European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 6, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                New focus on How kids learn How teachers teach by Robert Reinhold new York times our years after school reforms began sweeping across the country amid tears thai american Public education was lagging schoolchildren in almost every state Are lacing tougher academic standards and billions of dollars have been pumped into their schools. But Here is not yet proof hat students ate learning belter. Moreover As the first Rush of political enthusiasm has worn off some of the now measures have begun to erode in several Stales under pressure irom unhappy teachers and tight budgets in addition there is a growing sense that some of the new programs were ill conceived in the first place focusing on changes thai appealed to politicians and businessmen but tacked relevance to the classroom. The 1933 reforms did not change the system at All just lightened the screws said David r. Mandel of the Carnegie forum on education and he Economy which is promoting a plan for National teacher certify Callon. A few people were getting a few extra dollars and not much changed in the Way schools operated decisions were made in the slate Capitol and Central  As a result there is wide talk of a second wave of change focusing More directly on How children learn and teachers teach. But while uncertainty about the Long term results of the changes remains evidence of new programs is everywhere. In Franklin tenn., 20 Miles South of Nashville Lor example 329 boys and Girts spent a steamy july at their desks at the Franklin Middle school instead of Angling for Catfish. They studied computer software greek mythology and environmental biology and a less gifted caught up with their mathematics and English so they would not be left behind when regular classes reopen in the All. Their teachers were on extended contract earning up to $7,000 in extra pay for successfully climbing Tennessee s new career ladder for teachers deemed Superior. The scene in varying forms has been duplicated All Over he country As a result of a Rush by governors and legislators to repair educational deficiencies that were widely perceived As pulling the american Economy at a competitive disadvantage. Since 1980, All but five states have raised he minimum Luis ernets Lor graduation from High schoo1 ing to a Survey by Chr s Pipho of the Educa i Mission of the states Pipho als. .,.- Hal 42 slates have bolstered their mathematics requirements and 34 have raised science requirements and that All but 12 Stales have begun programs o Reward Good the afters since 1933. Two dozen slates most of them in the South have passed Broad comprehensive educational packages tightening academic standards and discipline raising teachers salaries and recognition and boosting lanes substantially to pay for it All Overall state support for Public schools has grown by 26 percent beyond inflation since 1bbo, according to a study by Allan r. Odden Southern California director of a University study Center policy analysis for California education. A major goad to the states Elloris to improve Public education was a 1963 report by the National commission on excellence deep let evidence of new programs uncertainty remains about Long term results Tachooi  the Schocki Reform movement has benefited about 70 percent of our students but has had no significant Impact on the other 30 percent said ferret a Bell a professor at the University of Utah who As . Secretary of education commissioned a nation at  the 30 percent Are Trio Low income minority students and we Are still no effectively educating them Bell said. But that should not obscure the fact we Are stimulating our better students. That needed to be  the Federal role has receded since the 1992 report. Bell s successor William j. Bennett has raised doubts about whether american schools were As bad As the report argued and the department of education s budget has been Cut heavily by the Reagan administration. Nevertheless there is considerable evidence of Progress. In California the number students taking three or More years of Mal Homanics is up by 15 percent and science up by 20 percent since 1983. Scores on he Standard Scholastic aptitude test for College admission Are also up. In Florida the High school Day has been lengthened to seven periods and there has been a modest improvement in the Scholastic aptitude test scores. In South Carolina which in 1984 passed one of the broadest reforms standardized re i scores Lor � of primary and secondary school students have Tieu dramatically and average Scholastic aptitude test scores have risen More than in any other stale by 36 Points since 19s2. In new York students Are Labouring under heavier academic loads imposed by the regents action plan in 1034, although officials say a is Loo soon Lolo results. But the changes have not been uniformly accepted new Jet say had to abandon ils plan to give  stipends to master teachers when teachers walked and on / one District participated and there is evidence thai the new programs in raising educational standards have had the elect m some cases of exacerbating one of Trio most so ious problems the dropout Rale in Florida there Are reports a school Reform May Nave subs anally increased the number of High school dropouts. In Louisiana nearly half the students who enter High school still fail to graduate. There Are also signs of backsliding As Many of the key actors have Tell the political stage. This january Roe governors who made school Reform their Central political goal a w. White or. Of Texas Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Richard w. Riley of South Carolina left office and were replaced by men for whom education was not As High a priority. Fiscal troubles in Many slates have crippled some programs. In Texas in particular Many of the measures passed in 1984 have been in jeopardy As the state has struggled to cover a huge budget deficit. Gov. William Clements proposed among other things to hold Down teachers pay but he averted further cuts by agreeing to a Large tax increase. The inescapable conclusion according to a report by policy analysis for California education is Hal he pc Send course of events May nol provide the resources necessary even to sustain present educational Reform  from the beginning Many analysts say the stale measures were handicapped because they were imposed from above by Point crans in league with he business Community. Those expected to carry out is changes Ihbe teachers and principals had Little say and often resented them As punitive. Many of the Idia at the heart of the reforms like Merit pay for Superior teachers were notions drawn from the business world whose applicability to the schoolhouse has not been validated. Still the last four years have seen extraordinary ferment in the schools especially in the South where Public education was widely perceived As lagging. As recently As 1960. 10 of the 15 slates trial belong to the Southern regional education Board required no science or Only one year of it in High school. Today every state requires at least two years some three years of science. Oeste such Gams a recent report by the Atlanta based Board said that most slates cannot now prove Ritat educational reforms Are working the Stales said Mark muck. A Board spokesman were unrealistic about How much the reforms would Cost and now Long it would take to Irnel Emcil them. Page in the stars and stripes sunday september 6.1937