Sacramento Head Start Alumni Association

Educational Partnerships and Family Involvement

Mar 11, 2003

March 11, 2003



NEWS


PAIGE, RIDGE UNVEIL NEW WEB RESOURCE TO HELP SCHOOLS PLAN FOR EMERGENCIES. Secretary Paige and Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge unveiled a new website ?– www.ed.gov/emergencyplan -- designed to be a one-stop shop to help school officials plan for any emergency, including natural disasters, violent incidents and terrorist acts. www.ed.gov/PressReleases/03-2003/03072003.html


PRESIDENT?’S EDUCATION BUDGET PROMOTES HIGH STANDARDS, LEADERSHIP AND PROVEN EDUCATIONAL METHODS, PAIGE TESTIFIES. Secretary Paige testified before the House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee on President Bush's proposed $53.1 billion education budget. www.ed.gov/PressReleases/03-2003/03062003.html



SECRETARY PAIGE?’S REMARKS AT COPPIN STATE COLLEGE. Speaking at the African-American History Celebration at this college in Baltimore, Secretary Paige discussed No Child Left Behind, the President's 2004 budget, and ways we can all participate in the cause of educating every child. www.ed.gov/Speeches/02-2003/02252003a.html





WHAT WORKS

EDUCATION NEWS PARENTS CAN USE. The March 18th broadcast of ?“Education News?” will provide parents information and resources to help them to help their children to become better citizens. For more information, please go to http://registerevent.ed.gov/downlink/event-flyer.asp?intEventID=165

NEW WEB SITE TO GATHER COMMENTS ABOUT DISABILITY RESEARCH NEEDS. A new Web site has been developed by the Interagency Committee on Disability Research (ICDR) to gather comments and recommendations on research needs for Americans with disabilities. www.ed.gov/PressReleases/02-2003/02242003.html

WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON FAITH-BASED AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVES. The White House, together with the Departments of Health & Human Services, Housing & Urban Development, Labor, Education, and Justice, has scheduled a series of conferences to help faith-based and community organizations learn more about President Bush's initiative. The next free, day-long conference will be held on Friday, March 14th, in Chicago, Illinois. To register, please visit www.whitehouse.gov/government/fbci/chicago-20030314.html


?“THE ACHIEVER?” NEWSLETTER. Read the latest on No Child Left Behind in ?“The Achiever?” newsletter, published by the Office of Intergovernmental and Interagency Affairs. www.nochildleftbehind.gov/Newsletter/index.html



FUNDING


PRESIDENT?’S 2004 BUDGET: STATE FACT SHEETS. These fact sheets highlight what President Bush's $53.1 billion budget request for the Education Department in 2004 means for your state. www.nclb.gov/next/states/index.html



TIPS FOR PARENTS ON KEEPING CHILDREN DRUG FREE

The best way to ensure that the anti-drug policies at your child's school are strong is to be involved. You can:
?· Learn about the current policies regarding alcohol and other drugs at your child's school. If there is no anti-drug policy in place, attend parent volunteer or curriculum review meetings, or schedule an interview with the principal to help develop a policy. The policy should specify what constitutes an alcohol, tobacco or other drug offense, spell out the consequences for failing to follow the rules, and describe procedures for handling violations.

?· Familiarize yourself with drug education in your child's school. Faculty members should be trained to teach about alcohol, tobacco and other drug use. Drug education should be taught in an age-appropriate way at each grade level throughout the year rather than only once during a special week.

?· Immerse yourself in the school's drug education program at home. Ask your child to show you any materials distributed during or outside class and take the opportunity to review them together.

?· Find out if your child's school conducts assessments of its drug problem and whether these results are used in the program.

?· Ask what happens to those who are caught abusing drugs. Does the school offer a list of referrals for students who need treatment?

?· Request and examine any existing materials. Do they contain a clear message that alcohol, tobacco and other drug use is wrong and harmful? Is the information accurate and up to date?

?· Investigate whether your school's drug program is being evaluated for success. Research indicates that some of the most effective programs emphasize the value of life skills such as coping with anxiety, being assertive and feeling comfortable socially. When these lessons are combined with drug education, students confronted with drugs are better equipped to resist them.

*Taken from Tips for Parents on Keeping Children Drug Free. For the full document, visit www.ed.gov/offices/OIIA/pfie/drugfree/index.html. To view other publications for parents and caregivers, visit www.ed.gov/offices/OIIA/pfie.



FOR MORE INFORMATION


To contact the Educational Partnerships and Family Involvement Unit, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, call (202) 401-0056. To be added or removed from the distribution list, visit www.ed.gov/offices/OIIA/partner_listserv.html or mail to Linda.Cuffey@ed.gov.