European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 19, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes monday. December 19,198s education Veteran overseas principal to retire by Rosemary Sawyer Start writer Rhein main a West Germany in j95, us Max Leonard Lay on a stiff Hospital Type bed in a Chilly billeting room in uric Norton England he wondered what he had gotten him self Inlo by joining the overseas Educa Tion team. Planes warn cd their engines outside his window at 4 . While the Young teacher principal contemplated the warm Salt Lake City weather he had left behind and whether he d Ever adjust to a two Street tight Village that made even tiny . Towns with their Neon lights look like 1-35 vegas what Leonard got himself into Back then was a Long Carter of working with and for children of Jurvic members and civilians. And after entering through the Gateway to England nearly .18 years Agu. Hell exit the Gateway to Europe next month for retirement in san Diego. I m pretty adaptable said the 65 year old Khein main a elementary principal remembering those Early Days. I got used 10 that even though it was kind of depressing. 1 thought it was quite romantic and quite an adventure. I think i i and in on Friday and i a As Oul on monday reporting fur  and reporting for work Back in the Lender years of postwar England meant reporting to. It pair of old wooden buildings that had to be fixed up Inone week for about 120 High school students. In his nearly four decades with what is now called the department of de sense dependents schools Leonard helped open at least five overseas schools started a Gide less Elemen Lury school and instituted a Cross Grade Tram teaching program. Two of the schools he helped open were u Sling Susbury sometimes called the Gateway to England because of its proximity to Southampton where so Rumary Sawyer after decades of service Max Leonard will Exil the Gateway   arrived by ship. In 1955, Leonard transferred to Span Dahlem a West Germany to open a school and although he did t Leach in a quonset hut with a Potbelly stove As he had done in England some supplies were still hard to come by. "1 had to go out into the local Vil Lages to buy supplies. And in those Days you did t have a lot of paper especially construction paper he said. But instead of stifling learning the shortages just forced teachers and Stu dents to be innovative and resourceful. After two years at Span Dahlem Leonard moved to Wiesbaden where he served nine years As supervisory principal for the Community s schools and helped Start an elementary school at Lindsay air station. Leonard instituted team leaching in Wiesbaden for fourth fifth and sixth Grade teachers. The program con ducted in a Large Multi Grade class room grouped the children by ability in each subject instead of Grade. Leonard s non graded elementary worked on the same concept. The unconventional system which did away with grades allowed children to Prog Ress at their own rate Leonard said. The Grad class system continued from i960 until 1966, when Leonard moved to Gail s. Halvorsen elementary school at Raciti main a. He spent the past 22 years at the base that Calls itself the Gateway to  " love his air Force Community. 1 love the staff Leonard said. We have a Good working relationship and we be developed some excellent pro Grams. It s just a Good school kindergarten teacher Marilyn Talley attests to that Good working relation ship. Leonard nurtures creativity she said. He gives us the Freedom to meet the children s needs. Las a teacher get excited about learning and can pass that on to the  Leonard never sought promotion to superintendent although in would have meant More Money. I like the working with students and teachers he said. I go around and visit classrooms because 1 like to see what s going in in the  Leonard said hell miss the Small voiced greetings from youngsters in the Hall after he. Retires with his wife Jean. Out even More than the hello or. Leonards he said hell miss the hugs that children run up and give him. Surge in minority students taking credit tests reported Syleem Itcan Ai induct Talon writer new York. More than twice the. Number of minority High school students took advanced place ment exams in 1988 than five years ago led by a surge among hispanics and asian americans the College Board reported. The Hoard s annual Survey of advanced placement u Sis which High school students take to qualify for California new York Florida Lead in the number of minority test takers. Credit or placement in upper level College courses also found that California new York and Florida had by far the most Black and hispanic Tysl Laurs who score qualifying grades. In All 188,172 students took 419,101  exams in 1988. The program sponsored by the College Board offers 27 College level examinations in 16 subjects nearly 52,000 minority students nationwide took the exams in 19s8, compared with 19,517 in 1987, and 142 percent mow than the 21.501 who look it five Yean ago the College Board said. Of the minority students taking the lest 49,000 scored High enough to qualify for College credit. The tests Are scored on n scale of 1 to 5, with colleges usually requiring at least a 3 to qualify for credit. Minority students made up nearly 20 percent of All advanced placement test takers in 1988, compare with 18.4 percent in 1987 and 14.7 percent in 19s4. By using a to raise the expectations of minority students and helping them achieve higher goals ,.schools Are bringing More minorities into professional and graduate schools said the Board president Don Ald a Stewart. The number of asian american students taking  was 27,3%, up from 21,101 in i9b7 and 140 percent greater than the 11,413 in 1984, the number of hispanics taking the test grew 156 percent Over five years from s,200 to 13,322 the number of Blacks grew by 135 percent from 4.44s to.10,448.,-.-.the number of Whites taking the tests totalled 210,382. Up 21 percent from 165,924 in 1987 and so percent High than the 117,302 in 1984. About 8,247 schools offered the exams in 1988, 470more than last year Flenno High school near Dallas with a student body of 2,600, had the largest number of advanced place ment candidates of any school 490 and the larg est number of tests taken 887. According to the report. California led the nation with 5,125 Black and his panic test takers last year. New Yore was second with 2,526, followed by Florida with 2,439. The College Board is a Nan profit organization rep resenting 2,600 colleges and  groups. Education briefs Dodds enters 4 schools in recognition program Washington four overseas military schools including to in Germany Are among those competing in the education department s secondary school recognition program. .-."/. The tour were among nine submitted to department of defense dependents schools Headquarters in Washington. Education department officials Wilt notify Dodds if any of the four arc selected. The finalist schools Are Frankfurt Middle school and Hahn High school in Germany Nile. Kinnick High school in Yokosuka Japan and cur undo Junior High school in Panama. Other nominees from Germany submitted to Dodds Headquarters were Gen. . Arnold High school in Wiesbaden  Junior High rams Cin Junior High Stuttgart High school an Mannheim High school. Registration under Way forecasts conference will Ngen West Germany Early registration for the european Congress of american parents teachers and students convention May 8-12 must be completed by Jan 13. The registration fee until that time is $40. Registration will continue until the first Day of the Eca pts conference with a fee of $7i. The convention will be held m Der Sauerland Ster hotel in willing in More information is available from Jody bout steal Sermersheim elementary school Box 24, apr 09095,"the Telephone number is ets 378-3802