T C E B TRIANGLE COALITION ELECTRONIC BULLETIN MAY 10, 2001 VOL. 7, NO. 19 _____________________________________________________ Published by the TRIANGLE COALITION FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION _____________________________________________________ THIS WEEK'S TOPICS: SENATE MULLS TEACHER TRAINING, TESTS FCC'S E-RATE PROPOSAL WOULD 'SPREAD THE WEALTH' GLOBAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY WEEK LONG ISLAND STUDENTS EXAMINE THEIR OWN DNA EDUCATION WEEK'S GUIDE TO THE ALPHABET SOUP TRIANGLE COALITION MEMBER PROFILE: THE MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA WHAT'S NEW AT FREE? LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES NAMES U.S. RECIPIENTS IN THIRD ANNUAL GLOBAL SCIENCE SCHOLARS PROGRAM ____________________________________________________ SENATE MULLS TEACHER TRAINING, TESTS (Source: AOL News, May 8, 2001) The Senate voted Tuesday to improve teacher training while rejecting a plan that linked student test scores to federal money. States would receive an extra $3 billion in federal funds in 2002 and $3 billion more over the following six years to be used to train teachers and ensure that they are competent in the subject they teach. The plan, by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA), would require teachers in schools that predominantly serve poor students to be licensed by their state and deemed "highly qualified.'' Authorization of the additional money was approved on a 69-31 vote with 19 Republicans joining the 50 Senate Democrats who have sought more education funding. Schools that serve large numbers of poor children would be required to make all their teachers "highly qualified'' within four years. States that fail to get training and certification for teachers in these schools would risk losing some federal Title I funds, which are targeted at poor children. Senators defeated an amendment, offered by Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) that would have mandated that schools increase the number of students making academic progress on annual tests before they receive proposed increases in federal money. The vote against the amendment was 73-27. The Senate was also debating an amendment by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) that would give states money to hire thousands of new teachers. President Bush's education package is moving through both the House and Senate this week. Annual testing in reading and math, the cornerstone of Bush's plan, cleared its first serious hurdle last week, when the House committee rejected a bid to kill the tests for third- through eighth-graders. In the Senate, members of both parties went on record for more money -- roughly $2.5 billion more a year for 10 years -- for Title I programs and for children with disabilities. ************************************ FCC'S E-RATE PROPOSAL WOULD 'SPREAD THE WEALTH' (Source: Education Week, May 9, 2001) Schools and districts in highly impoverished communities that have been getting first crack at federal E-rate discounts for wiring classrooms and building telecommunications networks may have to share more of that aid with schools that are not quite as poor, under a proposal by the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC, which designs the rules governing how the federal "education rate" program operates, is considering changing the formula for awarding the discounts, which range from 20 percent to 90 percent. Under the proposal, the first tier of E-rate services -- discounts for telephone service and Internet access -- would not be affected. Those discounts are awarded to all eligible school and library applicants and consume the majority of the $2.25 billion that telecommunications companies are required to pay in to the program every year. But the FCC is proposing to change how second-tier discounts are doled out. Second-tier discounts -- which are for internal connections such as wiring classrooms and buying communication servers and routers -- are currently awarded first to applicants that are eligible at the 90 percent discount level, which generally includes schools with enrollments in which more than 75 percent of students are eligible for federal free or reduced-price lunches. As it is, only after those requests are satisfied is the remaining money awarded to applicants serving communities that are less poor. To give schools in marginally wealthier communities a slice of E- rate support for internal connections, the FCC is proposing to give, at the 90 percent level and each level below that, priority to the schools and libraries that did not receive funding during the previous year. Having prior recipients sit out for a year of funding for internal connections could hurt schools or districts that have multiyear contracts to install infrastructure, some education technology experts said. The funding problem, as explained in the FCC's April 30 "notice of proposed rule making and order," soon to be published in The Federal Register, is that the top-priority applicants for internal connections will almost certainly drain the E-rate fund dry this year, leaving school and library projects unfunded in communities that are nearly as poor as the ones that qualify for the discounts. The 37,188 applications filed for the program's Year 4, which runs from July of this year through June of next year, have requested $5.2 billion in discounts, FCC officials estimate, which is well above the $2.25 billion funding cap. The period for accepting comments on the proposed rule change will be within 15 days after the proposed change is published in The Federal Register. Comment and reply procedures and the complete text of the proposed rule are available online at www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/Notices/2001/fcc01143.txt. ************************************ GLOBAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY WEEK Global Science and Technology Week (GSTW), May 6-12, has been set aside by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Department of State to help highlight the benefits of international scientific collaboration. The week of activities is designed to foster and demonstrate the importance of math and science education in a globalized economy. "Global Science and Technology Week helps us to demonstrate that science truly has no boundaries," said Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton. "From patented innovative processes for cleaning up acid mine drainage to satellite and radar for tracking bird migrations, we are exploring many scientific frontiers." Regarding GSTW, President Bush said that the week "highlights the importance of preparing young Americans for the challenges of the 21st century, so they will have the knowledge and tools they need to succeed. By improving math and science education for all our students, we can help ensure our Nation's continued leadership and participation in medical, scientific, and technical breakthroughs. During Global Science and Technology Week, I call upon Americans to encourage students to develop their math and science skills and to explore their interests in these fields. By setting high goals in school and working hard to achieve them, young people can embark upon careers of invention and discovery and make a positive difference in their own lives and the lives of countless individuals." For more information on GSTW and all the activities planned, visit www.ostp.gov/html/gstw.html. ************************************ LONG ISLAND STUDENTS EXAMINE THEIR OWN DNA (Source: Ed.Net Briefs, April 30, 2001) Some Long Island middle school and high school students have extracted and examined their own genetic "fingerprints" using modern techniques of molecular biology. The young scientists study DNA in a program at the State University of New York at Stony Brook's biotechnology teaching laboratory. During their day at the university, the students learn to conduct laboratory procedures that only a few years ago were strictly the province of molecular biologists. They work in small groups, examining the D1S80 locus, a specific area of chromosome 1. The students use micropipets, microcentrifuges, and a vortext mixer to isolate DNA from their cheek cells. They perform a polymerase chain reaction to amplify the DNA, then run their samples through an electrophoresis tank that uses an electric current to sort DNA fragments by size. Each student ends up with his or her own genetic fingerprint on a gel. After they compare their DNA with that of their classmates, the students mount photographs of their genetic fingerprints on colored paper to take home and show their families. Over the past five years, more than 15,000 Long Island students have studied DNA in the program, which is largely funded by a Howard Hughes Medical Institute grant. For more information, visit www.hhmi.org. ************************************ EDUCATION WEEK'S GUIDE TO THE ALPHABET SOUP Education Week has developed a special website section that puts you in touch with all the major organizations involved in education. Organizations may be viewed by subject area or alphabetically, and there's also a complete list of government agencies and state departments of education. Visitors will also find links to philanthropy and grants, parent involvement, research and policy, service and volunteer groups, testing and assessment, and think tanks. Visit www.edweek.org/context/orgs to browse the directory. ************************************ TRIANGLE COALITION MEMBER PROFILE: THE MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA The Mathematical Association of America (MAA) is the largest professional society of college and university mathematics teachers in the world. Today MAA's 30,000 members include college and university faculty, two-year college faculty, high school teachers, government and corporate workers, graduate school faculty, research mathematicians, and graduate and undergraduate students. The 29 Sections of the MAA provide a regional base and inspire strong loyalty on the part of their members, a loyalty that extends to the national organization. The traditions and mission of the MAA lead to four major program goals towards which most activities of the Association are aimed: education, professional development, students, and public policy. These goals express the mission of the Association in particular terms: - Education. Stimulate effective teaching, learning, and assessment in the mathematical sciences. - Professional Development. Foster scholarship, professional development, and a spirit of association among mathematical scientists. - Students. Enhance the interests, talents, and achievements of all individuals in the mathematical sciences, especially of members of underrepresented groups. - Public Policy. Influence institutional and public policy through effective advocacy for the importance, uses, and needs of the mathematical sciences. For more information, visit www.maa.org, or call 800-331-1622. ************************************ WHAT'S NEW AT FREE? Fifteen new learning resources in the arts, science, and social studies have been added to the FREE website (www.ed.gov/free). Teachers, parents, students, and others are invited to use FREE to find teaching and learning resources from more than 40 federal organizations. A sampling of new science resources include: "The Everglades Ecosystem: Everglades National Park" (www.nps.gov/ever/eco/index.htm) looks at the habitats, animals, and endangered species of the Everglades, as well as water management. It also examines threats to what remains of this "river of grass" -- population growth, water quality, loss of species, introduction of non-native species, and more. "Fire Ecology" (www.fire.nps.gov/fire/ecology/docs/toc.html) aims to help children learn about wildland fire -- its role in ecosystems and its use in resource management. The site provides activities, quizzes, and background information for teachers and students in grades 5-6. "National Marine Sanctuaries" (www.sanctuaries.nos.noaa.gov/welcome.html) provides information about our nation's marine sanctuaries -- how they were established, how they're managed, their scientific and educational programs, and events that occur in them throughout the year. Within the 13 sites is a range of creatures, habitats, historical artifacts, and flourishing maritime cultures. ************************************ LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES NAMES U.S. RECIPIENTS IN THIRD ANNUAL GLOBAL SCIENCE SCHOLARS PROGRAM Lucent Technologies has named 50 outstanding U.S. high school students as Lucent Global Science Scholars for 2001. Lucent's scholars program is among the world's largest annual talent competitions designed to support science students who are pursuing careers in information and communications technologies. The U.S. scholars represent 20 states and scored at least 1540 out of 1600 on the SAT. Twenty-three of the recipients had perfect SAT scores. In addition, 26 of the scholars are ranked first in their graduating class. The U.S. recipients range in age from 16 to 18 and were selected by an independent panel of judges. Their selection was based on their overall academic achievement, including their performance on standardized tests, grade point average, class rank, enrollment in advanced placement courses, honors classes, and college courses taken. Lucent received applications from 623 students in 46 states. An additional 58 first- and second-year university students from 20 countries/regions outside of the United States will join the 50 U.S. scholars as recipients of one-time $5,000 cash awards this year and internships at a Bell Labs R&D location in their home countries, where possible, in 2002. For more information, visit www.lucent.com/news/foundation/home.html. _____________________________________________________ This TCEB is made possible by a grant from E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. Please visit their web site at www.dupont.com for more information about their educational support programs. The TCEB is a newsletter provided to members of the Triangle Coalition. Members may forward individual articles or the issue in its entirety providing that credit is given to the Triangle Coalition, and all of the following contact information is included in any republication. For TCEB subscription or membership information, contact: Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education 1201 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005 phone: 800-582-0115 fax: 202-289-1303 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.triangle-coalition.org To submit information for possible inclusion in TCEB, contact: Joanne Van Voorhis, Target Marketing, Editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] ************************************ THE MISSION OF THE TRIANGLE COALITION IS TO FOSTER COLLABORATION AMONG LEADERS IN EDUCATION, BUSINESS, AND GOVERNMENT TO IMPROVE SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION. The Triangle Coalition membership includes business, labor, education, science, mathematics, technology and engineering organizations, and community and state-based alliances. ************************************ -- This is the ISTA-talk mailing list. 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