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School Board News Bulletin
September 1999

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Double Whammy remains major drain on school revenue

Experts reveal secrets of choosing a school safety consultant

State law changed to require only one high school standards exam

E-rate funding commitments announced, major court challenge dismissed

Weapons-possession expulsions on the decline in Illinois

FEDERAL UPDATE

Two school bus companies hit with heavy fines

Illinois Title I practices criticized

Title I reforms: Slow going reported

NEWS FROM IASB

Board of directors meeting

Lake Division previews its own website

Conference hotel room exchange is again online

NATIONAL SCENE

Improper content too common on TV, parents say

Kansas State Board votes against teaching evolution

Cleveland parents who departed public schools happy with voucher schools

RESEARCH REPORTS

Teachers need more technology training: Study

School-community initiatives growing

Youth violence rate falls

TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS

Security and crisis planning resources tailored to Illinois schools

IASBO marks change of address

NSBA publication urges "humanizing" America's high schools

ERS handbook summarizes research on boosting achievement

Health letter touted

Midwest school-to-work programs profiled in detail

WORKSHOPS & MEETINGS

IEC workshop participants hear encouraging cost savings estimates

Safe schools workshops announced

Videoconference about online safety scheduled

Disaster response to be topic of Internet symposium

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Despite a new law giving school districts partial financial relief, many tax-cap districts still face the costly "double whammy" that limits their school revenue in two ways. One whammy comes from tax caps, and the other through inequities in the state school-aid formula.

The new law, Public Act 91-111, signed by Gov. George Ryan July 14, changes the state aid formula to partially offset the negative effect of tax caps on school funding. The law could cost the state an additional $45 million this year, but that is only a fraction of the losses many school districts have suffered over the past few years.

"Nothing in the new law is designed to help make up for the huge revenue losses suffered by tax cap districts since the early 1990s," according to Bill Hinrichs, senior policy adviser with ISBE.

Furthermore, not all districts hammered by the double whammy will get help under the law. Districts receiving money through the hold harmless program will not receive a net increase in state aid. Such districts will be hit with a deduction of funds through the hold harmless program that will offset any added revenue obtained through the new double whammy law, which took effect July 1.

Understandably, even those districts receiving partial relief from the double whammy through the new law would like to see the problem solved more fully.

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Although statistics show such incidents are extremely rare, high profile outbreaks of school violence like the tragedy at Columbine High School have created overnight experts in the field of school security and crisis preparedness.

So says Ronald Stephens, executive director of the National School Safety Center (NSSC). The NSSC is a nonprofit organization created by presidential directive in 1984 to meet the need for training and preparation in the area of school crime and violence prevention.

Stephens gave the News Bulletin some tips on how school leaders can choose a school safety consultant from the avalanche of self-declared experts currently offering their services:

• find out how long the organization has been around and what their background has been in working with schools

• determine who would conduct a site assessment in your school

• perform a background investigation of the person who will carry out the site assessment

• get details about he process to be used (will it just be a drive-by evaluation, or an in-depth site assessment?)

• learn what the organization has published recently about school security and, in particular, whether they have published any standards on their security process.

Other experts suggest hiring consultants experienced in working specifically with schools, not those with exclusively military or corporation security experience. It makes sense, also, to carefully check credentials and watch out for consultants whose chief concern is to peddle their own products.

Putting a larger perspective on the violence issue, Anne L. Bryant, executive director of the National School Boards Association, notes that addressing safety issues is important. "But we must not lose sight of the fact that our number-one job as school board members is to create an environment for learning," Bryant said.

"I would like to see school boards concentrate on providing an environment so exciting, students will be inspired to learn as much as they can. I want to see kids so enthusiastic about learning, they race to the schoolhouse door every day and so engaged in the learning process they don't want to leave when they hear the dismissal bell."

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Public Act 91-283, signed into law by Governor Ryan July 29, ensures that high school districts will not need to administer two sets of state-devised tests to demonstrate student progress toward meeting the Illinois Learning Standards. There is just one catch, however: starting in 2001 the state standards testing period will occur in early March rather than early February.

The new law simplifies testing in high schools by abolishing the use of the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) at the high school level. The ISAT was to have been administered at grades 10, 11 and 12 starting early next year, as well as in the lower grade levels where the ISAT is still required.

The law change means high school students will take only the Prairie State Achievement Examination (PSAE), in grade 11. The PSAE is to be piloted as a one-hour test for all 11th graders, but only on one subject, during the period of January 31 - February 11, 2000.

Beginning in March 2001, the full PSAE will be administered to all 11th graders in five subject areas: reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social science. This means the key high school test will run about a month later than usual. The aim is to have students take the PSAE as late as practicable during the second semester of grade 11, yet still leave adequate time to return test results before the summer break. State Board assessment experts suggest this means the PSAE will have to be administered in early March.

High schools were only recently informed of the move of the 2001 testing date from February to March. Some administrators have expressed concern that schools could lose an entire month to pre-test preparation.

For more information, visit the State Board's website at http://www.isbe.state.il.us/isat/prairiestatenew.htm or telephone 217/782-4823.

Source: Carmen Chapman, ISBE Assessment Division.

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The Schools and Libraries Division announced August 20 it now has approved more than $478.5 million in funding to school and library applicants under the e-rate program in its second year. That amounts to roughly 21 percent of the total funds available for distribution for the 1999-2000 funding year.

Meanwhile, a federal appeals court upheld the e-rate program against a challenge from GTE. A Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruling upheld virtually the full scope of the Federal Communication Commission's e-rate discount program for schools and libraries. To read the full Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals opinion on the Web, go to: http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/97/97-60421-cv0.HTM

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Eighty-six students were expelled In Illinois during the 1997-98 school year for weapons possession, the federal Education Department reported in August. The number of expulsions was well down from the previous year.

In contrast, California public schools expelled 382 students, Texas expelled 424, and Pennsylvania expelled 193 students for weapons possession in 1997-98. All had much higher rates of such expulsions than Illinois, with 3.8 expulsions per 100,000 students, the lowest rate in the Midwest.

Nationwide, the total number of students expelled for bringing weapons to school declined 31 percent from 1996-97 to 1997-98.

The expulsion figures reflect events in which schools caught students with weapons and took disciplinary action. Under law, school expulsions are mandatory for carrying weapons to school, but such expulsions are temporary, lasting only up to two years.

U.S. Education Secretary Richard W. Riley said the findings, combined with a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicating a decline in violence at high schools was good news. Riley said it "shows that fewer young people are carrying guns or taking them into schools."

The study, "Report on State Implementation of the Gun-Free Schools Act, School Year 1997-98," is on the Education Department's Web site, http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SDFS.

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NATIONAL SCENE

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Improper content too common on TV, parents say

Violence, sexual content and adult language are too prevalent on television for their children, say nearly nine out of 10 parents. That finding comes from a recent study by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) at the University of Pennsylvania. Eighty-four percent of respondents said they favor the federally mandated V-chip technology that allows parents to block certain programming from children's viewing. The FCC is requiring the V-chip in most new television sets as of January 2000. APPC also found that three-quarters of children's shows containing four or more acts of violence did not carry the FV (fantasy violence) content rating. See http://www.appcpenn.org .

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Kansas State Board votes against teaching evolution

The Kansas State Board of Education has voted 6-4 to abolish most references to the theory of evolution from the state's science curricula standards. Although the vote only provides guidelines for school officials, the new standards could discourage Kansas schools from teaching the subject in detail. The decision is the biggest victory in years for religious groups who have challenged evolution as a contradiction to creationism.

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Cleveland parents who departed public schools happy with voucher schools

A recent Harvard University study finds that those Cleveland parents who have chosen to send their children to private schools through Ohio's voucher program are more pleased with their children's schools than parents of children in public schools.

Some critics of the report have asked, however, whether it is meaningful to compare the satisfaction levels of the two groups of parents. One group already has taken the bold step of withdrawing children from public schools, presumably because of a significant level of dissatisfaction. The other group has kept children in the public schools, perhaps signaling a somewhat greater level of satisfaction.

The study said parents who used vouchers reported themselves better satisfied than parents of public school students about three basic aspects of their children's schools: academics, discipline and safety. The report does not touch on whether there is any empirical basis for the feelings of voucher-using parents about the quality of the private schools their children attend.

The full report, "An Evaluation of the Cleveland Voucher Program After Two Years" is available on the Web at http://data.fas.harvard.edu/PEPG/ .

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RESEARCH REPORTS

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Teachers need more technology training: Study

Thirteen percent of experienced teachers said they were not prepared at all to use technology, compared with 6 percent of new teachers, according to a new national survey by Market Data Retrieval (MAR.). Districts should not expect new teachers to be so savvy that they don't need training, the authors note. The report, New Teachers and Technology, is based on a questionnaire answered by about 1,500 teachers, from a mailing to 9,000 teachers either in their first or second year of teaching or those with more experience. The report is $129 from MAR., of Shelton, CT, phone 800/333-8802.

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School-community initiatives growing

A Mott Foundation-funded study, Learning Together: The Developing Field of School-Community Initiatives, shows such initiatives are increasingly taking root across the nation. These programs reportedly are earning respect and helping solidify the place of schools as the social and recreational anchors of their communities. The study was prepared by the Institute for Educational Leadership, the University of Chicago and other organizations. Copies are available free from the Mott Foundation, 1200 Mott Foundation Building, Flint, MI 48502-1851, or phone 800/645-1766.

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Youth violence rate falls

Violent acts by American high school students declined between 1991 and 1997, researchers reported in August. The decline in the number of fights (down by 14 percent) and weapons possession (down by 30 percent) was steeper for girls than boys. The study was based on data collected through the Youth Risk Behavior Survey of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It was published August 4 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). For an abstract of the article, visit the JAMA archives on their Web at http://www.ama-assn.org/sci-pubs/journals/archive/jama/vol_282/no_ 5/oc90430a.htm.

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NEWS FROM IASB

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Board of directors meeting

The Board of Directors met in Oak Brook August 27-29. Highlights of action taken by the Board included: accepting the preliminary report of a "clean" Fiscal Year 1999 audit; reviewing a staff report regarding Y2K preparedness; discussing the Resolutions Committee Report; approving a modification in the Annual Delegate Assembly Rules for the November 20 annual meeting; and receiving and discussing a report regarding the Education Commission of the States governance project (to be covered in the next issue of IASB's Illinois School Board Journal).

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Lake Division previews its own website

IASB's Lake Division is the first to offer its own official website, now open for public viewing at iasb.lake.k12.il.us . The site, which can also be reached via the IASB home page, boasts lots of interactive features and extensive news about Lake Division activities. Included are several "leave an idea" and "leave a message" spots to facilitate communication with division membership. Merv Roberts, IASB Director, and Nancy Flouret, IASB Director at Large, demonstrated the site to the IASB Board of Directors at its recent meeting in Oak Brook, along with technology expert Jack Edwards, Chairman of the Lake Division, and Edith Auchter, a Barrington board member whose expertise in all things Web-related was a key to the site's development. If your division has talked about creating a site, you may wish to contact any of the four individuals listed above and chat with them about some of the challenges they have faced.

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Conference hotel room exchange is again online

For the second consecutive year, IASB is providing an online hotel room exchange, accessible on the IASB Web site, for use by school districts with excess hotel rooms for the Joint Annual Conference. Districts with extra rooms are encouraged to make these rooms available to other districts rather than cancel them, which also would mean removing the Conference block rate applicable for those rooms.

IASB is making a bulletin board available to bring together districts seeking hotel rooms with school districts that have reserved more rooms than they can use. The exchange Internet address is: http://www.iasb.com/housing/ .

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FEDERAL UPDATE

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Two school bus companies hit with heavy fines

Two Wisconsin school bus firms were heavily fined ($23,000 and $14,000 respectively) recently by the Federal Highway Administration for allowing bus drivers who were confirmed positive for drugs to continue to transport school children.

Such fines may result from a failure to stay in compliance with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, according to experts at the Mid-West Truckers Association. That means, among other things, checking the previous employers of school bus drivers to make sure they were not fired because of a positive test result.

Districts that are not sure whether they are in compliance can call the Mid-West Truckers Association Drug and Alcohol Testing Consortium at 217/525-0310.

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Illinois Title I practices criticized

Researchers under contract with the U.S. Education Department say the push to improve low-performing schools under Title I may be compromised by state-level administrative practices in Illinois. The researchers told Education USA (August 23, 1999) that Illinois allows schools to elude the "low-performing" label.

Specifically, researchers Margot Rogers and Christine Stoneman charge that Title I participating schools in Illinois can evade being classified as "low-performing" by citing high scores in one grade to offset low scores in another.

"If your school is doing marginally better in math, social studies, writing or science, whether or not your students can read doesn't matter," Rogers and Stoneman wrote. "This is clearly not what Title I intended." Rogers and Stoneman are attorneys with the Center for Law and Education, a Washington, DC-based research and advocacy organization.

Rogers and Stoneman published the charges last month in a paper that argues that Title I gives states too many loopholes in the classification of schools.

They reportedly will recommend that Congress revise Title I provisions to specify that schools and school districts must meet state standards for every grade and every subject tested. Otherwise schools would face being slapped with the low-performing label, followed by harsh sanctions.

The study, "Triggering Educational Accountability" is available from the Center for Law and Education, 1875 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 510, Washington, DC 20009; phone 202/ 986-3000; or visit Web site http://www.cleweb.org.

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Title I reforms: Slow going reported

Principals in Title I schools have implemented many of the reforms called for in the 1994 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Act, the U.S. Education Department reports. Yet in some areas they still have a long way to go. The report is entitled School-Level Implementation of Standards-Based Reform: Findings from the Public School Survey on Education Reform. It is available from the Education Department's Publications Center at 877/433-7827; or on the Web at http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html.

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TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS

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Security and crisis planning resources tailored to Illinois schools

The National School Safety And Security Services (NSS&SS) organization has announced it has been working with school officials in Illinois to make its web site (http://www.schoolsecurity.org) more useful for Illinois school leaders. The web site offers new resources, training information, and related services for school safety and crisis preparedness. For more information, phone NSS&SS at 216/251-3067.

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IASBO marks change of address

The Illinois Association of School Business Officials (IASBO) has moved into a new building (the Graham Hall address is no longer valid). IASBO remains affiliated with Northern Illinois University and is still located on the university's DeKalb campus. IASBO now is headquartered at: Illinois ASBO, Northern Illinois University, IA-103, DeKalb, Illinois 60115-2866. IASBO's fax is still 815/753-9367 and their phone number remains 815/753-1276.

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NSBA publication urges "humanizing" America's high schools

The September, 1999, issue of American School Board Journal, published by NSBA, focuses on "Humanizing America's High Schools." In one article, for example, Theodore R. Sizer deplores the anonymity that is "the curse of the American comprehensive high school." In "A Cold Climate," Lawrence Hardy observes that "the trouble with high school is that kids don't feel welcome here." To get a copy, contact NSBA at 1680 Duke Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3493 or visit the web site at http://www.asbj.com or call 703/838-6722.

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ERS handbook summarizes research on boosting achievement

The recently revised school administrators' Handbook of Research on Improving Student Achievement, published by the Educational Research Service, summarizes research findings, by subject field, on effective teaching practices that can boost student achievement. The second edition (stock number 0321) is available for $40 plus $4 shipping from: Educational Research Service, Publications Orders, 2000 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201. Fax 800/791-9309. Phone 800/791-9308.

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Health letter touted

A four-page monthly newsletter promoting healthy habits for kids now has a school edition designed to provide health-oriented materials to help fill school newsletters. With content written for early elementary school children, The News Pepper is filled with straightforward information as well as instructive, interactive activities. For more information, phone 207/874-9045, e-mail: newspepper@worldnet.att.net or write The News Pepper, 477 Congress Street, Suite 400, Portland, Maine 04101.

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Midwest school-to-work programs profiled in detail

An Ohio-based School-to-Work Development Clearinghouse website (http://www.stwclearinghouse.org) now offers detailed descriptions of successful programs. The site offers pertinent information for all those interested in school-to-work programs. Requests for additional information may be posted on the website bulletin board. The information on programs can be found by following the Showcase Practices link.

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WORKSHOPS & MEETINGS

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IEC workshop participants hear encouraging cost savings estimates

School district leaders who attended a series of workshops by the Illinois Energy Consortium (IEC) heard some good news recently about potential cost savings on their schools' electricity purchases. According to IEC estimates, savings could range up to 12 percent, depending upon district size and the utility companies used, and savings of 5 percent or more may be common.

The IEC is an Illinois not-for-profit corporation recently formed by school management interests to help schools benefit from reduced electric bills. It is a jointly sponsored program of the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB), Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA), and Illinois Association of School Business Officials (IASBO). Its purpose is to provide member benefits through consolidated, state-wide electric purchasing and related services for Illinois education and public institutions.

The IEC recently announced it has selected Central Illinois Light Company (CILCO) to be its Electric Program Administrator. As such CILCO will be providing day-to-day operations in addition to a wide range of related power supply services for IEC and its participants. CILCO, meanwhile, is being acquired by AES Corporation, a global power company that currently owns or has interest in 105 power facilities and distributes electricity to nearly 14 million customers around the world.

"Working closely with CILCO and Latham and Associates, its Energy Advisor out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, IEC is designed to make it economically and administratively feasible for schools to immediately participate in electric choice where they can benefit from lower electric bills through IEC," the consortium stated.

Because electric choice in Illinois is to be phased in over several years, only a few schools selected by their present power providers will be able to begin this program on October 1, 1999. All schools will be eligible by January 1, 2001. The IEC's nine-member board includes representatives from each school management organization as well as school districts representing each region throughout the state.

Individuals attending the workshops were advised that only those school electric accounts that are expected to save money will be encouraged to remain enrolled in IEC. Although the savings estimates show 0 % savings at the low end for small to medium facilities, IEC says this is because the consortium will recommend that those facilities that do not save on final rates should stay with their conventional utility service.

Estimated savings for schools can be substantial: one moderately large school district in central Illinois reportedly could save a total $240,000 the first year.

According to David Grace, IEC President and Business Manager and Treasurer for Champaign C.U. District 4, the membership response from school boards and district personnel has been phenomenal. "Over 250 school districts from all parts of the state have signed participation agreements with IEC within the last six weeks. IEC membership should more than double over the next month or two. This means significant potential savings since a larger joint purchasing pool should attract more potential power suppliers and result in lower electric prices for IEC participants."

IASBO Executive Director Ron Everett is the focal point for membership in IEC and for marketing its services. Public and private schools, colleges and universities and other public agencies such as libraries and park districts interested in IEC membership are encouraged to contact IEC by phone at 815/753-9840 or through its web site at iec@niu.edu.

Power suppliers to the IEC program have not been chosen, but reportedly will be based on a competitive bidding process that will include all current suppliers in Illinois and qualified national power suppliers. That process will be conducted by IEC's Energy Advisor, Latham & Associates. According to Louie Ervin, Latham Executive Vice President, "initial interest in providing power supplies to IEC is intense and is from all over the upper Midwest and across the country."

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Safe schools workshops announced

A series of nine regional Safe Schools Workshops sponsored by Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan and Governor George Ryan began September 29 in Rockford, and September 30 in Lisle. This six-hour program, to be offered without charge from now until October 28, aims to help communities make better plans on school security, with a special emphasis on school violence prevention.

Workshop participation is designed to be shared by community teams, including school administrators, a local board member, local police, firefighters, a local elected official, emergency management coordinators, and a PTA representative. Lunch will be provided.

Upcoming dates and locations are: October 5, Peoria/Gateway Conference Center; October 6, Quincy/ Convention Center; October 13, Champaign/Clarion Hotel; October 14, Chicago/Regal Knickerbocker Hotel; October 26, Collinsville/Gateway Center; October 27, Carbondale/Civic Center; October 28, Effingham/KC Hall.

Registration forms must be turned in 10 working days before the selected session. For more information contact Chris Tamminga, Illinois Emergency Management Agency, 110 East Adams Street, Springfield, IL 62701-1109.

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Videoconference about online safety scheduled

A federal agency and NSBA will host a national satellite videoconference November 9 to address the growing concerns of online safety and provide important information to ensure that children are safe when they "surf." The federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency prevention will present a videoconference from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. for board members, administrators, parents, teachers, and others with an interest in Internet safety for kids. Registration is free. To coordinate a local downlink site send e-mail before October 20 to: ekujjtap@aol.com (request a registration form). To view the videoconference, request a list of registered sites after October 20 by faxing: 606/622-4397.

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Disaster response to be topic of Internet symposium

The Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI) has announced an Internet symposium called "Dealing with Disaster," October 4-8, 1999. The symposium will cover community approaches to limit the potential cost of disasters and to recover from their effects. The Symposium Center will host the event online at http://www.riskinstitute.org . It is open to anyone interested and there is no charge to participate. Pre-registrants will receive daily discussion papers from the symposium sponsors by e-mail.

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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Sat., Oct. 2 New Board Member Workshop

Ramada Limited, Springfield

Sat., Oct. 2 New Board Member Workshop

Holiday Inn, Rockford

Mon., Oct. 4 Shawnee Division Meeting

Marion C.U.S.D. 2

Tues., Oct. 5 Corn Belt Division Meeting

Pontiac High School

Tues., Oct. 5 Egyptian Division Meeting

Mt. Vernon T.H.S.D. 201

Tues., Oct. 5 Kaskaskia Division Meeting

Hillsboro C.U.S.D. 3

Wed., Oct. 6 School Law Conference

SIU, Carbondale

Wed., Oct. 6 CIV Division Meeting

Dunlap C.U.S.D. 323

Wed., Oct. 6 Southwestern Division Meeting

Belleville

Thurs., Oct. 7 Western Division Meeting

Canton Union District 66

Wed., Oct. 13 Dupage Division Meeting

Lisle Hilton

Thurs., Oct. 14 Lake County Division Meeting

Mundelein High School

Fri, Oct. 15 Chicagoland Leadership Conference

Lisle

Mon.-Tues., Oct. 18-19 School Board Institute

Motorola University,

Schaumburg

Thurs., Oct. 28 Blackhawk Division Meeting

Wethersfield High School, District 230, Kewanee

Fri.-Sun., Nov. 19-21 Joint Annual Conference

Chicago Hyatt & Sheraton, Chicago

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IASB ARCHIVES HOME

Illinois Association of School Boards

2921 Baker Drive
Springfield, Illinois 62703