E d u ca tio n
A ugust 16, 1995 • T he P ortland O bserver
P age A4
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Paulus Says State Math, Science Scores Unacceptable
State School Supt. Norrna Paulus
today said 1995 Oregon math and
science test results are unacceptable.
Paulus held a press conference
today in Salem to announce results of
1995 state tests. Students in grades
3.5,8 and 1 1 took tests in math, sci
ence and reading. Students in grades
5 and 1 1 also took writing tests.
Math results show performance
changed little from 1994 results. About
one-fifth of 3rd, 5th and 8th graders
and more than one-third o f 11th grad
ers performed below grade level.
The first-ever sc ience test found
that about one-third o f 8th and 11th
graders scored below grade level.
In addition to the multiple-choice
math test, Oregon initiated “ open-
ended" math tests which require stu
dents to solve complicated story prob
lems and explain their answers. Stu
dents in grades 4 and 8 did not per
form well when asked to apply math
in these problem-solving situations.
“ While this is our first year test
ing science, this is the fourth time
I ’ ve sounded the alarm about poor
performance in math,” said Paulus.
“ Too many students are skip
ping high-level math and science
courses, and it shows.” For example,
24 percent o f Oregon high school
students last year were enrolled in
remedial and general math courses
while only 9 percent took trigonom
etry or calculus.
Paulus urged parents to steer
their children into tougher math and
science classes. “ Higher standards
are sacrificed when parents allow
their children to take easier classes
whether the reason is protecting the
GPA or holding down a minimum-
and require all students to take alge
bra “ I urge other districts to follow
Portland’s lead.”
She called upon the teachers’
union to put more effort into retrain
ing teachers to help students prepare
wage job in the evenings. I’ d rather
have a student get a B in calculus than
an A in general math.”
She also urged parents to de
mand that their local school boards
hire math and science majors to teach
Too many students are skipping high-level
math and science courses, and it shows.
State School Supt. Norma Paulus
these critical subjects. “ We need
qualified teachers if we expect our
students to meet higher standards.”
She applauded Portland School
District which, beginning with the
1996-97 school year, will eliminate
high school general math courses
for the 21 st century. “ They need to
put as much muscle into training
competent teachers to use new meth
ods as they do into defending incom
petent teachers from being fired.”
Paulus said, however, she is pleased
that the president o f the Portland
teachers’ union stood up in support
for school improvement and teacher
training.
Paulus said poor student perfor
mance is an economic as well as an
academic issue. “ Dollars spent on
remediation drain precious resourc
es,” she said. "Right now, 35 percent
ofcollege freshmen take remedial math
courses and 20 percent take remedial
writing. The buck has been passed all
the way up the schooi system.”
Paulus is gratified that the 1995
Legislature strengthened rather than
repealed the school improvement law.
“ W e’ re now in the final stages o f
planningand moving into implemen
tation,” she said. “ It’s important that
people understand that the standards
are very high and today students are
a long way from reaching them.”
W riting is the bright note in state
testing. Eleventh graders showed
gains in all areas o f writing and fifth
graders also showed strong improve-
ment. “ Particularly impressive were
the gains by 1 1th graders in spelling.
Grammar and punctuation,” Paulus
said. “ It’ s important that students
express themselves c learly and know
the fundamentals o f good writing
mechanics.”
Reading scores remained the
same at grades 5,8 and 1 1. However,
the score forgrade 3 dropped I point.
One-third or more o f students at all
four grade levels scored in the ad
vanced level o f reading performance.
Paulus expressed concern about
low participation rates in some
schools. “ The scores at a particular
school might be misleading if a sig
nificant percentage o f students were
not tested.”
Missing Ingredient To Quality Education Students Learn How
bv
R osemarv D lnstan
Is Y ourC hild Prepared For Life?
It’s no wonder students are grad
uating from school unable to read or
write at a level adequate to hold a job
or deal with life.
In 1993 the “ New Y o rk Times”
reported that businesses lose between
$25 billion to $30 billion nationwide
in lost productivity, errors and acci-
dents-due to substandard literacy
skills o f employees.
And an alarming study released
by the U.S. Dept. o f Education in
1993 found that about 49% o f the
American adult population can per
form only the barest o f tasks such as
signing their names, adding up a bank
deposit slip, or finding an intersec
tion on a map.
The U.S. Secretary o f Educa
tion, Richard Riley, called the find
ings a "wake-up call to the sheer
magnitude o f illiteracy in this coun
try.”
W e’ re all familiar with the rou
tine o f going to school, sitting in the
classroom, the teacher presenting
information to us, and taking tests.
But did anyone ever teach us how to
study a subject, so that the subject
was fully understood, and most im
portantly, so that the data could be
used in life. In all o f your schooling
did anyone ever teach you how to
study?
This gaping hole has been filled
by a breakthrough educational tech
nology developed by author and hu
manitarian, L. Ron Hubbard.
Hubbard isolated the three hid
den barriers to leaning and devel
oped a simple, yet precise method to
overcome these called ‘ Study Tech
nology’ .
The Study Technology provides
an understanding o f the basics o f
learning and gives exact steps to over
come the pitfalls one can run into
during studying. It is not speed read
ing or memory tricks-these haven’t
proven to raise literacy or raise one’s
ability to comprehend. The Study
technology teaches a student how to
study in order to comprehend a sub
ject so that the data can be applied,
and provides lifelong learning skills
that can be used to master any sub
ject.
Applied Scholastics Internation
al, a non-profit organization based in
L o s A n g e le s, w h ich u tiliz e s
Hubbard’s Study Technology to im
prove the quality o f education in
communities around the world, be
lieves that there is a direct link be
tween study difficulties and the high
levels o f crime, violence and drug
use we see in the headlines today.
“ In our rem edial education
projects which we have been running
in select inner-city areas (beginning
in South Central Los Angeles after
the c ivil unrest o f 1992), we are
finding almost one-for-one that gang
members and youth well on the way
to a life o f serious crime or substance
abuse have significant study prob
lems” , said Ian Lyons, President o f
Applied Scholastics. "These children
tend to have reading levels far below
average and they have great difficul
ty learning.”
“ What is remarkable, however,
is that when these study problems are
handled in our programs, these chil
dren in most cases cease to be attract
ed to either drugs or crime.”
A study published by the U.S.
Department o f Education backs this
up—the study found that 85% o f all
juvenile offenders have trouble read
ing; and 65% o f prison inmates are
illiterate. (These percentages could
be even higher, as the study was
conducted in the mid-80’s, while lit
eracy levels have continued to drop
through the 90’ s.)
Parents can benefit greatly from
the lessons learned in these highly
successful inner-city literacy pro
grams, and any parent can improve
the quality o f his ch ild’ s education
by assisting with their studies at home
utilizing this breakthrough technolo
gy-
For more information call 800-
424-5397.
Sinbad Tells America’s Teenagers:
Get Math And Science Or Get Left Behind
When more than 18 m illion
American middle, junio r and high
school students return totheirclasses
for the new school year, over half
w ill be tempted to make the mistake
o f their lives -- without even know
ing it.
According to a Louis Harris Poll
commissioned and just released by
N A C M E -- the National Action
Council for Minorities in Engineer
ing — more than 50 percent o f all
students plan to drop high school
level mathematics and science, re
gardless o f their career interests and
without knowing the most serious
consequences.
Schools are failing to tell stu
dents and parents that without the
skills acquired in academic track math
and science courses, they w ill have
no place in the workforce o f the
coming century - a workforce heavi
ly reliant on high technology.
The only 10 percent o f all stu
dents in the United States graduate
from high school with the requisite
skills to begin any science-based
course o f study in college is sending
warning signals, not only to parents
and educators but to business and
industry as well. ”
Scientists and engineers will play
a vital role in defining our country’s
economic productivity in the 21st
century,” said Dr. George Campbell
Jr., president o f N A C M E. “ I f the
Untied States can’t produce the engi
neers and scientists the global mar
ketplace needs, business and indus
try w ill go elsewhere - South Amer
ica, Eastern Europe, the Pacific Rim
- and the standard o f living we now
enjoy w ill be imperiled," he added.
The Harris Poll reveals that kids
and parents need to think long and
hard about any advice they may re
ceive that suggests students can or
should opt out o f math and science.
The poll indicates that no coun
seling, poor counseling and incor
rect counseling is leading to bad de
cisions, nationwide;
Over 50 percent o f all students
plan to drop math and science at the
first opportunity. In discussing math
ematics, 63 percent o f African Amer
icans, 60 percent o f Latino, and 58
percent o f American Indian students
express this.
Tennessee State University To Dedicate New
Residence Center To Olympic Great Wilma Rudolph
Mention W'ilma Rudolph’s name
and most people think Olympic gold.
That name w ill once again be dis
played in gold on the new Wilma G.
Rudolph Residence Center at Ten
nessee State University that opened
officially in August. Rudolph is one
ofthe University’ s most famous alum
ni and the first American woman to
win three gold medals in a single
Olympiad.
A special dedication and rib
bon-cutting ceremony took place
August 11 at 10 a m. in front o f the
Center located on Tennessee State
University’s main campus, 3500 John
M erritt B lvd R udolph's former
coach, the legendary Edward Tem
ple who inspired her to Olympic v ic
tory, was among a notable line-up
presenting remarks Temple coached
R udolph d u rin g her days as a
Tigerbelle on the Tennessee State
University track team.
The Residence Center, a mod
ern, six-story brick and pre-cast con
crete structure, w ill be home for as
many as 420 women in suite-style
rooms, some o f which are handicap
accessible. Amenities w ill include: a
cafeteria, a beauty salon, laundry fa
cilities, study lounges, social loung
es and computers. The facility also
w ill have an honors floor designated
for honors students. Students living
in the Center also can participate in
periodic social, cultural and educa
tional programs.
Dr. James Hefner, president of
Tennessee State University, said,
"W ilm a Rudolph was an example to
us not only in winning in sports, but
she also taught us the meaning o f
triumphing over the odds and win
ning at life. Because o f the strength
o f character with which she faced
life’s challenges, we are indeed proud
and honored to dedicate Tennessee
State University's newest Residence
Center in her name.”
Temple said, “The Center is cer
tainly named after a class young lady.
It’s a great tribute. W ilm a would
have been awfully happy that such a
magnificent structure was named in
her honor.” Temple also recalled that
Rudolph saw the Center under con
struction before her death and re
marked about its beauty.
Wilma Glodean Rudolph first
raced her way into the record books
in 1956 when she won a bronze med
al in the Olympics in Melbourne,
Australia, at only 15 years o f age
She struck gold in 1960 and became
the first American woman to win
three gold medals at a single Olympi
ad She claimed victory in the 100
and 200 meter dash and the 400
meter relay at the Olympic Games in
Rome. Media worldwide began tout
ing her as “the fastest woman in the
world.”
She was now the world's sweet
heart, but she was not one to rest on
her laurels. She went on to become
an inspiring speaker, a community
and business leader and an example
to young people and people o f all
ages.
She had a particular interest in
making a contribution to the youth of
America and spent countless hours
in community service programs for
their benefit. She was quoted in Mid
way Magazine (August 1991 issue)
as saying “ I would be disappointed if
I was only remembered as a runner,
because I feel my contribution to the
youth o f America has far exceeded
the woman who was the Olympic
champion.”
During her early years, howev
er, Rudolph was racing against the
many physical challenges she was
forced to face. Her childhood years
were dotted with a series o f devastat
ing illnesses which included polio,
scarlet fever and double pneumonia.
She wore a leg brace until age nine.
After the brace came off, she
learned that she could run, and the
world would soon have to brace itself
for her accomplishments.
Among those accomplishments
was winning the 1961 Sullivan Award
presented by the Amateur Athletic
Union for most outstanding amateur
athlete in any sport. This award is the
highest athletic award an amateur
athlete can receive. Another achieve
ment was earning a bachelor's de
gree in education from Tennessee
State University in 1963.
Rudolph died o f cancer Nov.
12, 1994.
Government Works
?ep. Margaret Carter (from left) and Albina Youtn upponunuy
School students Theressa Cook, Mylo Moore, Rebecca Magallon
C hric D nco a t the ra n itn l in S alem .
Five area students got a lesson
in government near the end o f the
1995 Legislature as guests o f State
Rep. Margaret Carter, D-Portland.
The students from the Albina
Youth Opportunity School in north
Portland were Theressa Cook.
Rebecca Magallon, M ylo Moore,
Chris Rose and Andrea Vega. The
were joined by A Y O S Head T each-
er Jeri Shaw and Diane Farmer
Linkhart, a school representative.
The group was escorted on a
personal tourofthe capitol building
in Salem, currently being renovat
ed and assisted in duties on the floor
o f the House o f Representatives.
As honorary pages during a spe
cial educational day, they also took
turns observing restricted entry to the
Legislative session and delivered
messages to the busy legislators.
Moore was chosen to act as
Carter’s personal aide, gaining first
hand experience about the legisla
tive activity that surrounds the north
and northeast Portland official.
After lunch in the Capitol build
ing, the students worked in the of
fices o f Carter and State Rep. Avel
Gordly, who represents northeast
Portland.
The students agreed that it was
an intense day o f learning how Or
egon laws are enacted and they
planned to share their knowledge
and experience with other students
at the school.
School Offices Open
Aug. 21 For Registration
School offices in all Portland
Public Schools open for new stu
dent registration beginning Aug. 2 1
from 8 a m. to 4:30 p.m.
To register, parents must pro
vide documents citing their child’ s
birthdate (k in d e rg a rte n and
prekindergarten students), up-to-
date immunization records (all stu
dents new to Portland P ublic
Schools) and other information re
lating to the child’ s home address
and emergency contacts.
Sixth-graders and high school
freshman can attend special orien
tation sessions scheduled at most
middle and high schools before
school officially begins on Sept. 5.
Parents and students can call their
neighborhood school for orienta
tion dates and times.
Teachers and counselors w ill
return to schools Aug. 29 for plan
ning.
Hispanic Stay-In-School
Program To Expand
A Portland-area program that
encourages H ispanic students to com
plete high school and pursue higher
education w ill be expanded thanks to
a three-year $140,000 grant by the
Meyer Memorial Trust.
The Oregon Council for H is
panic Advancement and its Oregon
Leadership Program w ill use the
monies to serve about 75 high school
students from throughout the Port
land area and Willamette Valley.
The program is based at Port
land State University and Clackamas
Community College. It helps H is
panic students develop leadership
skills, explore career options and gain
access to institutions o f higher edu
cation.
The grant w ill allow the institute
to expand to four new locations be
yond the Portland area and reach an
additional 200 students statewide,
said Dianna Villarreal, Oregon Lead
ership Institute director.
The program consists o f nine
eight-hour classes one Saturday per
month from October through June.
Students hear guest speakers, acquire
new leadership skills and learn how
to give effective presentations and
interviews.
The students also develop inter-
cultural communications skills, learn
about the history o f Hispanics in
Oregon, gain information about ca
reer opportunities and learn how the
Oregon legislative system operates.
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