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School Board News Bulletin
July 1997

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THE NATIONAL SCENE
Uniforms are lawful, court says
Ten schools tell how restructuring served students

TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS
National grants to support science education
Discover new ways to sustain small schools
Primer on charter schools released
Build parental involvement in rural schools
Get help to deal with difficult topic: sex harassment
National education statistics available on disk
Book details children's status

NEWS FROM IASB
Resolution would require negotiation of TIFs

Classified ads
Recent mailings from IASB
Illinois School District Liquid Asset Fund Plus

State's share of public school funding for FY 97 increased to 32.64 percent

The figures appear in the 1996­97 edition of "State, Local and Federal Financing for Illinois Public Schools," the foremost reference source on Illinois public school funding. The relative share of the various sources of funding for FY 97 is as follows ($ in millions):

State $4,304.6 32.64%
Local 7,730.9 58.62
Federal 1,153.0 8.74
TOTAL $13,188.5 100.00%

An examination of the report indicates that in constant (1976) dollars, state appropriations per pupil decreased from $877.53 in Fiscal Year 1976 to $823.89 in Fiscal Year 1997, a decrease of 9.25 percent. The FY 97 per pupil state appropriation in inflation­adjusted dollars is roughly $62 below that for Fiscal Year 1990, a decrease of 7.6 percent in constant dollars per pupil, according to the report.

A copy of the report was recently mailed by IASB to school board presidents in member districts, thanks to the generosity of the publisher, the State Board of Education.

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Private sector lures state technology director

Lemke departed for the private sector on July 15 to become Vice President for Education Technology at the Milken Family Foundation of Santa Monica, California. She will head a new entity, the Milken Exchange on Education Technology (MEET), and lead its efforts to accelerate student access to technology in schools nationwide.

"Cheryl's expertise and national reputation made this inevitable," said State Superintendent Joseph Spagnolo.

Lemke reportedly will continue to work with the State Board of Education on special projects through the end of the year.

The state's progress in integrating technology has been noteworthy. Over the past two years, Illinois has:

* linked over 5,000 students in 200 classrooms statewide to eight Illinois museums to share in exploration and research;

* engaged nearly 10,000 students in 375 classrooms in on­line learning across the Internet through such programs as EnergyNet;

* designed the blueprint--a K­12 State Technology Plan--which shows what steps must be taken to prepare our children and schools for the next millennium. The plan resulted in Illinois being among the first three states to receive a federal Technology Literacy Challenge Fund grant worth $9.1 million.

* forged partnerships with libraries, community colleges, universities, electric utilities, telephone companies and others to help make technology access affordable to all schools and to aggregate buying power and share bandwidth.

IASB Board accepts 1997­98 budget

* established a net cash reserve floor of $1 million;

* received an update on the work of the Foundation design team;

* approved the issuance of a certificate to each member district that can be redeemed for registration for either a New Board Member Workshop or a Board Presidents Workshop;

* received an update on the Illinois Fair School Funding Coalition initiative; and

* approved presidential committee appointments.

Confirmed appointees to the Nominating Committee include Stan Morgan, IASB Immediate Past President; Elizabeth Eichelberger, Director, Three Rivers Division; Gerri Long, Director at Large; Roger Pfister, Director, Shawnee Division; and Ray Zimmerman, Director, Corn Belt Division.

Those confirmed appointees to the Audit Commission are Joy Talsma, Chair, IASB Treasurer; Christy Coleman, Director, Blackhawk Division; Dave Engelbrecht, Director, Northwest Division; Merv Roberts, Director, Lake Division; and Barbara Somogyi, Director, North Cook Division.

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Chicago students retained

School officials told 25 percent of eight graders they won't move up to the ninth grade with their classmates unless they attend summer school and pass a standardized test.

"What's wrong with having children spend another year or two in elementary school?" Vallas asks. "What's wrong with taking five or six years to get through high school, if that's what it takes to get them prepared? Why force all kids through school on the same schedule?" Vallas calls social promotion "educational malpractice."

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AT&T teams with Chicago schools for engaged learning

AT&T Enrich is the first formalized program for Catholic and public schools in Chicago to use technology tools with a variety of education techniques to create an engaged learning environment. Science teachers in Chicago high schools will work collaboratively over a three­year period to develop new curriculum and classroom models that use technology to engage students in problem­solving and strategic thinking projects.

Supported by a $1.5 million AT&T Learning Network grant, the AT&T Enrich partnership will begin immediately with a 20­member curriculum design team. The grant will be used primarily for salaries, administration and professional development of teachers.

The program will directly involve more than 50 schools and 100 teachers and roughly 17,000 students.

The AT&T Learning Network represents a $150 million commitment from AT&T to help put all the nation's 110,000 public and private schools on the information superhighway by the year 2000.

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Illinois has most segregated schools

The study, "Deepening Segregation in American Public Schools," by Gary Orfield of Harvard University and three Indiana University researchers, shows schools in Illinois are the most "separate, unequal" in the nation. Southern states were found to be the most fully integrated, along with rural and small towns.

The study also found that just 5 percent of segregated white schools face conditions of widespread poverty among their students, while more than 80 percent of segregated Latino and black schools face such conditions.

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Deadline nears for waiver petitions

For further information or application forms contact: Shelly Helton, Sharon Neely or Sally Vogl at 217/782­0541.

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East St. Louis schools face renewal of lawsuit

The American Civil Liberties Union brought the lawsuit against the East St. Louis school board, the Illinois State Board of Education, and state and local school superintendents. A lower court had ruled against that lawsuit in September, 1995.

The lawsuit maintains that "neither safe nor adequate" conditions prevail in East St. Louis schools and, thus, local students are denied their constitutional right to a decent education.

The State Board of Education reportedly will seek to appeal the latest ruling to the Illinois State Supreme Court.

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U.S. fourth­graders among world leaders in math, science

The report, Pursuing Excellence: A Study of U.S. Fourth­Grade Mathematics and Science Achievement in International Context, shows that U.S. students outperformed students in 12 countries, including England, Greece, Norway, Portugal and Scotland.

"In fourth­grade science we are very close to achieving the national education goal of being 'first in the world' established by the President and governors at the historic Charlottesville Education Summit in 1989," said Pascal D. Forgione, Jr., Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics. In science, only one nation's fourth­grade students scored higher than American students.

U.S. fourth­graders exceed the international science average in all areas tested.

In mathematics, U.S. fourth­graders are outperformed by students in seven countries (including Korea and Japan). American fourth­graders outperform their peers in 12 countries (including England and Greece) in math, and are similar to those in six countries (including Canada and Australia).

For more information on the report, call 202/219­1329. Information is also available on the World Wide Web at http://www.ed.gov/ NCES/timss.

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THE NATIONAL SCENE

Uniforms are lawful, court says

"This is the first appeals court decision in the nation that addresses First Amendment issues that arise when a school board adopts and enforces a mandatory student uniform policy." So said Thomas Pickrell, director of legal services for the Arizona School Boards Association. The ASBA had filed a brief on behalf of the district in Phoenix Elementary School District v. Green.

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Ten schools tell how restructuring served students

Cawelti's book describes how each of 10 schools in locales across the United States implemented each of these elements in their restructuring. It explains how schools have achieved the greatest gains in state assessment and national standardized tests.

Cawelti discusses restructuring results in terms of student achievement, attitudes, attendance and post­graduation plans. The 63­page, $28 book (plus the greater of $3.50 or 10 percent of total sale for postage and handling) is available from Educational Research Service, 2000 Clarendon Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201; phone 800/791­9308; fax 800/791­9309.

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For­profit companies running charter schools

Two corporations involved are The Edison Project, which will have 25 schools in eight states next fall, and Education Alternatives, Inc., (EAI). EAI lost school management contracts in Miami, Baltimore, and Hartford, Connecticut, but now is working to open a dozen charter schools near Phoenix over the next three years.

There also is a short, but growing, list of other corporate players. Some already operate charters in several states-led by Edison-while others are starting several schools in one state and then looking to grow beyond.

"Their objective," says Marc Dean Millot, a senior social scientist with RAND, Corporation, who has done several major charter school studies, "is to demonstrate a viable, high­performing charter school to attract attention in the national market."

Illinois is one of 11 states where private firms are operating charter and public schools-or opening new ones this fall.

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RESEARCH REPORTS: facts and figures for school leaders

Teacher development and new computers needed: National poll

More than 94 percent of those surveyed said computer technology has improved teaching and learning in American schools. Nearly half said the computer revolution will not be complete until teachers are trained more effectively. Asked where computers have made the biggest difference, more than two­thirds cited improvements in student motivation and access to information outside the classroom. The educators said getting computers into classrooms and connecting them to internal "intranets" is a more urgent priority than connecting more computers to the Internet.

Source: NSBA, School Board News, May 13, 1997.

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Most see parents as key to school performance

Americans direct even more blame at the children-and by implication, poor parenting. In fact, 86 percent of the 2,010 people surveyed nationwide blame undisciplined children as a major factor for schools' perceived poor performance. By contrast, 66 percent cite low academic standards as a very important reason why they believe schools do not work.

Other findings from the study:

* The public's opinion of local schools has fallen, with 39 percent of those polled today saying their schools deserve a grade of A or B, compared to 48 percent in 1974. What is more, 23 percent give their schools a D or F, compared to just 11 percent two decades ago.

* Despite this decline in public confidence, support for local control of schools remains strong. Asked who should have responsibility for improving the quality of the public schools, 47 percent say the local school board. That compares to 25 percent who believe state government should hold that authority, and 13 percent who want the federal government to take charge.

* Privatization of public schools is favored by only 30 percent of those polled, but opposed by 63 percent.

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U.S. students fall short in four­nation math study

Copies of the study are available for $10 from the American Federation of Teachers, World Class Standards Series, AFT Order Dept., 555 New Jersey Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20001.

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Gap narrowed

The report says blacks and whites age 25­29 had almost the same rate of high school completion in 1995, about 87 percent. Among youths 18­24, the gap was wider. Hispanics have a 57 percent graduation rate.

Ten years ago, blacks had an 81 percent graduation rate, compared to 87 percent for whites. Since then, more blacks are finishing high school requirements later in life through equivalency examinations.

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Special ed teachers in short supply

Fields in which teacher shortages were found include special education, speech pathology, bilingual education and some foreign languages. Math and science teaching fields have less dramatic shortages.

Source: Teacher Supply and Demand in the United States, 1996 Report (20 pages), $15, American Association for Employment in Education, 820 Davis Street, Suite 222, Evanston, IL 60201­4445.

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FEDERAL UPDATE

Employer Social Security duties clarified

The Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) defines Social Security and Medicare taxes. The IRS estimates that the underreporting of FICA and Medicare wages and taxes costs the federal trust fund hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Nevertheless, there are perfectly legitimate and legal reasons why a governmental employer may not be required to pay either the FICA or Medicare taxes.

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Background

A major change occurred with the 1950 amendments to the Social Security Act. Because many government employees did not participate in an employer­sponsored retirement plan, the act was modified to allow for governmental employees to voluntarily enter into a contractual arrangement to obtain social security coverage. This change was made within section 218 of the Social Security Act and, therefore, the voluntary arrangements are called section 218 agreements.

These voluntary agreements cover positions of a public employer, not the individual employee. Public employers were not required to enter into section 218 agreements, and many employers who already had a retirement system in place did not enter into an agreement.

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Public employee coverage

Employees in some of these positions may now be subject to the mandatory FICA provisions even though they were excluded from the section 218 agreement. The mandatory FICA provisions took effect on July 2, 1991, and are discussed later in this article.

In 1955 the law was modified to allow for the extension of social security (except for police and firefighters) to a public employer with an existing retirement plan.

As part of the overhaul of the federal social security program in 1983, Congress set a new deadline for opting out of a section 218 pact. Congress established April 20, 1983, as the date after which public employers were prohibited from changing or opting out of their section 218 agreement.

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Mandatory changes

Effective July 2, 1991, Congress enacted a change that took the issue even further, by mandating full­FICA coverage for any government employee who did not participate in a qualified public retirement system. The term "qualified public retirement system" was clarified further by IRS regulations. This particular change will be one of the focal points of the IRS outreach project.

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IRS outreach project

The proper reporting of social security wages and taxes will help ensure that all employees who are entitled to or required to participate in this federal program are doing so.

The IRS is focusing as well on the issue of the independent contractor versus employee. All employees are given a Form W­2 Wage and Tax Statement at the end of a calendar year. Independent contractors performing services for an entity should be issued a Form 1099­Misc­Miscellaneous Income if the value of the services rendered are in excess of $600 during the year.

According to the IRS, the intent of this outreach project is to make enforcement activities unnecessary by ensuring that government employers comply with the Social Security and Medicare requirements.

A number of resources are available to state and local employers to aid them in the determination of FICA/Medicare coverage, such as: Federal­State Reference Guide for Social Security Coverage and FICA Reporting by State/Local Government Employers, IRS Publication No. 0963 (Cat. No. 21843B), phone the IRS at 800/829­3676 to request a copy; and 1099 Information Reporting: A Compliance Guide for State and Local Governments (1994 Edition) by Paula Porpilia, published by the Government Finance Officers Association (phone 312/977­9700). In addition you can visit the IRS at their website: http://www.irs.ustreas.gov or the Social Security Administration website: http://www.ssg.gov for additional information.

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Instructional television service touted

Meanwhile, many school systems have submitted applications for four channels in what the FCC calls the Instructional Television Fixed Service (ITFS). These school districts reportedly are about to benefit from a wide range of new educational technologies.

Advocates of ITFS, however, say other school districts still can benefit by establishing partnerships with their local ITFS licensees.

ITFS is a series of twenty private over­the­air microwave channels that have the capacity to broadcast high­quality video and audio signals to school sites as far away as thirty­five miles. They can be used to relay satellite distant learning to school sites or individual learners who do not have their own satellite receivers. They also can help deliver live or taped programming originating from the school district's studio, and provide schools with high­speed access to the Internet.

There are active ITFS licensees in most communities. There are, however, still hundreds of school districts that either do not hold their own ITFS licenses, or have yet to establish a partnership with a local ITFS licensee. Such partnerships could provide the non­licensees with access to all the benefits of a private television network that reaches into all their schools and to students and their parents at home.

Using a single ITFS channel, licensees can establish a connection to the Internet that will run at speeds hundreds of times faster than a standard telephone line. What is more, districts using ITFS will save hundreds of dollars per month that they would otherwise be paying for the high­speed lines leased from telephone companies.

Educators can learn more about the ways in which ITFS can affect programs and school budgets via the NIA Webpage at http://www.itfs.org. Or e­mail Don MacCullough, NIA Executive Secretary, (DonMacC@aol.com), or by telephone at 305/949­0175.

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Schools liable for ads

The case involved the refusal of students in Lexington, Massachusetts, to publish advertisements promoting sexual abstinence. A three­judge panel of the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals said student newspapers and yearbooks are "limited public forums" that must publish a variety of views.

The ruling (Yeo v. Town of Lexington)said districts are responsible for student publications because they provide faculty advisers.

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WORKSHOPS AND MEETINGS

Learn ropes of performance measurement

Top executives representing state, county and municipal governments will attend to learn the latest performance measurement techniques and review comparative "benchmarking data" and share practical experience.

To register and for additional information contact: The Conference Department, P.O. Box 189, Winchester, MA 01890. Phone: 617/729­8611; Fax: 617/729­8677, e­mail ConfDepart@aol.com.

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TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS

National grants to support science education

NSF will award five grants totaling from $200,000 to $800,000 each in its Comprehensive Partnerships for Mathematics and Science Achievement program. The program targets K­12 math and science education.

The program supports systematic education reform through efforts to boost student enrollment, and student interest and performance in science and mathematics. It finances cooperative efforts between community organizations and city schools to implement basic curricula and strengthen teacher and student skills.

Proposal writers should strive to design "a holistic scheme" to increase the number of students who are literate in math and science. Activities include revising course structures, expanding classes and creating instructional strategies. The final date for submitting proposals is October 15, 1997.

For further information, contact: Directorate for Education and Human Resources, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Room 815, Arlington, VA 22230; phone 703/306­1633; e­mail pubs@nsf.gov; or visit Internet site http://www.nsf.gov.

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Discover new ways to sustain small schools

What is more, the book explains how to coordinate support for rural and small schools and offers a detailed list of publications and resources on related subjects.

The handbook Sustainable Small Schools: A Handbook for Rural Communities (157 pages, $15 prepaid) is available from ERIC. Write: ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools, Appalachia Educational Laboratory, P.O. Box 1348, Charleston, WV 25325; phone 800/624­9120 (ask for the Clearinghouse); or e­mail at lanhamb@ael.org.

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Primer on charter schools released

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Build parental involvement in rural schools

The guidebook ticks off 10 key elements common to effective parental participation in schools, including everything from offering training to establishing sound formal policies. The book concludes by recounting five "noteworthy" parent involvement programs and how to contact each program.

The guidebook Parent Involvement 101: A Guide for Rural Educators is available from: North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 1900 Spring Rd., Suite 300, Oak Brook, IL 60521­1480; phone 800/356­2735 (cite order number RUR­PI­95, 37 pages, $9.95 prepaid).

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Get help to deal with difficult topic: sex harassment

The OCR guidelines, "Sexual Harassment: It's Not Academic," appear on the Department's World Wide Web site: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OCR/ocrshpam.html.

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National education statistics available on disk

The CD­ROM will operate on an IBM­PC or compatible personal computer with a minimum of 640k of memory, a hard drive and PC/MS DOS 3.1 or higher. It functions under Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups, or Windows 95, but in DOS character mode.

Copies are available from New Orders, Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250­7954. The stock number is 065­000­00979­0 and the price is $16.

The product is also available via the Internet at gopher.ed.gov:10000 or http://www.ed.gov/NCES/pubs97/97076.html.

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Book details children's status

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NEWS FROM IASB

Resolution would require negotiation of TIFs

The rationale behind the proposal-one of many resolutions to be voted upon at the Joint Annual Conference in Chicago-is that TIFs can severely limit the revenue that local schools derive from property taxes. TIFs present potential funding problems for schools in an era when school revenues are routinely capped but school expenses such as utility costs are not.

IASB already opposes the widespread abuse of TIF statutes, and thus the language of this proposed resolution might be incorporated into position statement 2.33 on the same subject.

A total of 14 resolutions have been submitted this year. The sponsors represent 10 different IASB divisions. The IASB Resolutions Committee is scheduled to meet August 1 in Oak Brook to consider these resolutions and take testimony from the submitting districts.

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Classified ads

WANTED: South Fork District 14 is interested in purchasing a used portable classroom. Please contact Art Anthony, Superintendent, at 217/237­4333.

FOR SALE: About 50 Fasco #452 ceiling fans, four 52@ wood blades, six years old (new: $100 each), asking $20 each or 6 for $100. Contact Pontiac­Wm. Holliday School District 105, 400 Ashland Drive, Fairview Heights, IL 62208; phone: 618/233­6004.

FOR SALE: 100 ­ used 8 ft. fluorescent light fixtures, $10 each or make an offer. Pontiac­Wm. Holliday School District 105, 400 Ashland Drive, Fairview Heights, IL 62208; phone 618/233­6004.

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Recent mailings from IASB

June 13: Forms for reporting activities to IASB to qualify board members for Leadership & Development Awards, mailed to district superintendents.

June 19: State, Local and Federal Financing for Illinois Public Schools, 1996­97, book mailed to superintendents.

June 24: Digest of Bills Passed, 1997, booklet mailed to board presidents and district superintendents.

July 9: Illinois teacher salary schedule, to board presidents.

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Illinois School District Liquid Asset Fund Plus

There was an additional $116 million invested in the Max Fund, a separate portfolio that seeks higher yields by investing in permitted investments with longer securities. As of July 14, the daily rate of return was 5.18 percent, and 5.30 in the Max fund.

More than $495 million was invested in the Fixed Rate program, at rates of 5.50 percent for a 30­day certificate to 5.95 percent for a one­year certificate. For more information about ISDLAF+, call, toll­free, 1­800/221­4524.

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IASB School Board News Bulletin
Illinois Association of School Boards