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Withdrawal/Redaction Sheet
Clinton Library
DOCUMENT NO.
SUBJECT/TITLE
DATE
RESTRICTION
AND TYPE
001. paper
Political (4 pages)
n.d.
Personal Misfile
COLLECTION:
Clinton Presidential Records
Domestic Policy Council
Bethany Little
OA/Box Number: 18524
FOLDER TITLE:
[Latino Educational Excellence]
2013-0371-S
ms661
RESTRICTION CODES
Presidential Records Act - |44 U.S.C. 2204(a)]
Freedom of Information Act - [5 U.S.C. 552(b)|
P1 National Security Classified Information |(a)(1) of the PRA)
b(1) National security classified information [(b)(1) of the FOIA]
P2 Relating to the appointment to Federal office [(a)(2) of the PRA|
b(2) Release would disclose internal personnel rules and practices of
P3 Release would violate a Federal statute |(a)(3) of the PRA]
an agency |(b)(2) of the FOIA]
P4 Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or
b(3) Release would violate a Federal statute |(b)(3) of the FOIA]
financial information [(a)(4) of the PRA]
b(4) Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential or financial
P5 Release would disclose confidential advice between the President
information |(b)(4) of the FOIA]
and his advisors, or between such advisors [a)(5) of the PRAJ
b(6) Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
P6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy [(b)(6) of the FOIA]
personal privacy [(a)(6) of the PRA]
b(7) Release would disclose information compiled for law enforcement
purposes |(b)(7) of the FOIA]
C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed
b(8) Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of
of gift.
financial institutions |(b)(8) of the FOIA]
PRM. Personal record misfile defined in accordance with 44 U.S.C.
b(9) Release would disclose geological or geophysical information
2201(3).
concerning wells |(b)(9) of the FOIA]
RR. Document will be reviewed upon request.
DRAFT FOR INTERNAL WHITE HOUSE USE ONLY
National Agenda for Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans
**Throughout the agenda there are references to activities that CBO's and the private sector will
undertake. The Initiative and WH outreach will engage leaders in both these fields to secure specific
commitments for action and investment leading up to the conference. **
Goal:
The overall goal of the National Agenda is to promote excellence in education for
Hispanic Americans by focusing attention and resources of the public and private sector and varying
stakeholders to ensure educational equity for Hispanic Americans. Hispanic students are the fastest
growing cohort of American students yet Hispanic students are also less likely to have effective
preschool experiences, successful K-12 experiences, and graduate from college than non-Hispanic
white students.
The Agenda covers pre-kindergarten, elementary and secondary education, and higher education.
However, the agenda is not purely a federal undertaking. It recognizes that Washington cannot solve
the challenges alone and that communities and the private sector also have a key role to play. The
goal of the conference is to set goals and initiate positive steps to ensure that Hispanic children receive
a high quality education and the same opportunities for life success that many Americans take for
granted. The agenda and the conference will be a vehicle to highlight initiatives that the President and
Vice President have undertaken toward this end and federal programs that address these issues;
however, strong private sector and community based organization involvement is essential to bolster
the likelihood of the conference and agenda translating into positive activity on the ground. There are
3 elementary and secondary education goals, one pre-k goal, and one higher education goal. The three
elementary and secondary goals are discussed below.
Theme:
Educating ALL of America: Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. This
theme cuts across all five goals and provides an overarching message that the various policy initiatives
support.
Pre-K Goal: To be provided by the Office of the First Lady
Under discussion.
Reduce the dropout rate gap for Hispanic students.
Background: According to the Census Bureau, during the 1996-97 school year, 3.6 percent of non-
Hispanic whites, and 9.5 percent of Hispanics aged 15-24 dropped out of school. According to the
most recent Department of Education statistics available, the status dropout rate for Hispanic students
is 25.3 percent while the rate for non-Hispanic white students is 7.6 percent. For Hispanic students
born outside of the 50 states and Washington, DC, the status dropout rate is 39 percent. ii High school
completion statistics paint an equally dismal picture, while 90.5 percent of eligible non-Hispanic
whites had completed high school in 1997, only 66.7 percent of Hispanics had. iii Essentially, while
dropout rates are still a problem for all students, by any measure the Hispanic dropout rate is at crisis
proportions. In addition, many researchers consider dropout rates to be an underreported statistic and
question the reliability of these numbers so the problem may be worse than these statistics indicate.
Goal:
Eliminate the gap in the dropout between Hispanic students and non-Hispanic students
by 2005.
Strategy:
The federal government, the private sector, and community-based organizations all have
a role to play in reducing the Hispanic dropout rate. The federal government will help prepare
Hispanic students for school success by increasing access for Hispanic students to Head Start, Title I,
and after-school programs. Both of these programs bolster literacy and research shows that reading
difficulties are a key indicator for dropping out. iv The federal government will also expand access for
Hispanics to mentoring activities such as the Gear-UP program and the TRIO programs and help
ensure access to test-preparation services to help Hispanic students on the SAT and ACT test. In
addition, through a focus on smaller schools, charter schools, and reforming the American high
school, the federal government will ensure that there are high quality options available to meet the
varying needs of adolescent students. [pending budget proposals]
The private sector will pledge to increase dropout prevention activities by partnering with schools and
school districts to provide mentoring experiences for Latino youth. Companies should make firm
commitments of time and resources as part of participation in the conference. The Initiative can track
commitments after the conference.
Community-based organizations will work with schools to ensure that students identified as at-risk of
dropping out are receiving interventions to encourage them to stay in school. The Initiative will
disseminate best practices.
Conference Strands:
Successful Models
Expectations
Academic Preparation
Other factors (economics, language)
Eliminate the achievement gap for Hispanic students
Background: On the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the SAT, and other standardized
tests there is an achievement gap between Hispanic students and white, non-Hispanic students. For
example on the 1996 NAEP mathematics test for 9-year-olds, non-Hispanic white students averaged
237 (6 points above the average of 231) while Hispanic students averaged 215, 16 points below the
average and 22 points below their non-Hispanic white peers. 13-year-old non-Hispanic white students
averaged 281, 7 points above the average while Hispanic students averaged 256, 25 points below their
white peers and 18 points below average. 17-year-old non-Hispanic white students showed a similar
disparity scoring 292, 15 points below average and 21 points below their white counterparts.
The chart below illustrates the NAEP score disparity in more detail:
NAEP
Average
Non
Hispanic
Hispanic
Non
Non
Test
Score
Hispanic
Average
Hispanic
Hispanic
(1996)
White
Average
White V.
White V.
Average
Score
Hispanic
Average
9-year-
212.4
219.9
194.1
(18.3)
(25.8)
7.5
old
Reading
13-year-
259.1
267
239.9
(19.2)
(27.1)
7.9
old
Reading
17-year-
286.9
294
264.7
(22.2)
(29.3)
7.1
old
Reading
9-year-
231
237
215
(16)
(22)
6
old Math
13-year-
274
281
256
(18)
(25)
7
old Math
17-year-
307
313
292
(15)
(21)
6
old Math
9-year-
230
239
207
(23)
(32)
9
old
Science
13-year-
256
266
232
(24)
(34)
10
old
Science
17-year-
296
307
269
(27)
(38)
11
old
Science
9-year-
207
216
191
(16)
(25)
9
old
Writing
13-year-
264
271
246
(18)
(25)
7
old
Writing
17-year-
283
289
269
(14)
(20)
6
old
Writing
While all the score gaps are serious, it is worth noting that the gap actually grows for students in
reading and math as they progress through school.
On the SAT the score gap is equally problematic with an average verbal score for Hispanic students of
466 compared to 526 for non-Hispanic white students (60 points) and a gap of 486 to 526 (40 points)
in
math.V State assessments and other standardized tests indicate similar disparities.
Goal:
Eliminate the achievement gap for Hispanic students on state assessments within the
next decade.
Strategy:
The federal government will expand access to rigorous academic courses for all
students including Hispanic students and expand access to test preparation services. [pending budget
proposals] At the state level, rigorous coursework is the best preparation for high performance on
assessments measuring state standards. According to the Education Trust, only 1 in 4 American
students overall takes Algebra in the -grade and only 1 in 5 Hispanic students have this
opportunity.
The private sector can play a key role here by supporting state reform efforts and ensuring that states
are taking the necessary steps to make a rigorous curriculum that supports state standards in place at
schools serving high concentrations of Hispanic students.
In addition, the private sector should expand access for Latino students to private test preparation
services and partner with schools and school districts to provide tutoring and mentoring services.
Community-based organizations will play a role as facilitators of public-private partnerships and
should build on programs such as Gear-Up to ensure that all students are aware of their options for
post-secondary education and the steps they must take to realize these options. The Initiative will
coordinate these commitments and disseminate best practices from CBO's.
While NAEP provides a good gauge of educational attainment on a longitudinal basis, it is a poor test
by which to set national goals. Because the NAEP test is not aligned to state standards and curriculum
it does not necessarily reflect a states reform efforts. Likewise, the SAT is a poor measure of overall
educational progress as well because the test is not valid for that purpose, doesn't measure a random
group of students, and is controversial. While helping students on the SAT should be part of the
strategy for college attainment and the achievement gap, in the absence of national indicators, the goal
laid out at the conference should be to eliminate score disparities on state assessments within 10 years.
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization bill that the House passed this fall
established a 10 year deadline for moving all demographic subsets of students to the "proficient" level
on state assessments. Our goal would dovetail with this target.
Conference Strands:
Good Assessment Practice for all students and LEP students in particular
Expectations
Teacher Preparation/Teacher skills issues
Ensure that Hispanic Students Achieve English Language Proficiency
Background:
Goal:
[Within 3 years of entering public school] or [before graduating from High School.] [/
was concerned that it would be too contentious or politically problematic; however, after discussions
with Sarita it is clear that there is interest in pursuing this as a goal. However, I want to get a better
feel for where the community is on this issue through Brian's outreach meetings before proceeding too
much further on this issue.]
Strategy:
Fluency in the English language is essential for academic and employment success in
this country. Through its investment in Title I, bilingual education, Head Start, and other programs
targeted at literacy the federal government will ensure that all Hispanic students are competent in
English by [see goal]. English proficiency is a key indicator for academic and employment
success.
The private sector will commit to increasing awareness among Hispanic elementary and
secondary students of the economic advantages of English proficiency as well as the
advantages of multilingual skills in the job market. The Initiative will coordinate these
pledges.
Secretary Riley has spoken out on the importance of "English plus 1" for all students in the
global economy. This could be a good link for us vis a vis some of the sensitivities around this
issue.
Higher Education Goal to be provided by NEC
Under discussion.
Notes:
Kendra L. Brooks
02/01/2000 12:54:15 PM
Record Type:
Record
To:
Anna Richter/OPD/EOP@EOP, Bethany Little/OPD/EOP@EOP, Andy Rotherham/OPD/EOP@EOP
CC:
Subject:
We don't have time to wait and see how things play out and then slowly try to regain control; too much will
have been confirmed and the risk of putting the groups out is much higher than if we lay down the law
right now. Maria was extremely clear about the fact that we are planning a White House conference; the
White House sets the agenda and is the host. There were no objections at the time or since (in an
outright manner). Because this was the initial agreement, we are not willing to change course. If there is a
White House conference then it has to mean White House control.
We have two options:
1. We can host a substantive conference in which we have ultimate control of everything, but can work
closely with the groups so that they are bought in and actively involved.
2. The groups can do whatever they want to do in their own conference "off-campus", with a White House
strategy session either before or after the conference.
White House National Meeting for Latino Educational Excellence
DRAFT - Timeline - DRAFT
Early January
Outreach to External Groups
-
Meeting with Education Stakeholders
January (1ˢᵗ or 2nd week)
Location: White House
Sarita
Stakeholder participants: John Guerra (AT&T), Delia Pompa (NABE), Guillermo Linares
vrivel
(Commissioner, NY), Arturo Vargas (NALEO).
- Meeting with Latino Organizations
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: White House
Brian BE
Organization participants: NCLR, LULAC, NALEO, HACU, MALDEF, MANA, NPRC,
PRLDF, Latino Civil Rights Task Force, Hispanic National Bar Association, SW Voter,
American GI Forum, Nat. Assoc. of Bilingual Education, Nat. Assoc. of Migrant
Education, National HEP/CAMP Association
-
Meeting with Education Organizations
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: White House
Lawrat
Organization participants: National Education Association, American Federation of
Andy
Teachers, American Association of School Administrators, Council of Chief State School
Officers, National School Boards Association, National PTA, National Association of
Elementary School Principals, National Association of Secondary School Principals,
Council of Great City Schools, National Association of Bilingual Education Association
for Career and Technical Education (Voc Ed), Council for Opportunity in Education
(TRIO), American Council on Education, American Association of Community Colleges,
Sumara mid Feb
American Association of State Colleges and Universities, National Association of
Independent Colleges and Universities, National Coalition for Literacy, National
Association of College Admissions Counseling
professional
Orgs.
Meeting with Business/Philanthropist
:-
-
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: White House
Briant Jay Dim
Organization participants: Coca-Cola Company, US West, US Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce, US Mexico Chamber of Commerce
-
Meeting/Conference Call with Congressional Offices
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Muryera
Location: TBD
Particpants:
Conference Call with Statewide/Local Electeds
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: TBD
Participants: Statewide and local electeds from AZ, CA, FL, IL, NM, NJ, NV, NY, PA,
3
Jashi
TX, PR
- Conference Call with Cabinet Members
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: TBD
Participants: Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff and Communications Directors
Ray sear Jishar
from Cabinet members offices
- Conference Call with Latino Community Leaders
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: TBD
Miamin
Participants: Community Leaders from AZ, CA, FL, IL, NM, NJ, NV, NY, MA, PA,
TX, PR
- Conference Call with Excelencia Conference Planning Committees
Location: TBD
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Suita
Participants: Leaders from the Excelencia Conference Planning Committees
Conference Proposal and Agenda
January-(4th-Week) Mid-Feb.
- Develop Conference Proposal and Agenda, submit proposal for decisions on goals,
format, date, location, outcomes, participants, issues, paper, etc.
- Develop message with Communications office and submit scheduling requests.
February
Coordinate substantive planning with NEC, DPC, OMB and Education, and begin planning
logistics.
Buy-in from External Groups
- Secure buy-in, via conference calls, from External Groups, and other White House
offices, Congress, Constituency Groups/Organizations/Community Leaders, State and
Local Elected officials and Cabinet Members.
March- April
Extend invitations to all participants.
Pull in Press Office to develop and implement press strategy.
Finalize plans.
April
Conference date 1st or 2nd week in month.
Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans
December 15, 1999
9:30 am - Ward Room
1. Annual Plan Required by Executive Order 12900
FY98
Report complete, submitted to POTUS, and handed out to agencies at IDC
meeting. OMB, ED
Plans for further distribution. Initiative
FY99
Deadline of December 20, 1999 set at IDC meeting. Initiative, OMB
Resistance from agencies: requests for extensions through February 2000.
Initiative
InterDepartmental Council - Folhs in and
2. Initiative Matters
agency trying to implement Ex Order
Commission
Letter from Commission to Secretary Riley. staff Initiative report to commissioners
Issues
Proposed end-of-year status report from Initiative to Commission. Initiative
Inter-
Next meeting set for January 18, 2000. OMB, Initiative, DPC
Departmental
Invite R. Yzaguirre? OMB, Initiative
Council
3. Communications with Outside Groups
Letter
Response to R. Yzaguirre letter. ED, DPC, OMB
Meetings
Raul's request for meeting with President, Vice President. COS
Need for new meeting with NCLR and other groups? COS
4. Regional/Topic Workplan
Proposal
Status of current proposed 7 city/topic workplan. OMB, DPC, Initiative
Meetings
Pre-meeting with top-performing agencies for securing buy-in for workplan?
OMB, COS
Meeting with Kevin Thurm from HHS. COS
4-7th
AT+T
5. Hispanic Education National Meeting
Meetings
Proposed January 20, 1999, meeting with John Guerra et. al. Initiative
Planning
Draft workplan. DPC
Draft outreach plan. OPL
6. HEAP
Update
Need for internal Title 1 meeting. ED, COS
DRAFT
Dear Mr. Yzaguirre:
As promised by President Clinton in his October 8th letter, we are writing to update you on the
implementation of the Hispanic Education Action Plan (HEAP) and recent progress with the
Executive Order 12900 Annual Performance Plans. This letter is to discuss the steps the
Administration has taken, and plans to take, to ensure the successful implementation of these two
central components of our overall strategy for improving educational opportunities and
excellence for Latinos. As such, we continue, with your support, to pursue the resources
necessary to positively effect change in the lives of the (X million) Latino students in this nation.
Before getting into the specifics of HEAP implementation, we would like first to update you on
the status of the Executive Order 12900 Annual Performance Plans. As you may know, each of
the 27 agencies submitted their FY 1998 reports to the White House Initiative on Educational
Excellence for Hispanic Americans last October. Overall, we found that the reports demonstrated
several improvements over FY 1995 submissions. For example, the Departments of Energy and
Health and Human Services have developed department-wide initiatives with short and long-
term strategies to ensure Hispanics participate and benefit from the agencies' education and
employment programs. Likewise, several agencies have demonstrated a tremendous
commitment to improving the educational outcomes of Latinos through creative and innovative
approaches of implementing the Executive Order.
While a difficult task, the process of collecting annual plans has increased each Federal agency's
awareness of its responsibility to better meet the educational needs of Latinos. However, because
we know more can be done to advance and expand agency efforts, we remain committed to
ensuring the agency plans and efforts continue to improve in the upcoming years. The White
House Initiative and OMB have already begun efforts to improve the focus of the FY 2000
Annual Performance Plans and continue to meet with the Inter-Departmental Council to refine
this exercise to achieve the best possible outcomes.
[Insert interagency support for the Excelencia conference series and other interagency efforts.
(Sarita)]
Even before HEAP was launched, the Department of Education successfully expanded Latino
participation in several education programs over the last few years. For example, changes in the
1994 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as well as expanded adult
education programs and improved student financial aid resources, have provided for increased
access to quality education for Hispanic students, particularly those with limited English
proficiency.
For the first time, the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 clearly articulated the
responsibility of Title I schools not only to serve students whose first language was not English,
but also to provide them with necessary supports to ensure that they achieve to the same high
academic standards expected of all children. As you know, this requires grantees to include LEP
students in assessment and accountability systems. In addition, the number of Hispanic students
served by Title I has increased by 72 percent since 1994, comprising approximately 30 percent of
the approximately 3.3 million students served by this $8 billion program.
Similarly, the 1996-1997 program year reports of adult participation in State-administered adult
education programs report Hispanic enrollment at nearly 1.6 million, an increase of more than 50
percent since 1988.
On the student aid front, the Department has made significant improvements to its outreach and
delivery systems, including providing a Spanish language version of the Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as well as bilingual toll-free customer service and support lines. In
1997, a record high 65.5% of Hispanic high school graduates enrolled in college, with 45 percent
of Hispanic college students receiving Federal student financial aid. Department studies suggest
that Hispanic recipients of Pell Grants are more likely to attain a degree than those who do not
receive such support.
Most recently, the Department of Education focused Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for
Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) outreach and technical assistance on ensuring that the
program, designed to help young students in high-poverty communities complete high school
and be academically prepared to attend college, sufficiently serves minority students. For the
first GEAR UP competition, held in 1999, the Department conducted an aggressive outreach
strategy to encourage institutions of higher education, including Hispanic-serving institutions
(HSIs), and school systems in local communities with large Latino populations, to apply for
GEAR UP awards. This strategy included holding outreach and technical assistance sessions in
communities with large Hispanic populations, and selecting high quality reviewers who
understand approaches to reducing the Latino dropout rate in and increasing Hispanic college
participation. In August, President Clinton announced the award of the first GEAR UP grants,
including 164 partnership grants and 21 state grants. This initial group of GEAR UP grantees
will help more than a quarter of a million disadvantaged young people prepare for and go on to
college. More than 31 partnerships involving HSIs were funded, involving $20 million (or
nearly 27 percent) of the $75 million for partnership funding.
Likewise, the Head Start program has taken significant steps to increase access for the Latino
community. To name a few, Head Start has increased by 50 percent the number of points
awarded to expansion grant applicants who emphasize outreach to under-served populations,
such as seasonal farm workers, recent immigrant families, and non-English speaking groups.
Also, Head Start has increased its efforts to work with and monitor programs to ensure full
utilization of community assessments to better target outreach, recruitment and enrollment of
under-served populations. Head Start expects to become even more informed about serving LEP
children through the Research Conference on Early Childhood Bilingual Language and Literacy
Development in San Antonio next February.
However, despite these and other examples, we agree with you that there is still much to be done
to improve the impact of HEAP and other Federal education programs in effectively targeting
and reaching Latino students. To ensure HEAP implementation, we have assigned Barbara
Chow, Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and Michael Cohen,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, to lead this effort. In addition, we
have been engaging the expertise of both educators and members of the Latino community in
identifying and planning additional steps to be taken. Your staff has been a particularly valuable
resource in this effort.
Over the next several months we will further expand these efforts to improve Latino participation
in Federal education programs and ensure that such programs effectively serve these students
and their unique needs. For example, we will build on our experience with GEAR UP to expand
efforts to increase Latino participation in after school activities through the 21st Century
Community Learning Centers program. The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
(OESE) will focus on strengthening the enforcement of provisions in current Title I law that
require states to hold schools and local school districts accountable for the academic
performance of Latino and LEP students. OESE and the Office of Bilingual Education and
Minority Language Affairs (OBEMLA) will also continue to identify and disseminate
information to schools served by Title I, Title VII, and other federal education programs to
implement models of effective practices for helping Latino students learn to read and meet
academic challenging standards in other academic subjects. Similarly, we will be working with
our higher education programs to track and improve their effectiveness in serving Latino
students, as well as adult education programs to ensure access to meaningful learning
opportunities. These steps are beginning to pay off. The attached documents include updated
implementation strategies for all of the programs in the Hispanic Education Action Plan and the
steps we will take in the coming months.
As mentioned previously, we look forward to working with you and your staff, as well as the
larger community, as we continue on this significant path.
Sincerely,
Jacob J. Lew
Richard W. Riley
Director, Office of Management and Budget
Secretary of Education
OCT-08-1999 13:13
P.02/17
1111 19th Street, N.W.. Suite 1000
NCLR
MariaE BREW
National Office
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 785-1670
Fax: (202) 776-1792
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF LA RAZA
Raul Yzaguirre, President
the
.
September 21, 1999
(Delivered by hand)
Hon. Bill Clinton
COPY
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President:
I write to you on an urgent matter that demands your immediate attention. You have
noted the Administration's success in conceiving and then winning increased funding
from Congress for the Hispanic Education Action Plan (HEAP), and deservedly so.
NCLR has supported HEAP vigorously, both in its planning stages within the
Administration and in our lobbying efforts with the Congress. In addition, we have given
the Administration substantial credit for this first-ever, major programmatic federal
education initiative targeted to the Hispanic community. We recognize that, on symbolic
grounds alone, the HEAP is an important, precedent-setting, groundbreaking initiative,
and we very much appreciate the personal attention you and the Vice President have
given to its conception and implementation.
Having said that, we are obligated to call to your attention several serious and long-
standing problems which threaten to turn the HEAP into a complete sham. Permit me to
give you some background. Latinos have long been under-served by federal education
programs (see attachment 1). The theory behind HEAP - to provide major increases in
funding to programs for which Latinos students are disproportionately eligible - makes
sense as a strategy only to the extent that Hispanic children are actually served by such
programs. Thus, HEAP makes sense only if the problem of underrepresentation is
addressed. The Executive Order signed by President Bush in 1990 and that you re-issued
designed in part to address the underrepresentation issue. It established a structural
mechanism to monitor and encourage progress toward improving the responsiveness of
federal education programs to the Hispanic community.
Thus, our support for the HEAP was conditioned on "off-budget" improvements in
program implementation that would make such programs, as well as other important
programs like Head Start, more responsive to our community. We believed, inaccurately
as it turns out, that the combination of the White House Initiative overseeing the
Executive Order and a special inter-departmental team overseeing HEAP implementation
together would produce the kinds of programmatic and policy changes needed to increase
Hispanic access to HEAP and related programs.
NCLR
Program Offices: Phoenix. Arizona
Sun Amonio. Texts
ws Angeles. California
Chicago. Illinois
LA RAZA: The Disrance Pennic of the I'm Work!
ПCT-08-1999 13:07
99%
P.02
OCT-08-1999 13:13
P.03/17
We have participated in numerous discussions with, and have provided specific
recommendations to Administration officials to address the chronic denial of access of
Hispanic students from federal education programs (see attachment 2). We had
confidence in the commitment and competence of the very able public servants involved
in these efforts, and expected by now to see some real, substantive changes.
Unfortunately, two related sets of documents have led us to conclude that, in the absence
of your immediate personal intervention, these efforts will result in failure. First, we
draft
have reviewed an initial draft of the Department of Education's HEAP implementation
plan. While the plan lists numerous ongoing actions that relate to Hispanics, it does not
include a single, substantive program or policy change that will materially improve
I atino access to and participation in the Department's programs. While we have not seen
a counterpart document related to Head Start, we have reason to believe that no important
developments have taken place with respect to that program either.
Second, we have reviewed a preliminary draft of the FY 1998 Annual Performance
Report on Implementing Executive Order #12900. As the draft report states, in pertinent
part:
The majority of the reporting agencies have not adequately monitored and
addressed Hispanic participation in educational and employment related
programs since 1995 Agency reports show a gross under-
representation of Hispanic American participation in programs. This
deficiency is increased because most reports do not provide either specific
strategies to gauge Hispanic participation or design plans that address
program effectiveness.
I would add that many of the agency reports seemed designed deliberately to obfuscate
rather than enlighten.
We believe that three major problems underlie the failure of both the Bush and Clinton
Administrations to reverse the chronic, gross underrepresentation of Latinos in federal
education programs. First, all of us have underestimated the intransigence of the federal
bureaucracy, a few nolitical annointees and other entrenched interests who have resisted
change consistently and energetically. Second the existing Executive Order has failed to
be the kind of effective accountability mechanism that we had hoped it would be, in part
because too many peonle involved including the White House, simply have never made
a serious commitment to making it work
Third, however, I must take some personal responsibility for failing to bring greater
public attention to the scope and persistence of this problem. I had hoped that by
working quietly with the many able Administration officials of good will, together we
would be able to reverse this situation. It is now clear to me that this has not worked.
Unless we are able to come up with a solution very quickly, I must say that I face some
difficult questions. As it now stands, HEAP borders on fraud. It purports to target
OCT-08-1999 13:07
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OCT-08-1999 13:14
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resources to Hispanics, but in fact many of the programs it funds actually under-serve
Latino children. How can I, in good conscience, continue to ask public officials and
leaders in my own community to continue to support increased appropriations for
programs which deny equal opportunity to Hispanics? With respect to the Executive
Order, since my resignation as Commission Chair in 1996, I have kept my commitment
to the you, Secretary Riley, and other members of the Commission to refrain from
1
publicly criticizing the initiative, and I have instructed my staff to cooperate fully with its
work In light of recent developments, don't I have an obligation to declare the effort a
failure and call for its abolition?
I request immediate personal intervention by you and/or the Vice President to see if we
might be able to develop an effective response to the problem, and ask for a meeting with
you and/or the Vice President within the next 10 days to discuss the issue. Please have
your staff contact me or my scheduling assistant Helen Coronado at (202) 776-1739 to
arrange a mutually convenient time to meet.
Thank you for your personal attention to this issue.
Sincerely,
Raul Yzaguirre
President
cc:
Vice President Al Gore
T-08-1999 13:07
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P.04
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P.01/17
capid
Echaveste
In 9/74 clearenty leaver Chan Bellerion Edwinking) Ilavia,
Read
Podesta
Ibarra
THE WHITE HOUSE
Lew
WASHINGTON
Spenling
Mr. Raul Yzaguirre
President
National Council of La Raza
Suite 1000
1111 19th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036
Dear Raul:
Thank you for your letter about the Hispanic Education Action
Plan (HEAP) and the White House Initiative on Educational
Excellence for Hispanic Americans. Your letter raises serious
questions, and I have asked Secretary Riley and OMB Director
Jack Lew to address them.
The White House Initiative and HEAP are important components
of our work to strengthen education for Hispanic children, and
I firmly believe that these efforts will have a significant and
lasting impact on our nation if we work together to ensure their
success. I want to assure you that my Administration is deeply
committed to providing a world-class education to every child in
our nation and that improving opportunities for Hispanic children
remains an important part of this endeavor.
Thanks, again, for your candid assessment. I have directed Maria
Echaveste, my Deputy Chief of Staff, to work with you and keep me
apprised of our progress. Best wishes.
Sincerely,
True
new,
filget onit-
destaining questions
CT-08-1999 13:07
98%
P.01
DRAFT
National Agenda for Educational Excellence for Hipsanic Americans
**Throughout the agenda there are references to activities that CBO's and the private
sector will undertake. The Initiative and WH outreach will engage leaders in both these
fields to secure specific commitments for action and investment leading up to the
conference.
Goal:
The overall goal of the National Agenda is to promote excellence in
education for Hispanic Americans by focusing attention and resources of the public and
private sector and varying stakeholders to ensure educational equity for Hispanic
Americans. Hispanic students are the fastest growing cohort of American students yet
Hispanic students are also less likely to have effective preschool experiences, successful
K-12 experiences, and graduate from college than non-Hispanic white students.
The Agenda covers pre-kindergarten, elementary and secondary education, and higher
education. However, the agenda is not purely a federal undertaking. It recognizes that
Washington cannot solve the challenges alone and that communities and the private
sector also have a key role to play. The goal of the conference is to set goals and initiate
positive steps to ensure that Hispanic children receive a high quality education and the
same opportunities for life success that many Americans take for granted. The agenda
and the conference will be a vehicle to highlight initiatives that the President and Vice
President have undertaken toward this end and federal programs that address these issues;
however, strong private sector and community based organization involvement is
essential to bolster the likelihood of the conference and agenda translating into positive
activity on the ground. There are 3 elementary and secondary education goals, one pre-k
goal, and one higher education goal. The three elementary and secondary goals are
discussed below.
Theme:
Educating ALL of America: Educational Excellence for Hispanic
Americans. This theme cuts across all five goals and provides an overarching message
that the various policy initiatives support.
Pre-K Goal: To be provided by the Office of the First Lady
Under discussion.
Reduce the dropout rate gap for Hispanic students.
Background: According to the Census Bureau, during the 1996-97 school year, 3.6
percent of non-Hispanic whites, and 9.5 percent of Hispanics aged 15-24 dropped out of
school. According to the most recent Department of Education statistics available, the
status dropout rate for Hispanic students is 25.3 percent while the rate for non-Hispanic
white students is 7.6 percent. For Hispanic students born outside of the 50 states and
Washington, DC, the status dropout rate is 39 percent." High school completion statistics
paint an equally dismal picture, while 90.5 percent of eligible non-Hispanic whites had
completed high school in 1997, only 66.7 percent of Hispanics had. iii Essentially, while
dropout rates are still a problem for all students, by any measure the Hispanic dropout
rate is at crisis proportions. In addition, many researchers consider dropout rates to be an
underreported statistic and question the reliability of these numbers so the problem may
be worse than these statistics indicate.
Goal:
Eliminate the gap in the dropout between Hispanic students and non-
Hispanic students by 2005.
Strategy:
The federal government, the private sector, and community-based
organizations all have a role to play in reducing the Hispanic dropout rate. The federal
government will help prepare Hispanic students for school success by increasing access
for Hispanic students to Head Start, Title I, and after-school programs. Both of these
programs bolster literacy and research shows that reading difficulties are a key indicator
for dropping out. iv The federal government will also expand access for Hispanics to
mentoring activities such as the Gear-UP program and the TRIO programs and help
ensure access to test-preparation services to help Hispanic students on the SAT and ACT
test. In addition, through a focus on smaller schools, charter schools, and reforming the
American high school, the federal government will ensure that there are high quality
options available to meet the varying needs of adolescent students. [pending budget
proposals]
The private sector will pledge to increase dropout prevention activities by partnering with
schools and school districts to provide mentoring experiences for Latino youth.
Companies should make firm commitments of time and resources as part of participation
in the conference. The Initiative can track commitments after the conference.'
Community-based organizations will work with schools to ensure that students identified
as at-risk of dropping out are receiving interventions to encourage them to stay in school.
The Initiative will disseminate best practices.
Conference Strands:
Successful Models
Expectations
Academic Preparation
Other factors (economics, language)
Eliminate the achievement gap for Hispanic students
Background: On the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the SAT, and other
standardized tests there is an achievement gap between Hispanic students and white, non-
Hispanic students. For example on the 1996 NAEP mathematics test for 9-year-olds,
non-Hispanic white students averaged 237 (6 points above the average of 231) while
Hispanic students averaged 215, 16 points below the average and 22 points below their
non-Hispanic white peers. 13-year-old non-Hispanic white students averaged 281, 7
points above the average while Hispanic students averaged 256, 25 points below their
white peers and 18 points below average. 17-year-old non-Hispanic white students
showed a similar disparity scoring 292, 15 points below average and 21 points below
their white counterparts.
The chart below illustrates the NAEP score disparity in more detail:
NAEP
Average
Non
Hispanic
Hispanic
Non-
Non
Test
Score
Hispanic
Average
Hispanic
Hispanic
(1996)
White
Average
White V.
White v
Average
Score
Hispanic
Average
9-year-
212.4
219.9
194.1
(18.3)
(25.8)
7.5
old
Reading
13-year-
259.1
267
239.9
(19.2)
(27.1)
7.9
old
Reading
17-year-
286.9
294
264.7
(22.2)
(29.3)
7.1
old
Reading
9-year-
231
237
215
(16)
(22)
6
old Math
13-year-
274
281
256
(18)
(25)
7
old Math
17-year-
307
313
292
(15)
(21)
6
old Math
9-year-
230
239
207
(23)
(32)
9
old
Science
13-year-
256
266
232
(24)
(34)
10
old
Science
17-year-
296
307
269
(27)
(38)
11
old
Science
9-year-
207
216
191
(16)
(25)
9
old
Writing
13-year-
264
271
246
(18)
(25)
7
old
Writing
17-year-
283
289
269
(14)
(20)
6
old
Writing
While all the score gaps are serious, it is worth noting that the gap actually grows for
students in reading and math as they progress through school.
On the SAT the score gap is equally problematic with an average verbal score for
Hispanic students of 466 compared to 526 for non-Hispanic white students (60 points)
and a gap of 486 to 526 (40 points) in math." State assessments and other standardized
tests indicate similar disparities.
Goal:
Eliminate the achievement gap for Hispanic students on state assessments
within the next decade.
Strategy:
The federal government will expand access to rigorous academic courses
for all students including Hispanic students and expand access to test preparation
services. [pending budget proposals] At the state level, rigorous coursework is the best
preparation for high performance on assessments measuring state standards. According
to the Education Trust, only 1 in 4 American students overall takes Algebra in the 8th-
grade and only 1 in 5 Hispanic students have this opportunity.
The private sector can play a key role here by supporting state reform efforts and
ensuring that states are taking the necessary steps to make a rigorous curriculum that
supports state standards in place at schools serving high concentrations of Hispanic
students.
In addition, the private sector should expand access for Latino students to private test
preparation services and partner with schools and school districts to provide tutoring and
mentoring services. Community-based organizations will play a role as facilitators of
public-private partnerships and should build on programs such as Gear-Up to ensure that
all students are aware of their options for post-secondary education and the steps they
must take to realize these options. The Initiative will coordinate these commitments and
disseminate best practices from CBO's.
While NAEP provides a good gauge of educational attainment on a longitudinal basis, it
is a poor test by which to set national goals. Because the NAEP test is not aligned to
state standards and curriculum it does not necessarily reflect a states reform efforts.
Likewise, the SAT is a poor measure of overall educational progress as well because the
test is not valid for that purpose, doesn't measure a random group of students, and is
controversial. While helping students on the SAT should be part of the strategy for
college attainment and the achievement gap, in the absence of national indicators, the
goal laid out at the conference should be to eliminate score disparities on state
assessments within 10 years. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act
reauthorization bill that the House passed this fall established a 10 year deadline for
moving all demographic subsets of students to the "proficient" level on state assessments.
Our goal would dovetail with this target.
Conference Strands:
Good Assessment Practice for all students and LEP students in particular
Expectations
Teacher Preparation/Teacher skills issues
Ensure that Hispanic Students Achieve English Language Proficiency
Background:
Goal:
[Within 3 years of entering public school] or [before graduating from
High School.] [I was concerned that it would be too contentious or politically
problematic; however, after discussions with Sarita it is clear that there is interest in
pursuing this as a goal. However, I want to get a better feel for where the community is
on this issue through Brian's outreach meetings before proceeding too much further on
this issue.]
Strategy:
Fluency in the English language is essential for academic and employment
success in this country. Through its investment in Title I, bilingual education, Head
Start, and other programs targeted at literacy the federal government will ensure that all
Hispanic students are competent in English by [see goal]. English proficiency is a key
indicator for academic and employment success.
The private sector will commit to increasing awareness among Hispanic
elementary and secondary students of the economic advantages of English
proficiency as well as the advantages of multilingual skills in the job market. The
Initiative will coordinate these pledges.
Secretary Riley has spoken out on the importance of "English plus 1" for all
students in the global encomony. This could be a good link for us vis a vis some of
the sensitivities around this issue.
Higher Education Goal to be provided by NEC
Under discussion.
Notes:
i
U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureaus of the Census, Current Population Survey, October, 1997.
ii
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1997.
iii
Ibid.
iv
National Research Council, Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children, 1998. 21.
V
College Entrance Examination Board, National Report on College Bound Seniors, 1997.
vi
Education Trust, Education Watch: The Education Trust 1998 State and National Data Book, 1998.
White House National Meeting for Latino Educational Excellence
DRAFT - Timeline - DRAFT
Early January
Outreach to External Groups
- Meeting with Education Stakeholders
January (1ˢᵗ or 2nd week)
Location: White House
Stakeholder participants: John Guerra (AT&T), Delia Pompa (NABE), Guillermo Linares
(Commissioner, NY), Arturo Vargas (NALEO).
- Meeting with Latino Organizations
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: White House
Organization participants: NCLR, LULAC, NALEO, HACU, MALDEF, MANA, NPRC,
PRLDF, Latino Civil Rights Task Force, Hispanic National Bar Association, SW Voter,
American GI Forum, Nat. Assoc. of Bilingual Education, Nat. Assoc. of Migrant
Education, National HEP/CAMP Association
- Meeting with Education Organizations
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: White House
Organization participants: National Education Association, American Federation of
Teachers, American Association of School Administrators, Council of Chief State School
Officers, National School Boards Association, National PTA, National Association of
Elementary School Principals, National Association of Secondary School Principals,
Council of Great City Schools, National Association of Bilingual Education Association
for Career and Technical Education (Voc Ed), Council for Opportunity in Education
(TRIO), American Council on Education, American Association of Community Colleges,
American Association of State Colleges and Universities, National Association of
Independent Colleges and Universities, National Coalition for Literacy, National
Association of College Admissions Counseling
- Meeting with Business/Philanthropist
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: White House
Organization participants: Coca-Cola Company, US West, US Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce, US Mexico Chamber of Commerce
- Meeting/Conference Call with Congressional Offices January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: TBD
Particpants:
- Conference Call with Statewide/Local Electeds
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: TBD
Participants: Statewide and local electeds from AZ, CA, FL, IL, NM, NJ, NV, NY, PA,
TX, PR
- Conference Call with Cabinet Members
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: TBD
Participants: Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff and Communications Directors
from Cabinet members offices
-
Conference Call with Latino Community Leaders
January (2nd or 3rd week)
Location: TBD
Participants: Community Leaders from AZ, CA, FL, IL, NM, NJ, NV, NY, MA, PA,
TX, PR
-
Conference Call with Excelencia Conference Planning Committees
Location: TBD
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Participants: Leaders from the Excelencia Conference Planning Committees
Conference Proposal and Agenda
January (4th Week)
- Develop Conference Proposal and Agenda, submit proposal for decisions on goals,
format, date, location, outcomes, participants, issues, paper, etc.
- Develop message with Communications office and submit scheduling requests.
February
Coordinate substantive planning with NEC, DPC, OMB and Education, and begin planning
logistics.
Buy-in from External Groups
-
Secure buy-in, via conference calls, from External Groups, and other White House
offices, Congress, Constituency Groups/Organizations/Community Leaders, State and
Local Elected officials and Cabinet Members.
March- April
Extend invitations to all participants.
Pull in Press Office to develop and implement press strategy.
Finalize plans.
April
Conference date 1st or 2nd week in month.
White House National Meeting for Latino Educational Excellence
DRAFT - Timeline - DRAFT
Early January
Outreach to External Groups
- Meeting with Education Stakeholders
January (1ˢᵗ or 2nd week)
Location: White House
Stakeholder participants: John Guerra (AT&T), Delia Pompa (NABE), Guillermo Linares
(Commissioner, NY), Arturo Vargas (NALEO).
- Meeting with Latino Organizations
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: White House
Organization participants: NCLR, LULAC, NALEO, HACU, MALDEF, MANA, NPRC,
PRLDF, Latino Civil Rights Task Force, Hispanic National Bar Association, SW Voter,
American GI Forum, Nat. Assoc. of Bilingual Education, Nat. Assoc. of Migrant
Education, National HEP/CAMP Association
- Meeting with Education Organizations
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: White House
Organization participants: National Education Association, American Federation of
Teachers, American Association of School Administrators, Council of Chief State School
Officers, National School Boards Association, National PTA, National Association of
Elementary School Principals, National Association of Secondary School Principals,
Council of Great City Schools, National Association of Bilingual Education Association
for Career and Technical Education (Voc Ed), Council for Opportunity in Education
(TRIO), American Council on Education, American Association of Community Colleges,
American Association of State Colleges and Universities, National Association of
Independent Colleges and Universities, National Coalition for Literacy, National
Association of College Admissions Counseling
- Meeting with Business/Philanthropist
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: White House
Organization participants: Coca-Cola Company, US West, US Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce, US Mexico Chamber of Commerce
- Meeting/Conference Call with Congressional Offices January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: TBD
Particpants:
- Conference Call with Statewide/Local Electeds
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: TBD
Participants: Statewide and local electeds from AZ, CA, FL, IL, NM, NJ, NV, NY, PA,
TX, PR
- Conference Call with Cabinet Members
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: TBD
Participants: Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff and Communications Directors
from Cabinet members offices
-
Conference Call with Latino Community Leaders
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: TBD
Participants: Community Leaders from AZ, CA, FL, IL, NM, NJ, NV, NY, MA, PA,
TX, PR
-
Conference Call with Excelencia Conference Planning Committees
Location: TBD
January (2nd or 3rd week)
Participants: Leaders from the Excelencia Conference Planning Committees
Conference Proposal and Agenda
January (4th Week)
-
Develop Conference Proposal and Agenda, submit proposal for decisions on goals,
format, date, location, outcomes, participants, issues, paper, etc.
-
Develop message with Communications office and submit scheduling requests.
February
Coordinate substantive planning with NEC, DPC, OMB and Education, and begin planning
logistics.
Buy-in from External Groups
-
Secure buy-in, via conference calls, from External Groups, and other White House
offices, Congress, Constituency Groups/Organizations/Community Leaders, State and
Local Elected officials and Cabinet Members.
March- April
Extend invitations to all participants.
Pull in Press Office to develop and implement press strategy.
Finalize plans.
April
Conference date 1st or 2nd week in month.
White House National Meeting for Latino Educational Excellence
DRAFT - Timeline - DRAFT
Early January
Outreach to External Groups
- Meeting with Education Stakeholders
January (1ˢᵗ or 2nd week)
Location: White House
Stakeholder participants: John Guerra (AT&T), Delia Pompa (NABE), Guillermo Linares
(Commissioner, NY), Arturo Vargas (NALEO).
- Meeting with Latino Organizations
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: White House
Organization participants: NCLR, LULAC, NALEO, HACU, MALDEF, MANA, NPRC,
PRLDF, Latino Civil Rights Task Force, Hispanic National Bar Association, SW Voter,
American GI Forum, Nat. Assoc. of Bilingual Education, Nat. Assoc. of Migrant
Education, National HEP/CAMP Association
- Meeting with Education Organizations
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: White House
Organization participants: National Education Association, American Federation of
Teachers, American Association of School Administrators, Council of Chief State School
Officers, National School Boards Association, National PTA, National Association of
Elementary School Principals, National Association of Secondary School Principals,
Council of Great City Schools, National Association of Bilingual Education Association
for Career and Technical Education (Voc Ed), Council for Opportunity in Education
(TRIO), American Council on Education, American Association of Community Colleges,
American Association of State Colleges and Universities, National Association of
Independent Colleges and Universities, National Coalition for Literacy, National
Association of College Admissions Counseling
- Meeting with Business/Philanthropist
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: White House
Organization participants: Coca-Cola Company, US West, US Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce, US Mexico Chamber of Commerce
- Meeting/Conference Call with Congressional Offices January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: TBD
Particpants:
- Conference Call with Statewide/Local Electeds
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: TBD
Participants: Statewide and local electeds from AZ, CA, FL, IL, NM, NJ, NV, NY, PA,
TX, PR
- Conference Call with Cabinet Members
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Location: TBD
Participants: Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff and Communications Directors
from Cabinet members offices
-
Conference Call with Latino Community Leaders
January (2nd or 3rd week)
Location: TBD
Participants: Community Leaders from AZ, CA, FL, IL, NM, NJ, NV, NY, MA, PA,
TX, PR
-
Conference Call with Excelencia Conference Planning Committees
Location: TBD
January (2ⁿᵈ or 3rd week)
Participants: Leaders from the Excelencia Conference Planning Committees
Conference Proposal and Agenda
January (4th Week)
-
Develop Conference Proposal and Agenda, submit proposal for decisions on goals,
format, date, location, outcomes, participants, issues, paper, etc.
-
Develop message with Communications office and submit scheduling requests.
February
Coordinate substantive planning with NEC, DPC, OMB and Education, and begin planning
logistics.
Buy-in from External Groups
-
Secure buy-in, via conference calls, from External Groups, and other White House
offices, Congress, Constituency Groups/Organizations/Community Leaders, State and
Local Elected officials and Cabinet Members.
March- April
Extend invitations to all participants.
Pull in Press Office to develop and implement press strategy.
Finalize plans.
April
Conference date 1st or 2ⁿᵈ week in month.
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AT&T
John C. Guerra. Jr.
5501 LBJ Freeway
Corporate Affairs
Dallas. TX 75240
Vice President
Phone (972)778-2419
Fax (972)778-2775
September 15, 1999
Latino Education Excellence Stakeholders
Thank you for participating in the review session in New Jersey. It was an honor and a
pleasure to host a group comprised of leaders who demonstrate such caring and
commitment to Latino youth.
I know that we are in the thick of Hispanic Heritage month and most of us will have
opportunities to visit with our constituents in various forums. This, as we agreed, is an
opportune time to share our vision for significant measurable improvement in Latino
educational achievement in the new millennium. It is also the time to begin solidifying
the community around this vision and associated work activities with an eye toward a
national convening of stakeholders in Spring 2000.
To that end, I have attached a summary of what we discussed to share with our
constituents. I have visited with my peers and each agrees that the timing is perfect to
call for measurable accomplishments which allow for Latinos in high school to "raise
the score by 004" and for college to "get them all in by 2010".
As do each of you, I too believe that this is a national issue not just a Hispanic issue and
that it is critical that we as a community coalesce to end the education crisis. I look
forward to our next meeting with more stakeholders. Please call if I can help with key
meetings.
Sincerely,
John C. Guerra, Jr.
Corporate Affairs Vice President
Attachment
AT&T
John C. Guerra. Jr.
5501 LBJ Freeway
Corporate Affairs
Dallas. TX 75240
Vice President
Phone (972)778-2419
Fax (972)778-2775
DATE:
September 15, 1999
TO:
Latino Education Excellence Stakeholders
FROM:
John C. Guerra, Jr.
Vice President Corporate Affairs
RE:
Education Targets 21ˢᵗ Century Meeting Summary
During the follow-up meeting after the White House convening on Latino
Education Issues, there was a census that we have a unique opportunity to
implement break -through strategies to improve the overall education
achievement of Hispanics in the United States. There was general agreement
that:
-
We (all in the community) own the problem.
-
Small incremental improvements will not outpace the current
dropout rate.
-
The Latino education crisis is a microcosm of a national crisis
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We must have zero tolerance for dropouts
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We must see a sense of urgency to resolve the problem
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The community must agree on an overarching vision
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Education includes all and is a continual process from pre-school
through adulthood.
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Graduation means proficiency in content areas at all grade levels.
Within this context and with an awareness that through iterative meeting with
subject matter experts more tactical details will be created, the following was
established as the goal:
-
How
All appropriate and eligible Latinos graduate from high school by
2004.
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All appropriate and eligible Latinos have access to college by 2010.
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Critical milestones be established and reviewed.
Under this overachieving vision, there were a number of possible areas of focus
discussed. The specific suggestions could be grouped as follows:
October (1, 1999
Page :
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Increase the number of high quality teachers
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Establish and maintain high quality curricula
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Ensure general access to current technology
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Ensure access to finances for centering education
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Involve parents and other key influencers in the education
experience
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Creating environment of hope through positive image in media
Each area would be further detailed during the next few weeks, as we meet with
other stakeholders. The key is identifying solutions, which are "scaleable" and
can be implemented rapidly in large numbers of communities.
Targeted dates established were:
September 99
Update the White House commission
Gain constituency support
October 99
Build a vision
November 99
Review status at the Chicago Conference (Nov 5th &
6ᵗʰ)
December 99
Review status at the Miami Conference (Dec 3rd &
4th)
Spring 2000
Convene a national meeting no later than May
- Unveil the plan nationally
- Review the commission's 7-year history
September 2000
Final commission meeting
We have set an aggressive but doable set of targets, which require each of us to
work with our fellow constituents, maintain a sense of urgency and demand
performance while giving support. Without success there is no long-term
participation in the American dream by all Americans.
Please let us know how we can help.
Higher Standards, Higher Pay: This initiative would award grants to high-poverty urban and rural
school districts to help them attract and retain high-quality teachers and principals through better pay
and higher standards. These districts, in partnerships with local businesses and teacher's unions, would
develop a plan to raise teacher standards and provide professional development and intensive support -
- including mentoring -- to help all teachers and principals succeed. Participating districts [and these
partnerships] would agree to adopt fair but faster ways to identify, improve, and when necessary
remove low-performing teachers [and require rigorous peer evaluations to identify potential master
teachers, provide advice and extra help to all teachers, and identify those few who should be placed
into a program to improve or when necessary remove low-performing teachers]. District plans would
also include strategies to reward good teaching and recruit talented new teachers. Under this proposal,
teachers in participating school districts would receive up to a $5,000 salary increase and an additional
$5,000 salary increase (assuming a 50% state or local match) would be provided to master teachers
reaching an advanced professional standard -- for example, those who get advanced certification
through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards [or those who pass a rigorous peer
evaluation demonstrating high-quality teaching.] Al Gore believes that teachers should be treated like
professionals, paid like professionals, and held to high professional standards. No teaching contract or
license should provide a lifetime job guarantee, but we should give all our teachers the support and
training needed to succeed.
Q: In May, Gore said that "the granting of a teaching license should be followed by rigorous but
fair performance evaluations. And every five years, those evaluations should be used to
determine whether a license is renewed.". He didn't mention that today. Is he backing off from
this challenge?
A: No. Al Gore believes that teachers should be treated like professionals, paid like professionals and
held to high professional standards. Today, Gore proposed a new initiative to provide higher standards
and higher pay for teachers in high-poverty school districts that take aggressive steps to improve
teacher quality and treat teachers like professionals. This includes providing support for all teachers,
but adopting fair but faster ways to identify, improve, and when necessary remove low-performing or
burned-out teachers. [The plan would also require teachers in participating school to undergo rigorous
peer evaluations used to identify potential master teachers, give advice and extra help to all teachers,
and identify those few teachers that should be placed into a program to improve or remove those who
are low-performing.]
In May, Gore called for another step -- to be taken at the state level, not the local level -- to require that
peer evaluations be used in determining whether a license should be renewed every five years.
Wisconsin is likely to soon approve exactly the kind of reform Gore mentioned - requiring teachers to
demonstrate to teams of peers and others that they have developed and followed a professional
development plan to help them reach state standards in order to get their license renewed every five
years.
But Gore's focus today was on a specific new initiative focused on changes that should take place in
high-poverty school districts -- rather than statewide reforms -- to raise pay and standards for teachers
in communities that will have the most urgent need for qualified teachers over the next several years.
TALKING POINTS BY VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE
PEARL-COHN COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL, NASHVILLE
Thursday, December 16, 1999
I've just had a chance to walk around Pearl-Cohn, and see your wonderful new
business communications program - which is essentially a magnet school within a
school. To me, this is a model of the change we've got to have all across the country.
I'm running for President because I want to lead the fight for revolutionary
improvements in all our public schools.
I've been in this fight for nearly two decades now. When the first Reagan-Bush
budget cut student loans and school lunches, I fought against it. And when the Gingrich
Republicans tried to shut down the Department of Education, I fought back - and we won
that fight.
Today, we know that education is more important than ever before. [THREE
REASONS. ]
But this is still a big political debate. Too many Republicans want to cut
education, to pay for big, budget-busting, special interest tax schemes. Others want to
walk away from the challenge, and pass the buck to states and local school districts. I
have a very different view.
When students are crammed into classrooms like sardines in a can - when school
buildings are so old, they can't even be wired to the Internet - we need national
leadership.
When some students can move up to the next grade just by keeping their seats
warm; when some teachers didn't even study the subjects they teach - we need to invest
in education, not cut it to ribbons.
If the people of this country entrust me with the Presidency, I make this pledge:
I'll shake up the status quo, to make our children's test scores the best in the world.
I'll devote a major portion of the surplus -- $115 billion -- to bring revolutionary
change to our public schools.
I'll invest more in our schools - but I'll also demand more in return. Today, I'm
releasing new details of my plan, and I want to talk about some of the specifics with you:
1. We need smaller classes and smaller schools - like the business
communications program here at Pearl-Cohn -- which have been proven to have lower
issinaller
drop-out rates, better attendance, and fewer discipline problems.
2. We have to insist on higher standards and accountability. That means urging
states to raise the compulsory school age to 18, challenging states to put in place a high
school exit exam, and doing more to prevent students from dropping out. -especially Hispanic?
3. We have to improve teacher quality and treat teachers like the professionals
they are. That's why I'm proposing a new 21st Century Teachers Corps, to attract a new
generation of teachers to the schools that need them most. I'll help schools pay teachers
more, in return for higher standards. Every new teacher should pass a rigorous test
before they set foot in the classroom. And for current teachers, we need rigorous peer ?
reviews, and fast but fair ways to remove those who aren't up to the job.
4. We need an all-out crusade to turn around failing schools - which includes a Federal
dramatic expansion of after-school programs for those stuck in failing schools, and tax tax support
credits to help rebuild and modernize thousands of schools across America. I also want
to triple the number of alternative "Charter" schools - to give parents more choice in
their children's public schools. That will apply the pressure that will improve all schools.
There's going to be a big fight about these issues in next year's election. The
Republican front-runner, Governor Bush, who is here in Tennessee right now, has a tax
scheme that would squander the entire surplus, send us back into deficit, and force deep
cuts in education.
That's just the beginning: he says that if a public school is not making the grade,
its federal funds for disadvantaged students should simply be divided up and given away.
His alternative - vouchers for private school - is unworkable. Not only would it
drain funds away from schools that need them most; Governor Bush would give a child
in a failing school about $1,500 a year -- less than half the average tuition at a private
school. Anyone who thinks the Bush plan will work needs some basic math education.
I've looked at the Bush education plan, and it gives us a brand new definition of
the "three R's": reckless, radical, and retrograde.
Then there's his record in Texas: three out of four schools in the state need to
improve or repair a building. The state ranks 45th out of all 50 states in SAT scores.
According to one recent survey, 40 percent of Texas's students were unprepared when
they started college. Texas's teachers and families are working very hard. But they need
real leadership. And we can't afford to let the Bush approach hurt states across the
country.
I'm here because I don't believe in pulling the rug out from under public
education. We've got to learn from what you're doing here at Pearl-Cohn, and build on
that success - all across this nation. Now I want to hear from you
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