European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 8, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday april 8, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 3 20% of 8th-graders risk failure study says Washington apr the typical eighth grader is Happy at Home and doing Well in school but an education department official said Friday that about 20 percent of these Middle school students Are at risk of failure. Emerson Elliott acting commissioner of the departments National Center for education statistics released the first results of a study that will follow today a eighth graders As they move through High school and beyond. A a we be already identified a Large number of students who Are at risk of either school failure or dropping out before High school graduation a Elliott told an education writers association conference in Chicago where the report was released. A we will continue to collect data on these same students for another dozen years whether they stay in school or drop out a he added. To examine factors that contribute to school Success the National education longitudinal study of 1988 collected information on six commonly used indicators of a at risk status. Overall 53 percent of the 24,600 eighth graders in 1,000 Public and private schools nationwide in the Spring of 1988 had none of the risk factors but 20 percent had two or More the study showed. Twenty two percent were in single Parent families 21 percent lived in families with income of less than $15,000, 14 percent were Home alone More than three hours a Day 11 percent had parents with no High school diplomas 10 percent had siblings who dropped out and 2 percent had limited English proficiency. The study found that students with several risk factors tended to have More educational problems including Low grades and High absenteeism. Students with two or More risk factors were six times As Likely As those with none to report that they did not expect to graduate from High school and were twice As Likely to score in the lowest 25 percent on achievement tests and to receive the lowest 25 percent of grades the study said. Twenty percent of All eighth graders were not proficient in the Basic math skills a addition subtraction multiplication and division a considered necessary to perform everyday tasks. Thirty percent of hispanics Blacks and american indians were not proficient at the Basic level. Fourteen percent of eighth graders were unable to perform Basic Reading tasks such As finding information in a text or identifying the author s main thought. About 30 percent of students who usually speak a language other than English failed to show Basic Reading skills. The report a a profile of the american eighth grader a was conducted under an education department contract by the National opinion research Center a non profit research Center affiliated with the University of Chicago. Other key findings were a 41 percent of females and 28 percent of males aspired to professional or managerial careers or careers in business science or engineering Fields. A 10 percent of students reported that someone has offered to sell them drugs at school with 16 percent of american indians 14 percent of hispanics 10 percent of Whites 8 percent of Blacks and 5 percent of asians reporting that experience. A Blacks and american indians were nearly twice As Likely As Whites to report they did not feel Safe at school a 18 percent compared to 9.9 percent. A the typical eighth grader spent almost four times More hours per week watching television 21.2 hours than doing Homework 5.5 . Execs Hope to crack e. German Market from Page 1 with the West a said James Green economist with the Manhattan based conference Board an Agency that advises . Manufacturing interests. Green said a lot of american companies have made fact finding forays into Eastern Europe but relatively few dollars have been invested so far. Martin Mccauley with London a school of slavonic and East european studies said such reluctance is a mistake. A my guess is that companies have the rest of this year and maybe next year to get into Eastern Europe a he said. A after that  be left with the  in Mccauley a View the time for corporations to invade Eastern Europe is now before the fledgling capitalists springing up in Hungary Poland and elsewhere learn the Art of making a Deal. A Western companies Are securing very Good agreements from their Point of View right now a Mccauley said. A but that a going to change As these countries get Slier and  Michael r. Silverman a Washington d.c., attorney who advises . Firms on investments in Eastern Europe holds similar views. A a growing number of american companies Are committing resources to the East but not enough a Silverman said. He said Hungary and Poland in that order Are the two countries with the most favourable Laws governing foreign investment. Hungary allows foreign firms to own Haj percent of companies within its orders and the rules on taking corporate profits Home Are being liberalized. Poland also gets High Marks for allowing foreigners the same Basic rights As poles in business but High int action and an unstable zloty the lems currency Are ln8er n8 prob Mccauley who splits his time As a p Tessor and business consultant inks companies in Tele Communia f Ilse Energy computer software and think process no Are among those with the Best prospects in the East. Up a Portuni a to is exp St even a East  Mccauey said although observers write off that Wpc n As exclusive province of West German business. A your estimate is that in East Germany 80 percent of the business will be done by the West germans but the people there also want British French and . Participation a he said. A they done to want to be owned by Deutsche  still getting known in Eastern Europe is far from an easy proposition for . Companies even for some that were Active in the Region before the Berlin Wall came Down last november. Valmont industries a manufacturer of Street lights and irrigation equipment in Valley neb., is learning that lesson. The $663 million company sold almost $35 million Worth of irrigation equipment to Hungary in the past three years but company officials Are afraid sales Are about to take a nose dive. A a we be lost contacts in Hungary since the revolution said Mogens Bay president of Valmonte a International operations. A and that a typical for Eastern Europe. All those countries Are going through horrendous changes. Until the situation settles Down i think we re going to see a severe  valmont does no to plan to pull out of the Region. But Bay forecasts a Short term loss of sales As his company gets acquainted with new players in the hungarian  business opportunities East Germany total joint ventures with . Partners a Zero. Best opportunities a heavy manufacturing chemicals Energy telecommunications. Legal conditions a the situation is up in the air because of unification with West Germany. West Germany Hungary total joint ventures with . Partners a 140. Best opportunities a consumer goods telecommunications Light manufacturing. Legal conditions a foreigners Are allowed to Purchase 100 percent of companies. Easy licensing. Also 100 percent repatriation of foreign and Domestic profits Lowed. Bulgaria total joint ventures with . Partners a 10. Best opportunities a food processing chemicals electronics. Legal conditions a joint ventures allowed but repatriation of earnings by foreign companies not guaranteed. Poland total joint ventures with . Partners a 60. Best opportunities a food processing construction. Legal conditions a foreign companies allowed to own 100 percent of polish firms. Full repatriation of earnings from Export sales Only. Czechoslovakia total joint ventures with . Partners a one. Best opportunities a tourism manufacturing chemicals. Legal conditions a majority ownership of czech firms by foreigners allowed but other pro business legislation lacking. Repatriation of profits permitted Only for hard currency Export earnings. Meek a amps Sharon Kilday Romania total joint ventures with . Partners a one. Best opportunities a data processing chemical production. Legal conditions a romanian partner must have majority ownership of any joint venture. Other rules on foreign investment considered very restrictive. Bay said he can understand Why some other american companies Valmonte a size shy away from East european commitments. . Companies in general Are reluctant to put resources into an area where there arc a lot of question Marks a he said. Charles Carr an executive with Dibrell Brothers a Leaf tobacco import and Export company in Danville va., sees the question Marks. But Carr Hopes More open markets in Eastern Europe will make life More profitable for his firm. Dibrell Brothers was represented at the Leipzig Trade fair a month ago but Carr Isnit sure How quickly East european sales will Blossom. A a in a hoping we can increase sales slowly Over the next five years. I think in one sense tobacco can be a Quality product because on a unit basis it Isnit that expensive and its looked on As a sign of Prosperity in a lot of these countries. Its a status Symbol a he said. Carr said his firms interest in the East is also a result of competitive concerns. A if you ignore the Market too Long someone else might get a foothold ahead of you a he said. Despite the reluctance of some . Companies. Eastern Europe is emerging As a major drawing card for curious businessmen. Quot Eastern Europe is the sexy thing right now a said Pennsylvania a Beyer whose office promotes companies from Back Home on this Side of the Atlantic. A inquiries about the East have gone from Zero to overwhelming in a Short  Pennsylvania a Trade office and 13 other state economic outposts in Europe have scheduled a trip to Budapest april 18-19 to tout companies from their Home states in the Fields of telecommunications and computers. Beyer said both Fields Are Strong suits for american corporations. And All countries in Eastern Europe need help in rebuilding their infrastructures including Telephone networks and roads before they can Hope to conduct business on a Western Standard he said. Still Beyer does no to recommend a Rush into the East for companies with no experience elsewhere in Europe. A most . Companies might be better off waiting to see How the whole pattern works out. All the countries still face painful transitions a he said. Contributing to this report Joseph Owen in Leipzig East Germany