EVENT SUMMARY: On May 22, 2000, NEGP chair Gov. Tommy Thompson (R-WI), NEGP member and host U.S. Representative Matthew Martinez (D-CA) and state Representative Spencer Coggs received testimony from educators in California and Texas in the first of 4 hearings about state and local efforts to achieve standards with all students. The Los Angeles hearing focused on programs currently meeting with success with poor, minority and limited-English-proficient students. Presentations were made (in sequence) by John Stevens (of the Texas Business Education Coalition); Joan Herman (of UCLA and CRESST); Linda Guthrie (of the Virgil Middle School in Los Angeles); Mona Parras (of the Mission Junior High School in Mission, Texas); Yvonne Chan (of the Vaughn Learning Center in Los Angeles); Gail Calhoun (of Valleydale Elementary School in Azusa, CA); Pamela Marton (of the Community Magnet School in Los Angeles); and Sheila Smith (of the Los Angeles Unified School District's Gifted and Talented program). Additional conference materials referenced during presentations are available for downloading below each presenters summary. Additional materials can be viewed using Adobe Acrobat. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat, click here to download this free software.

Panel One

Presenter: John Stevens, Executive Director, Texas Business and Education Coalition
Topic: "Rapid Achievement Gains in Minority and Urban Students in Texas and N.C."
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In his presentation, Mr. Stevens reported that the NEGP/ RAND case study "Exploring Rapid Achievement Gains in North Carolina and Texas," commissioned by the Goals Panel in 1997 explores why the two states had made greater combined student achievement gains in math and reading than any other state from 1992-1996. The report concluded that the gains were due to leadership from the business community, political leadership, and continuity and stability of reform policies over time. These reform policies included clear teacher objectives by grade; high academic standards for all students; state-wide assessments linked to these standards; accountability systems with consequences for results; and shifting resources to schools with more disadvantaged students. The business community played an integral role in the development of a strategic plan and its implementation. Click here to view materials used by Mr. Stevens during his presentation.


Presenter: Joan Herman, National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards and Student Testing (CRESST)
Topic: "Trends in Minority and Urban Achievement in California"
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As Associate Director of the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards and Student Testing (CRESST), Ms. Herman presents data on the academic performance of California children. California's poor and language minority children are not performing as well as their advantaged peers. Although California's assessment is not consistent with its statewide standards, it recently established a new "accountability index" to help close the gap between disadvantaged and advantaged students. Click here to view materials used by Dr. Herman during her presentation.


Panel 2

Presenter: Linda Gutherie, teacher, Virgil Middle School, LAUSD, California
Topic: "The Classroom Perspective"
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Linda Guthrie, a classroom teacher from the Virgil Middle School in Los Angeles Unified Middle School, opened the testimony of local educators with an impassioned appeal to Panel members to remember the difficulties and actual life situation of the schools and children served in poor and minority neighborhoods. She concluded her comments by quoting a school district poem, "I Am A Child."


Presenter: Mona Parras, principal, Mission Junior High School, Mission, TX
Topic: "Helping All Students Achieve"
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Mona Parras, principal of the Mission Junior High School in Mission Texas, a nationally recognized school serving a predominately Latino community in the Rio Grande Valley. A strong believer in the natural capacity of the students and community she serve, Ms. Parras describes the programs she has introduced to her school that account for its outstanding academic achievement. Click here to view materials used by Ms. Parras during her presentation.


Presenter: Yvonne Chan, principal, Vaughn Learning Center, San Fernando
Topic: "The Little School that Could: Chartering a Neighborhood School"
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Yvonne Chan is nationally renowned as an innovative educator and is the principal of the Vaughn Learning Center Public Charter School in Los Angeles. Her animated presentation describes why the charter school she runs is widely considered as one of the best examples of how the charter school reform movement can positively impact urban education. Vaughn Learning Center was the first independent public charter school to open in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Vaughn serves pre-K through 5th grade students in a high poverty, high crime area. The school has a longer school day and year than most public schools. Its mission is to educate students in a safe environment where they can master academics, think critically, and achieve emotional and physical wellness. There is a strong focus on standards, accountability and excellence, and technology is made a priority for both teachers and students. The school collaborates with businesses, legislators, media, higher education and other agencies to provide other services for the students.


Presenter: Gail Calhoun, APPLES Program, Valleydale Elementary School, Azusa, Calif.
Topic: "Creating Success for Non-English Speaking Students"
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Gail Calhoun is director of the APPLES program (Achieving Progress and Proficiency for Limited English Speakers) at Valleydale Elementary School in Azusa, California. Valleydale Elementary School has a high proportion of LEP (limited English proficient) students. Calhoun's APPLES program offers an innovative approach to bilingual education by using a variety of high-tech multimedia equipment to support all students. The school stresses high academic achievement and technological competency for all students. Click here to view materials used by Ms. Calhoun during her presentation.


Presenter: Pamela Marton, principal, Community Magnet School, Los Angeles
Topic: "Meeting the Needs of Every Child"
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Pamela Marton is principal of The Community Magnet school in Los Angeles which was created 25 years ago by parents to bridge the cultural divide that separated neighboring African-American and Jewish communities in a voluntarily integrated alternative school. Today, the school is the only elementary humanities magnet school in the district and is becoming a national model for integrated comprehensive arts education at the elementary level. The master plan and assessment process at Community provide clear grade-level accountability for all staff and students. Click here to view materials used by Ms. Marton during her presentation.


Presenter: Sheila Smith, Gifted & Talented Director, Los Angeles Unified School District
Topic: "Expanding AP Success among minority students"
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Sheila Smith directs the Los Angeles Unified School District's Gifted & Talented Program and for many years has taught Advanced Placement classes to minority students in LA. Ms. Smith documented the recent success of state and special programs and efforts of the College Board to increase the number of poor and minority students now benefitting from AP courses. Click here to view materials used by Ms. Smith during her presentation.