -
The No Child Left Behind Act's reauthorization efforts, begun a year ago,
are still bogged down in Congress. Chairman of the House Education Committee, Rep. George Miller, recently said that it's unlikely the
reauthorization bill will see any action until later in 2008.
The very mention of No Child Left Behind conjures up controversy over
its testing and accountability requirements, and how to spend billions of
dollars. Some critics claim that No Child Left Behind prevents gifted
students from advancing. Our guest commentator, Dr. Keith Lockitch,
believes because the act forces states to ensure that the weakest
students are not left behind...it's dried up funding for programs intended
to challenge the strongest students. Dr. Lockitch calls this policy,
No Child Let Ahead.
Dr. Keith Lockitch comments. (3:13)