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AEP Online |
Blaschke on Federal FundingReport Finds Using Computers in Science Instruction Raises ScoresThe National Center for Education Statistics has found not only that student computer use in science is on the rise, but that according to teacher reports, fourth and eighth grade students who used computers for instruction had generally higher NAEP achievement scores between 1996 and 2000 than those who did not. During that time, the percentage of students whose teachers indicated they used computers increased from 47 to 57 percent in grade four; and in 2000, fourth grade students who used computers for playing science/learning games scored higher, on the average. In grade eight, computer use jumped from 54 to 75 percent over the four years; findings indicated that eighth graders using computers for simulation, modeling, and data analysis showed higher averages. At the twelfth grade level, students who said they used computers to collect or analyze data at least once a month also had higher scores. And recently, when the University of Michigan's James Kulik conducted a meta-analysis of "controlled studies" that looked at how technology affects math and science learning, again the results were promising. In all but one of the six studies, Kulik found the effect of computer "tutoring" in science was large enough to be considered both statistically significant and educationally meaningful, raising student scores from the 50th percentile to the 72nd. Four of the six studies also found using computers for simulation purposes had positive effects on student learning.
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New NCES Survey Sizes Up Public School Pre-Kindergarten NicheA new survey by the National Center for Education Statistics, "PreKindergarten in U.S. Public Schools: 2000-2001," reports that during that school year, approximately 822,000 children were enrolled in 58,000 public elementary-school pre-kindergarten classes, in almost 20,000 schools nationwide. Other relevant facts:
The major federal funding sources for pre-k programs include Title I Part A, Head Start, Even Start, and IDEA preschool grants. Eighty percent of elementary schools use state or local funds, while 51 percent use federal or local funds to operate the programs. It is too early to tell whether state funds for pre-k programs will continue to expand, in light of revenue shortfalls and widening budget gaps. Some governors have been adamant in their support for increased pre-k and kindergarten funding for all-day programs; yet in some states, such as New York, many full-day pre-k programs have been cut back to half-day. As the national Head Start program goes up for reauthorization this year, it's important to remember that half of its grantees are public schools. While the Bush administration has proposed to increase Head Start's focus on "numeracy" and "literacy" by requiring three annual evaluations of all enrollees, opposition to such proposals--which also include transferring Head Start from the Department of Health and Human Services to the U.S. Department of Education--is growing.
Questions, ideas, or in need of more information? Please contact Dave Gladney at 856-241-7772 or dgladney@AEPweb.org. |
Click here for a copy of "Pre-Kindergarten in U. S. Public Schools: 200-2001." This document in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. | ||
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