Oversight on the Academic Plan for the District of Columbia Public Schools

Oversight on the Academic Plan for the District of Columbia Public Schools PDF

Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on Government Reform and Oversight. Subcommittee on the District of Columbia

Publisher:

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 96

ISBN-13:

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The relationships between improvements to facilities and accurate enrollment counts and an academic plan for the District of Columbia public schools were explored in a hearing that was part of a series on the D.C. public schools. Representative Thomas Davis (Virginia) spoke of the progress being made in improving the D.C. schools and the great deal that remained to be done. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia) also praised the efforts of the appointed interim administrators and noted the tasks ahead for the school system. The first panel began with remarks by Patricia Harvey, director of urban education for the National Center on Education and the Economy, who spoke of the importance of prevention, early intervention, acceleration, and accountability. Marlene Berlin, chair of a parents' coalition, talked about parent participation and community involvement. Delabian Rice-Thurston, director of Parents United, focused on standards and funding. A general discussion followed, with emphasis on the importance of parent participation. The second panel of the day began with remarks by Kathleen Patterson, member of the D.C. City Council, who talked about the importance of small classes and small schools in long-range planning. The second panel member was Joyce Ladner, member of the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority (Control Board), who discussed the recent appointment of Arlene Ackerman as Superintendent of Schools. Bruce MacLaury, Chairman of the D.C. Public Schools Emergency Board of Trustees, reviewed some of the needs of the school system as Ms. Ackerman assumes her position. Remarks by Julius W. Becton, retiring appointed Chief Executive Officer and Superintendent of the school system, and Arlene Ackerman, recently appointed Superintendent, rounded out the discussions. Prepared statements of the witnesses are included in the hearing report. (SLD)

Oversight on the Academic Plan for the District of Columbia Public Schools

Oversight on the Academic Plan for the District of Columbia Public Schools PDF

Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on Government Reform and Oversight. Subcommittee on the District of Columbia

Publisher:

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 86

ISBN-13:

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The relationships between improvements to facilities and accurate enrollment counts and an academic plan for the District of Columbia public schools were explored in a hearing that was part of a series on the D.C. public schools. Representative Thomas Davis (Virginia) spoke of the progress being made in improving the D.C. schools and the great deal that remained to be done. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia) also praised the efforts of the appointed interim administrators and noted the tasks ahead for the school system. The first panel began with remarks by Patricia Harvey, director of urban education for the National Center on Education and the Economy, who spoke of the importance of prevention, early intervention, acceleration, and accountability. Marlene Berlin, chair of a parents' coalition, talked about parent participation and community involvement. Delabian Rice-Thurston, director of Parents United, focused on standards and funding. A general discussion followed, with emphasis on the importance of parent participation. The second panel of the day began with remarks by Kathleen Patterson, member of the D.C. City Council, who talked about the importance of small classes and small schools in long-range planning. The second panel member was Joyce Ladner, member of the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority (Control Board), who discussed the recent appointment of Arlene Ackerman as Superintendent of Schools. Bruce MacLaury, Chairman of the D.C. Public Schools Emergency Board of Trustees, reviewed some of the needs of the school system as Ms. Ackerman assumes her position. Remarks by Julius W. Becton, retiring appointed Chief Executive Officer and Superintendent of the school system, and Arlene Ackerman, recently appointed Superintendent, rounded out the discussions. Prepared statements of the witnesses are included in the hearing report. (SLD)

Status of the District of Columbia Public Schools Readiness for the 1998-1999 School Year

Status of the District of Columbia Public Schools Readiness for the 1998-1999 School Year PDF

Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on Government Reform and Oversight. Subcommittee on the District of Columbia

Publisher:

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 104

ISBN-13:

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A Congressional hearing was held to discuss the readiness of the District of Columbia public schools for the 1998-99 school year. In the 1997-98 school year, the District's public schools had not been able to open on time because of repair work that was not completed. After opening remarks by Congress members Thomas M. Davis and Constance Morella, Constance Newman, Vice Chairman of the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority, spoke about the efforts underway to improve the D.C. public schools. Arlene Ackerman, Superintendent of Schools for the District of Columbia, assured the Subcommittee that the schools would be opening on time and that improvements to facilities and to instruction were ongoing. Colonel Bruce Berwick of the Army Corps of Engineers, responsible for engineering technical assistance to the school system, emphasized that all schools would be able to open in safe conditions by September 1, 1998, even though all capital projects would not be completed. Arthur Turowski, Director of Portfolio Management for the Public Buildings Service of the National Capital Region of the General Services Administration, reviewed the role of that agency in the facilities repair and improvement process. Additional statements were made by these witnesses: (1) Maudine Cooper, Chairman of the school system's Emergency Transition Board; (2) Wilma Harvey, President of the elected School Board; and (3) Carlotta C. Joyner, of the U.S. General Accounting Office. Constance Newman and Arlene Ackerman summarized issues facing the D.C. schools and touched on areas related to academic achievement and the situation of charter schools. The prepared statements of each witness follow their testimony. (SLD)

District of Columbia Public School, Census and Enrollment Oversight

District of Columbia Public School, Census and Enrollment Oversight PDF

Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on Government Reform and Oversight. Subcommittee on the District of Columbia

Publisher:

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 120

ISBN-13:

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The Subcommittee on the District of Columbia of the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight held a hearing to discuss an accurate census of the District of Columbia public schools and the system's enrollment. Subcommittee Chairman Thomas M. Davis (Virginia) noted that an accurate and reliable count of student enrollment is directly related to the system's ability to determine how many classrooms are needed and how many teachers, administrators, and support personnel are required. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia) concurred and mentioned some of the issues that make an accurate enrollment count difficult, and Congresswoman Constance A. Morella (Maryland) also voiced her agreement. The first statement of the first panel was from Cornelia M. Blanchette of the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO), who described the GAO's August 1997 report and the actions the District of Columbia schools reported taking in response to the report. George Grier, representing a statistical consulting firm, talked about the difficulties of obtaining a correct count of students in an urban district where many students come from or go to surrounding jurisdictions. General Julius W. Becton, the Chief Executive Officer and Superintendent of the District of Columbia Public Schools, reported on efforts to improve the accuracy of the school counts. Richard Wenning of the District of Columbia Public Schools discussed steps taken to improve the enrollment counts, and a general discussion of the problems and potential solutions followed. The afternoon panel consisted of: (1) Joyce Ladner, Member of the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority; (2) Bruce K. MacLaury, Chairman of the school system's Emergency Transitional Education Board of Trustees; and (3) Wilma Harvey, President of the Board of Education of the District of Columbia. These officials discussed enrollment counting in the context of the transitional Board of Education and the overall District of Columbia educational reform effort. Prepared statements of the witnesses at this hearing follow their remarks or are substituted for them in some instances. (SLD)

Courting Failure

Courting Failure PDF

Author: Eric A. Hanushek

Publisher: Hoover Press

Published: 2006-11

Total Pages: 404

ISBN-13: 9780817947835

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The expert contributors to this volume assess recent court actions in school adequacy lawsuits and their impact on student outcomes. They show that simply throwing more resources at the problem has not brought about a solution and call for changes centered around accountability, incentives, and more informed parents and policymakers.

A Plan for Evaluating the District of Columbia's Public Schools

A Plan for Evaluating the District of Columbia's Public Schools PDF

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2011-08-25

Total Pages: 204

ISBN-13: 0309209366

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The District of Columbia (DC) has struggled for decades to improve its public education system. In 2007 the DC government made a bold change in the way it governs public education with the goal of shaking up the system and bringing new energy to efforts to improve outcomes for students. The Public Education Reform Amendment Act (PERAA) shifted control of the city's public schools from an elected school board to the mayor, developed a new state department of education, created the position of chancellor, and made other significant management changes. A Plan for Evaluating the District of Columbia's Public Schools offers a framework for evaluating the effects of PERAA on DC's public schools. The book recommends an evaluation program that includes a systematic yearly public reporting of key data as well as in-depth studies of high-priority issues including: quality of teachers, principals, and other personnel; quality of classroom teaching and learning; capacity to serve vulnerable children and youth; promotion of family and community engagement; and quality and equity of operations, management, and facilities. As part of the evaluation program, the Mayor's Office should produce an annual report to the city on the status of the public schools, including an analysis of trends and all the underlying data. A Plan for Evaluating the District of Columbia's Public Schools suggests that D.C. engage local universities, philanthropic organizations, and other institutions to develop and sustain an infrastructure for ongoing research and evaluation of its public schools. Any effective evaluation program must be independent of school and city leaders and responsive to the needs of all stakeholders. Additionally, its research should meet the highest standards for technical quality.

Lessons Learned in the D.C. Public Schools

Lessons Learned in the D.C. Public Schools PDF

Author: United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Governmental Affairs. Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, Restructuring, and the District of Columbia

Publisher:

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 140

ISBN-13:

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The focus of this hearing was on lessons learned in the District of Columbia public schools in the year preceding the hearing. In his opening remarks, Senator Brownback (Kansas) remarked that one of the first lessons is that the academic quality of the schools is not good enough and is in dire need of improvement. A second set of lessons focuses on discipline and school safety. The first hearing witness was Gloria L. Jarmon, of the U.S. General Accounting Office, who spoke about the funding of school repairs in the District of Columbia. Delays in school repairs hindered the operation of the District schools in the preceding year. The second speaker, David L. Cotton, accompanied by Ed Fritts and Marvin Allmond who were members of a firm that audited the District of Columbia schools procurement process. Irregularities in the procurement process and the need for further investigation were pointed out. The statement of Joyce Ladner of the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority discussed the steps taken to improve the poor condition of the District's schools and instructional effectiveness. Accomplishments that began to put into place the foundations of better learning, including administrative changes, were outlined. The testimony of Julius W. Becton, Jr., the Superintendent of Schools, reviewed the progress made in the relatively short time in which the newly appointed administration has operated. Improvements to facilities and personnel and financial management were outlined. The final panelist was Taalib-Din Uqdah, businessman and custodial parent of D.C. public school students, who spoke about the expectations and experiences of parents for their children's schools. An appendix contains supporting material from the Government Accounting Office and the school system, as well as prepared statements of some of the speakers. (SLD)

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