Home > What's New > 2005 Archives

• December 1, 2005: U.S. Secretary of Education’s Regional Representative Kristine Cohn Presents CEEP Education Policy Chat
• November 10, 2005: Critical Workforce Development Issues Discussed at CEEP Policy Chat
• October 15, 2005: CEEP Policy Chat Series Brings Significant Policymakers To IU
• September 19, 2005: "Is the Achievement Gap Narrowing?"
• August 3, 2005: Homeschooling Examined by CEEP
• July 1, 2005: CEEP Examines the 2005 Progress and Trials of NCLB
• June 17, 2005: CEEP Examines Alternative Teacher Compensation Programs
• June 1, 2005: CEEP Launches 3-Year Study of Full-Day Kindergarten Impact
• April 25, 2005: Impact of Full-Day Kindergarten
• March 4, 2005: Indiana’s State Testing Debate and Testing Information for Every State
• February 14, 2005: Indiana’s School Funding Formula
• February 2, 2005: The 2004 Public Opinion Survey on Education in Indiana
• January 24, 2005: Child Obesity in Indiana: A Growing Public Policy Concern

December 1, 2005: U.S. Secretary of Education’s Regional Representative Kristine Cohn Presents CEEP Education Policy Chat
The Center for Evaluation and Education Policy hosted Ms. Kristine Cohn, the U.S. Secretary of Education’s Regional Representative for Region V on the IU-Bloomington campus. Students, faculty, and staff from across the campus attended Ms. Cohn’s presentation, “No Child Left Behind: Seeing the Data, Meeting the Challenge.”

During her presentation, she referred to two documents and offered to make them available through the CEEP web site.

• Click HERE for a downloadable PDF file containing the Region V section of the U.S. Department of Education’s “No Child Left Behind Executive Briefing Book.”
• Click HERE for a downloadable PDF file containing spreadsheets showing the U.S. Department of Education’s allocation of funds to states for various programs.

Ms. Cohn serves as U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings’ representative for Region V which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. In this capacity, she promotes understanding and outreach of federal education policies to educators, state and local government officials, civic and business leaders, and parents in the Region V area. Most recently, Ms. Cohn has led matchmaking efforts between schools affected by Hurricane Katrina and donors though the USDOE’s Hurricane Help for Schools website.

Ms. Cohn has diverse experience as an elected official, education professional, civic leader, and business executive. Prior to her 2004 appointment to the USDOE, she served two terms as Chairman of Winnebago County, Illinois. She also served in the elected positions of President of the Winnebago County Forest Preserve, Winnebago County Clerk, and Rockford (IL) Park District Commissioner. Her experience in education includes working for the Indiana University Foundation and serving as the director of school and community relations in Rockford Public Schools. Ms. Cohn holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and political science from Western Michigan University and master’s degree in university administration and business from Indiana University.

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November 10, 2005: Critical Workforce Development Issues Discussed at CEEP Policy Chat
CEEP’s Education Policy Chat series continued today with Carol D’Amico, Executive Vice President and Chancellor of the Indianapolis campus of Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana. Dr. D’Amico’s presentation and discussion with attendees focused on “Indiana’s Education Challenge in Contributing to Economic Development.” PowerPoint slides of her presentation may be seen by clicking HERE.

Dr. D’Amico works with the chancellors from the regional Ivy Tech Community College campuses to adapt and customize curricula to meet the needs of local employers. Prior to her current position Dr. D’Amico served as the U.S. Assistant Secretary for the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (US Dept. of Educ.). In this capacity, she advised President Bush and U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige on matters related to high school reform, community/technical colleges, and adult literacy. Dr. D’Amico has also held positions with the Hudson Institute’s Center for Workforce Development, the Indiana General Assembly, and the Indiana Department of Education.

The next CEEP Education Policy Chat will be with Ms. Kristine Cohn on Thursday, December 1, 2005. The time is yet to be scheduled for her presentation, which will be in the State Room East of the Indiana Memorial Union. Ms. Cohn serves as U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings’ representative for Region V (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin). She provides information about U.S. Department of Education programs and serves as the link between the USDOE and state, local, and private education initiatives in the Region V area. Her experience includes working for the Indiana University Foundation and serving as the director of school and community relations in Rockford Public Schools. Ms. Cohn holds a master’s degree in university administration and business from Indiana University.

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October 15, 2005: CEEP Policy Chat Series Brings Significant Policymakers To IU
As part of its mission, CEEP brings education policymakers together with IU faculty, students, and staff to share issues and perspectives. Past speakers in the CEEP Policy Chat Series have included Rhonda Meyer (Alliance for School Choice), John Ellis (Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents), Claude Steele (Stanford University), Frederick Hess (American Enterprise Institute), David Shane (Indiana Governor's Office), Scott Minier and Robert Marra (Indiana Department of Education), Teresa Lubbers (Indiana Senate), and Stan Jones (Indiana Commission for Higher Education).

Dr. Carol D’Amico, Executive Vice President of Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana will visit on November 10, 2005. She will address Indiana’s Education Challenge in Contributing to Economic Development. All members of the IU Community are invited to attend at 1:00 in the Frangipani Room of the Indiana Memorial Union.

September 19, 2005: "Is the Achievement Gap Narrowing?"
CEEP released a special report, “Is the Achievement Gap Narrowing?” today. On the surface, Indiana schools can boast progress in a variety of important areas, including graduation rates, SAT and ACT scores and performances on the state’s standardized achievement test, ISTEP+. A closer look reveals alarming achievement gaps between the state’s white and non-white students and among its poorest and wealthier students. Even more troublesome, the gaps get larger the longer these students remain in school. Click HERE to see a PDF version of this special report. Click HERE for a PowerPoint presentation by Associate Director Terry Spradlin about this special report.

August 3, 2005: Homeschooling Examined by CEEP
As most children prepare to return to school in the next month, the latest Education Policy Brief produced by the Center for Evaluation & Education Policy (CEEP) examines the educational phenomenon of homeschooling. The brief describes the current homeschooling landscape and its legal status in Indiana, and explores the issues underlying ongoing debate about whether homeschooling merits additional state regulation or oversight. The brief was written by Robert Kunzman, assistant professor of education at the IU School of Education. Dr. Kunzman is conducting a multi-year research project exploring homeschooling practices across the United States. The full policy brief, “Homeschooling In Indiana: A Closer Look,” can bee viewed in PDF format and downloaded by clicking HERE.

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July 1, 2005: CEEP Examines the 2005 Progress and Trials of NCLB
In its latest Education Policy Brief, the Center for Evaluation & Education Policy (CEEP) examines how states are progressing with the implementation of NCLB, identifies the basis of criticisms from educators and state officials, summarizes NCLB changes and additions recently proposed by the President, and shares perspectives from six national and state education leaders on the current status and future of NCLB. The full policy brief, “No Child Left Behind Spring 2005 Implementation Update,” can bee viewed in PDF format and downloaded by clicking HERE.

June 17, 2005: CEEP Examines Alternative Teacher Compensation Programs
In an effort to maximize the return on the investment in teachers, states and school districts across the country have experimented with a variety of teacher compensation methods, including linking teacher pay to student performance. The Center for Evaluation and Education Policy examines alternative teacher compensation programs such as performance-based compensation and career ladder systems in its latest Education Policy Brief, "Rewarding Teachers for Students’ Performance: Improving Teaching through Alternative Teacher Compensation Programs". Click HERE to see a PDF version of the brief.

June 1, 2005: CEEP Launches 3-Year Study of Full-Day Kindergarten Impact
The Center for Evaluation & Education Policy has been awarded a grant from the US Department of Education to study the academic development of students in a full-day kindergarten program, compared with those in a traditional half-day program. The Richland-Bean Blossom Community School Corporation (RBBCSC) in Ellettsville, Indiana is the setting for the study. RBBCSC began offering one full-day kindergarten classroom in Fall 2004; a second full-day classroom will be added for 2005-2006, and the corporation will continue to have half-day classrooms as well. The $802,000 grant will fund the study and provide some of the financial support necessary to add the second full-day classroom. While there is increasing interest in full-day kindergarten programs, few studies examine academic outcomes beyond the kindergarten year. The three-year study will follow the guidelines of a scientific randomized controlled trial, examining both the short-term and longer-term impacts of full-day kindergarten on student academic outcomes. This will provide rigorous evidence to support local and state policy makers in their decisions.

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April 25, 2005: Impact of Full-Day Kindergarten
"Short-Lived Gains or Enduring Benefits? The Long-Term Impact of Full-Day Kindergarten,” is the latest Education Policy Brief produced by the Center for Evaluation & Education Policy (CEEP). This brief expands CEEP’s study of Full-Day Kindergarten, following a January 2004 brief on Full-Day versus Half-Day Kindergarten.

Are students who attend full-day kindergarten better prepared for future academic success than their peers who attend half-day kindergarten programs? This Education Policy Brief provides an update on full-day kindergarten in Indiana and examines what the existing, albeit limited, research says about the magnitude and duration of long-term benefits experienced by students who attend full-day kindergarten FDK.

To see a PDF version of the brief, please click HERE.

March 4, 2005: Indiana’s State Testing Debate and Testing Information for Every State
"ISTEPing in the Right Direction? An analysis of Fall Versus Spring Testing," is the latest edition of the Education Policy Brief series produced by the Center for Evaluation & Education Policy (CEEP). Indiana is debating the merits of when ISTEP testing should be conducted in its schools. A policy brief on this subject was released by the center in 2003, but many changes have occurred around the country to the testing programs of states over the past two years. As part of the current review, the Center compiled comprehensive testing information for every state. The brief released this week is a fresh, current look at the debate.

To see a PDF version of the brief, please click HERE. For a PDF version of the data for various states, please click HERE.

February 14, 2005: Indiana’s School Funding Formula
"Demystifying School Funding in Indiana," is the latest edition of the Education Policy Brief series produced by the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy (CEEP). Indiana's method for funding its 292 public school corporations is complicated, yet effective in achieving goals, such as reducing variations in property tax rates across communities and breaking the connection between the wealth of communities and their level of education funding. The brief, while not advocating any specific changes, urges state legislators to carefully consider how changes to the state's funding system will affect schools before such changes become law. Any change likely will benefit some schools at the expense of others.

Click HERE to see a PDF version of the brief. Click HERE for the Indiana University press release.

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February 2, 2005: The 2004 Public Opinion Survey on Education in Indiana was conducted by CEEP in November, and a preliminary report was presented to the Indiana State Board of Education today. The survey is the second in a series of three annual surveys designed to gauge public support and awareness of key federal and state educational policies and issues, such as school funding, testing, charter schools and the federal No Child Left Behind program. As with the 2003 survey, a majority of respondents reported a high level of overall satisfaction with public schools, particularly their local schools -- 65 percent of Hoosiers reported their community schools were excellent or good, up from 62 percent in 2003's benchmark survey.

The number of Hoosiers willing to pay higher taxes to increase school funding increased by 10% over the previous year. Seventy-four percent believe ISTEP has contributed to improvements in the quality of education in Indiana. There is considerable public support for the idea of raising the drop-out age for high school students. Seventy-eight percent believe parents should be able to send their children to another public school if a school fails to meet state performance standards.

Click HERE to find a copy of the survey report in PDF format on the CEEP web site. Click HERE to read the IU Press Release about the survey.

January 24, 2005: The sedentary routines found in schools and in the home as well as the overexposure to non-nutritional foods have contributed to child and adolescent obesity rates that have reached epidemic proportions in Indiana and across the United States. The Center for Evaluation and Education Policy examines “Child Obesity in Indiana: A Growing Public Policy Concern” and highlights state and national initiatives that have been offered to confront this public policy problem. CEEP makes multiple recommendations for educators, health officials, and policymakers to consider. Click HERE to find a copy of the brief in PDF format on the CEEP web site. Click HERE to read the IU Press Release about the brief.

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