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School Board News Bulletin
October 1996

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District test performance varies widely for
districts with similar low-income enrollment

Richard Stout, Martin Eisenberg, and James Nowlan authored Performance Rankings of Illinois School Districts. The Illinois Tax Foundation, the research arm of the 56-year-old Taxpayers' Federation of Illinois, published the study.

"The purpose of the analysis is to provide more meaningful school district test comparisons than those provided by the Illinois State Board of Education, which annually compares each district against statewide averages," said federation president Tim Bramlet.

"Several very large school districts in Illinois have extremely low test scores," said Bramlet. "This permits most districts to report truthfully in their local newspapers that they are above average, which may or may not be an accurate reflection of their academic performance.

"By comparing school district scores for the years 1993-95 with districts having similar percentages of low-income enrollments, our report provides a more realistic comparison of district performance, because income is the single strongest predictor of achievement," Bramlet said.

The authors say they aggregated the three most recent years of scores from the Illinois Goal Assessment Program.

The study also includes the instructional expenditures for each district, adjusted for cost-of-living differences across the state.

"This is the only comprehensive analysis available that allows school districts to match their spending and performance with districts that have similar percentages of low-income students," stated James Nowlan. Nowlan is a past president of the Taxpayers' Federation of Illinois, a former state lawmaker and one-time IASB staff advisor.

Readers should not draw significance from districts that vary only a few percentage points from one another, because such differences don't have much meaning, a spokesman explained.

"Beginning with the 1996-1997 school year, IGAP will be the only test required in the accreditation process," said Nowlan. "Therefore, comparative school district performance with districts that have similar percentages of low-income students may provide useful benchmarks for districts and interested citizens."

Bramlet suggested: "The rankings published in this report can stimulate useful questions such as: Why is our performance so much lower than that of the average, or top, schools in our income cluster? Why are we spending so much more, or so much less . . . Why don't we visit the top performing school districts in our cluster to see what they're doing right?"

The authors strongly caution against comparing a district's performance in the new report with that shown in the first edition, released three years ago. Many districts are in different low-income categories this time because of, for example, increases in percentages of low-income enrollment, and this generally changes a district's relative performance.

Copies of the 1996 edition of Performance Rankings of Illinois School Districts are available for $20 from the Illinois Tax Foundation, 300 West Edwards, Suite 201, Springfield, IL 62704, phone 217/ 522-6818. (Tax, postage and handling charges add an additional $3.45 per order.)

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Nominate boards for arts award

To be considered for the award, a school board must have demonstrated outstanding commitment to high-quality arts education. Local school boards may nominate themselves for the award, but the deadline for nominations is November 15. Illinois sponsors note that last-minute nomination packets are commonly submitted via overnight mail.

Application forms may be obtained by calling 312/750-0589 (fax 312750-9113).

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School funding lawsuit defeated

"This places the issue squarely back in the hands of the General Assembly," said IASB Executive Director Wayne Sampson. "That's why we have been working with a new coalition of school supporters to bring about a fundamental change in the inequitable school funding system."

The lawsuit rejected by an appellate court in 1994 claimed that the state's school finance system permits substantial inequities in funding from one local school district to the next. The appellate court ruled, however, that "no empirical evidence" was presented to show that students from the wealthiest districts outperform those from the poorest districts. Details on the Illinois Supreme Court's ruling in the case will be reported in the next Newsbulletin.

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Correction
No fee for "Leave a Legacy" workshop on Friday at Annual Conference

Two other half-day workshops for no additional fee also are offered on Friday from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Conference registrants may choose to attend either the Banach workshop or a workshop on Public Relations, led by school consultant Jim Huge (to meet in Regency A at the Hyatt), or a Parliamentary Procedure workshop, led by parliamentary expert Jon Ericson (to meet in Regency D at the Hyatt).

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Those Who Excel winners named

The 29 board members are among nearly 300 individuals who will receive the award, with the top winners were recognized during a program banquet October 5 in Decatur. The evening will culminate with the presentation of the 1997 Illinois Teacher of the Year award.

Three levels of awards in seven categories will be presented. The categories, besides School Board Members are: Teachers, Principals, School Administrators, Student Support Personnel, Educational Service Personnel, and Parents/Community Members.

Board members to receive Those Who Excel awards are: Sam Borek, Niles Township High School District 219, Skokie; William R. Cragg, Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200, Oak Park; Irene Jinks, Park Ridge-Niles C.C. District 64; Barbara A. Lovero, Berwyn North District 98, Berwyn; Shirley Meier, Township High School District 211, Palatine; Louis A. Sands, Palatine C.C. District 15; Ronald Walter, Lemont-Bromberek Combined District 113A; Willie J. Williams, District 149, Calumet City; Kathleen Bossier, Bensenville District 2; Raymond Matlin, Woodridge District 68; and Larry D. Rowland, Hamilton County C.U. District 10, McLeansboro.

Other award winners include: R. Douglas Kroeschen; Mt. Vernon District 80; Barbara Schatzman, Adlai E. Stevenson High School District 125, Lincolnshire; Terry Robinson, Decatur District 61; Diana P. McCauley, Bloomington District 87; James E. Pastrovich, Litchfield C.U. District 12; Margaret L. Leininger, Pontiac-William Holliday District 105, Fairview Heights; Nina Giavaras, Springfield District 186; Charles B. Schroeder, Danville C.C. District 118; Marlon G. Knittel, Harlem Consolidated District 122; Judith C. Picus, Rockford District 205.

Fifty-seven individuals will receive the highest prize level, the Award of Excellence. Eight of the 57 top winners are school board members; they are: Dean E. Clark, Glen Ellyn District 41; Osie Davenport, Naperville C.U. District 203; David NewMyer, DeSoto C.C. District 86; Mary M. Oppenheim, Deerfield District 109; Raymond R. Walsh, Edwardsville C.U. District 7; Douglass G. Reeves, McLean County Unit District 5, Normal; Linda E. Daley, Peoria District 150; Alan M. Hallene, Jr., Moline District 40.

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Vouchers unpopular, Gallup Poll indicates

Just 36 percent of Americans favor using public money to enable students to attend a private school, according to the recent poll.

Three years ago, 74 percent of Americans were opposed to the private school choice concept. But by last year, opposition had dropped to 65 percent.

The public awards higher grades to schools in the local community (43 percent award an A or B) than to schools in the nation as a whole (21 percent award an A or B). The parents of public school children award still higher grades to the school their oldest child attends (66 percent award an A or B).

The public was polled also on particular aspects of the public schools, rating 11 school characteristics on the familiar A-F grading scale. Four characteristics garnered grades of A or B from a majority of respondents. These included: the handling of extracurricular activities (59 percent), the curriculum (57 percent), the physical plant (56 percent), and the quality of teaching (53 percent).

As might be expected, the grades public school parents give to the same characteristics of the school their oldest child attends are substantially higher. They also are substantially higher today than in 1983, when public school parents were asked the same question. Thus, 68 percent of public school parents give the curriculum of their child's school a grade of A or B, while only 61 percent did so in 1983. What's more, 61 percent give the quality of teaching a grade of A or B today, while only 48 percent did so in 1983.

The public also was polled about the problems facing schools. This year, "drug abuse" (16 percent) was most often seen as the biggest problem in schools, edging out "lack of discipline" (15 percent). Like the first two problems listed, the third-place category fighting and violence or gangs (14 percent) also related to matters of student control. Americans also expressed overwhelming support (92 percent in favor) for removing troublemakers from classes. Meanwhile, 88 percent would ban smoking on school grounds, and 79 percent would favor requiring students to remain on school grounds at lunchtime.

Finally, the poll showed the public generally is misinformed about schools. Sixty-four percent of Americans believe that dropout rates are worse today than they were 25 years ago (the reverse is true). Meanwhile, 69 percent believe that U.S. students do worse than students in other developed countries in math (the results are far less clear). What is more, 54 percent of Americans believe that U.S. students trail other developed nations in reading (they are, in fact, on top). Finally, most people have little idea how many students receive special education or how costly it is to educate those who do.

The poll results appeared in the September 1996 issue of Phi Delta Kappan. The minimum order for reprints of the published version is 25 copies for $10; with additional copies at 25 cents each. Contact: PDK, P.O. Box 789, Bloomington, IN 47402; 800/766-1156.

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WORKSHOPS & MEETINGS

Deans' association to confer on safety

Registration for the event begins Wednesday, November 13 at 8:00 a.m. The opening will feature the new multi-media production, "TNT" (Today Not Tomorrow).

On the Wednesday agenda as well is a presentation by Fred Jones on "Positive Classroom Management" procedures. Next, three staff members from Cary Grove will discuss the handling of crisis situations, including their experience in the aftermath of a tragic train-bus accident that took the lives of several students. Their presentation will conclude with a panel discussion with staff from other schools who have faced crisis situations.

The Wednesday sessions also will include a luncheon featuring State Superintendent Joseph A. Spagnolo, and an evening banquet emceed by comedian Doug Sutor.

On Thursday, attorneys from Franczek, Sullivan, Mann, Crement, Hein & Relias will discuss suspension and expulsion hearings and search and seizure law. Following the Thursday luncheon, which will include an ISDA business meeting, Larry Janes will provide a legal update on special education. There also will be discussion groups on common problems and solutions for school deans.

Friday begins with a buffet breakfast and a legal update by Larry Janes on general issues other than special education.

For information about the ISDA conference, call Rich Moschel at 708/799-3000, ext. 164.

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Women administrators to meet

Among the presenters will be Alene Moris, a nationally recognized career counselor, who will help participants discover their own "authentic" leadership style; and Janet Barry, the 1996 National Superintendent of the Year.

Besides the large-group sessions, the conference will provide opportunities for smaller discussions and informal networking among female leaders. To register, call 703/875-0748.

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THE NATIONAL SCENE

National commission wants overhaul of teaching profession and standards

Illinois Governor Jim Edgar, a member of the commission, outlined details of the report and said state officials will work to form a five-year plan to respond to its findings.

The commission's report, released September 12 in Washington, DC, has one overriding goal. It says that by 2006, "we will provide every student in America with what should be his or her educational birthright: access to competent, caring, qualified teaching in schools organized for success."

Among the recommendations offered in What Matters Most: Teaching for America's Future are stronger professional standards for teachers and schools of education, incentives for teachers who work in more challenging locations, and rewards for excellent teachers.

The commission called for a major investment in professional development $4.8 billion, plus one percent of state and local education funding.

Source: School Board News, NSBA, September 17, 1996.

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Students do better in "daylit" classes

According to architects Michael Nicklas and Gary Bailey, two recent studies tracking three of their schools determined that students who attended daylit schools for three years outperformed other district students by 5 to 14 percent in their end-of-grade tests.

Also, energy consumed by daylit schools was 22 percent to 64 percent less than non-daylit schools in the same county.

Nicklas says natural lighting for a middle school will save the district $500,000 over a 10-year period. And he says, "daylighting costs very little more to implement," with investments being recouped in one to three years.

The architects also have applied daylighting in older schools by modifying flat roofs with single sloped roofs. Inside, they used baffles and slanted ceilings to flood classrooms with non-glaring natural light.

On cloudy days, or even when the sky darkens for a minute or two, sensors automatically turn on electric lights. For more information contact Michael Nicklas at 919/832-6303.

Source: School Board News, NSBA, September 17, 1996.

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Schools rave over block scheduling

Here are the basics of the plan, as described in The Edmond Evening Sun: "Block scheduling restructures the school day so students have four classes instead of six per semester, which is made up of two nine-week blocks. Because there are fewer classes, the class length is 85 to 90 minutes, rather than the traditional 55."

Steele and Davis explain that during the second semester, or second two-block set, students take a different group of classes, getting eight credits rather than six. The plan allows for athletics during the school day and for a daily half-hour period called Encore, where students having academic trouble can get one-on-one help from their teachers.

Adopting this school-day structure produced remarkable improvement for Mid-Del almost immediately: the number of failing students decreased; half the student body made the honor roll; only 108 of 1,200 students failed one or more courses; and the number of students and faculty showing up every day for school more than doubled.

Source: NSBA Annual Conference Newsline, Fall 1996.

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NEWS FROM IASB

Illinois Learning Partnership aims high

The new partnership consists of the Illinois Statewide School Management Alliance: IASB, The Illinois Association of School Administrators, the Illinois Association of School Business Officials, and the Illinois Principals Association. Co-founders also include: the Illinois Education Association; the Illinois Federation of Teachers; the Illinois Parent Teacher Association; and the Illinois State Board of Education. Other partnerships to be included are business, industry, student, higher education and community members.

According to its leaders, the partnership's activities will include:

• Altering the present culture of isolation and contention in public education;
• Fostering collaborative improvement of the educational climate through workshops and seminars designed to improve learning within and among public schools;
• Supporting the collaborative endeavors of the partner organizations by establishing an informational database of workshops and best practices;
• Stimulating local innovation through Learning Networks and other strategies; and
• Identifying and removing systemic barriers to educational improvement.

For further information about the activities of the partnership, contact Victoria Davis at 203 W. Hillside, Naperville, IL 60564; phone 630/429-8427.

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Motorola hosts DACUM study group on boards.

Hosted and facilitated by Motorola, the group is considering all of the board member job functions not only how roles are currently filled, but how they should be filled in the education community of the future.

These efforts are a part of a major project called DACUM (design a curriculum) for board members. In addition to considering duties and tasks, the group identified critical knowledge, skills and attributes. For more information, contact John Allen at 217/528-9688, ext. 1122.

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Cole Award winners named

The Rockford newpaper won for a series on federal court efforts to reverse the effects of discrimination in Rockford public schools. The Elburn paper won for a series about technology planning in Kane County schools.

The Illinois Association of School Boards and the Illinois Press Association annually recognize those Illinois newspapers doing the best job of covering the issues before local school boards. Newspapers are divided among two categories: those with 8,000 or more subscribers; and those with fewer than 8,000 subscribers. Other winners of the Robert M. Cole Awards for 1996 were: The Dispatch, Moline (second place); The Courier-News, Elgin (third place); and the Rolling Meadows Review (honorable mention) all large newspapers.

Named in memory of the first Executive Director of IASB, the Robert M. Cole Award recognizes outstanding achievement in the continuing coverage of local board of education issues. Entries are solicited through the annual newspaper contest of the Illinois Press Association. Criteria for judging entries include originality, depth, accuracy, quality and clarity of writing, and contribution to public understanding of the issues involved in governing and managing elementary and secondary public schools.

Judges included: Mary O. Bradley, editor, Patriot-News, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Patrick LaForge, editor, York Daily Record, York, Pennsylvania; Lee Milner, public relations director, Illinois State Board of Education, Springfield; and Gary Adkins, communications director for editorial services, Illinois Association of School Boards, Springfield.

TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS

Guide to curriculum integration available

Source: A package including Dissolving the Boundaries (77 pages) and the Facilitator's Guide (62 pages) is available for $24.95, plus $4 shipping and handling, from Appalachia Educational Laboratory, Rural Excel Program, P.O. Box 1348, Charleston, WV 25325-1348. For information call 800/624-9120.

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Telling the Truth About America's Public Schools, a new member service publication from the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), is a practical guide for communicating about positive trends in public schools. AASA designed it for sharing with parents, the news media and others in the community.

Copies of the guide (stock no. 21-00580) are available for $5 each (plus $3.50 postage and handling), with significant discounts for bulk orders. Call the AASA Distribution Center at 888/782-2272.

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Fiscal Focus examines education issues

Elsewhere, the newsletter states that "state officials believe tax caps have saved taxpayers at least $462 million" since the law took effect in the collar counties in 1991. Of course, "schools have been the hardest hit by tax caps." The newsletter adds that tax caps, when combined with the declining proportion of school funding from the state, "will inevitably be a disaster for school districts," unless the state rectifies the situation.

September Fiscal Focus articles also explore facts and opinions about the Illinois charter schools law, enrollment trends, the lottery, teachers' salaries, the Illinois economy, and state finances. Order the September issue from the Comptroller's office at 217/ 782-6000, or read a copy on the Comptroller's Internet World Wide Web Address: http://www.comptroller.state.il.us

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Trade those unusable in-kind donations

For example, a high school could trade a baby food donation for credit for computer equipment.

The membership fee is currently $250, payable after the first transaction. There also is a 5 percent fee for each transaction.

Schools and other nonprofit organizations are eligible. For information contact: Trade Bank International, Inc., 1636 North 21st St., Suite 2, Arlington, VA 22209; phone: 703/528-5943; fax: 703/528-1986.

Source: Local/State Funding Report, June 17, 1996.

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FEDERAL UPDATE

Federal funding up $3.5 billion

The President has signed the bill, which provides for a $3.5 billion hike in funding for the federal Education Department for Fiscal 1997. The 105th Congress could, however, reduce this particular federal education spending plan. In 1995, for example, the 104th Congress cut $557 million from the school funding plan approved by the 103rd Congress.

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Pekin district wins $3.5 million grant

Partners in the venture include the Dirksen Congressional Center, the city of Pekin, Pekin Hospital, Pekin's Daily Times, Pekin Community High School and the Pekin Library. The partnership also relied on the financial and in-kind support of Continental Cablevision, IBM, Sprint, the State Board of Education, Anxiter, Schwartz Engineering, and Kirtley Technologies in providing the necessary technologies.

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RESEARCH REPORTS

Two reports assess charters differently

"Charter Schools in Action: What Have We Learned," published by the Indianapolis-based Hudson Institute, examined 43 charter schools in seven states. According to the report, 63 percent of students are minority group members, 55 percent are poor, 19 percent have limited proficiency in English and 19 percent have disabilities that impair their learning. "We conclude that charter schools are the most promising education reform alive in America today," said Chester Finn. Finn, an advocate of school vouchers and a Hudson fellow, is one of the report's authors. "We conclude that they are serving precisely the kids that need help the most and precisely the opposite of the kids the critics predicted would be served," he added.

American Federation of Teachers President Albert Shanker released his union's report titled "Charter School Laws: Do They Measure Up?" at the AFT's convention this month. Shanker: "When I began talking about charter schools back in the 1980s, I hoped they would free teachers to explore new teaching strategies by removing unnecessary rules and regulations. But since then, charter schools have come to mean different things to different people everything from a chance to raise student achievement to a chance to bust unions."

The AFT and Hudson reports differ over what is good charter school legislation. For example, the Hudson Institute claims that the weakest legislation culminates in laws that require the charters to remain part of the local school district and "give them no control over staff or staff salaries."

The AFT report recommends, in sharp contrast to the Hudson report, that charter schools have the approval of local school districts and that charter school employees be covered by collective bargaining.

Other statements made by the AFT: only eight charter school states require that all teachers in charter schools be certified, and charter school law provisions for accountability are inadequate. The AFT cites Rhode Island's charter law as one of the strongest. Provisions include: extensive, yearly public reporting by charter schools; teacher and parent involvement in governance; clearly outlined student discipline procedures; collective bargaining for teachers and certified teachers and administrators.

The Washington Times claims that while the Hudson's assessment of charter schools is more positive than the AFT's, it is "not glowing."

The AFT and Hudson reports have found some common ground: both agree it is too early to say if charter schools are effective educational models.

The AFT report, "Charter School Laws: Do They Measure Up?" is available for $10 from the AFT Order Department; 555 New Jersey Avenue NW; Washington, DC 20001; 202/879-4400.

Contact the Hudson Institute at 317/545-1000 for information on receiving a copy of their report, "Charter Schools in Action: What We Learned."

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Schools count on more Apples

What's more, most school districts intend to increase their technology budgets this school year. Sixty-five percent will spend more on hardware in 1996-97 than they did last year, compared to just 50 percent of districts that expanded hardware budgets in 1995-96. Hardware purchases will make up 62 percent of technology expenditures by schools this year, compared to 58 percent in 1994-95.

The sharp increase in hardware spending is coupled with a drop in the percentage of districts increasing their software spending from 50 percent of districts last year to 34 percent this year. "The emphasis on networks and the need for modern multimedia-capable computers appear to be shifting the purchasing toward hardware and away from software," explains Jeane Hayes, QED President.

Despite the interest in online computer networking, districts plan to spend less than 3 percent of their technology budgets on online services, QED says.

When it comes to computer purchases, school districts plan to buy mainly Macintoshes (55 percent), but a growing number of Windows-ready machines (39 percent). The Mac percentage shows a drop from last school year, but a much smaller decrease than many expected.

Overall, QED estimates U.S. school districts will spend $4.1 billion on education technology this school year, up from $3.9 billion in 1995-96. Per-student spending for technology is expected to be $92.70 this year, compared to $90.17 in 1995-96 and $82.05 in 1994-95. The data is based on QED's May-June 1996 survey of school districts and is reported in 1996-97 Technology Purchasing Forecast, from QED, 1700 Lincoln St., 36th Floor, Denver, CO 80203; 303/860-1832; 800/525-5811.

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44 million students in school

There are 2.6 million teachers in public schools. Of this number, nearly 1.5 million teach at the elementary level, while nearly one million are secondary school teachers.

For more information on the report, which is part of the Statistics in Brief series, contact Jonaki Bose, National Center for Education Statistics, 555 New Jersey Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20208-5651; or call 202/219-1619.

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Recent mailings from IASB

September 12: 1996 IASB Resolutions Committee Report on agenda for upcoming delegate assembly, eight copies mailed to district superintendents.

September 19: Fall collective bargaining workshops announcement, mailed to board presidents and district superintendents.

October 2: Announcement of State Superintendent's Breakfast to be held at the Joint Annual Conference, to district superintendents.

Illinois School District Liquid Asset Fund Plus

More than $778 million was invested in the Fixed Rate program (including Certificates of Deposit), at rates of 5.20 percent for a 30-day certificate to 5.85 percent for a one-year certificate. For more information about ISDLAF+, call, toll-free, 1-800/221-4524.

Classified ads

FOR SALE: At district auction, November 9, 1996, variety of surplus school items too numerous to list. Includes: metal & wood shop equipment, tools, work tables, sewing machines, stoves, cabinets, lockers, desks student & teacher, scoreboards, pianos, computer equipment and many other items. Contact: Bureau Valley Unit District 340, Unit Office, P.O. Box 289, Maple St., Manlius, IL 61338; phone 815/445-3101.

IASB School Board News Bulletin
Illinois Association of School Boards