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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 14, 1997)
• r F P agi B2 M ay 14, 1997 • T he P ortland O bserver / T Home Schooling What Resources Are Available To Home Schoolers? A small but growing number o f school-aged children will not routinely spend time in a schoof classroom this year Instead, these children engage in home schooling— that is, they will pursue learning at home or elsewhere in the community. There is no one way to do it One family may begin with opening ceremonies to signal the start o f the daily routine and follow a scheduled curriculum. Another family may opt for child-led learning, where parents provide help as the child expresses interest in a topic. Usually parents provide supervision and help, but most children assume increasing responsibility for choosing and carrying out projects as they mature. Most families involved in home schooling organize activities with other families. Some children spend part o f their time at a local public or private school, or a nearby college. What Are the Origins o f Home Schooling? Schooling at home was a necessity in an age when there were a limited number o f schools. After schools became universally available, some traditional groups, including the Seventh Day Adventists and Mormons, still elected to keep their younger school-aged children at home. The Amish kept their older children out o f public schools, preferring to Other like-minded families constitute a major resource for home schoolers. Local support groups form whenever there are more than a handful o f families pursuing home schooling in a particular locale. There is at least one state-level association in every state, and in some stales there are a dozen or more regional associations. Other resources include libraries, museums, colleges, extension courses, parks departments, churches, local businesses, mentors, pri vate schools, and, in some states, public schools Books and other educational materials are also important. Many private educational institutions offer curricular packages, books, and other materials for use in home schooling. Several states have innovative learning options. In Alaska, teachers in Juneau work with students located all over the state, staying in touch by mail, telephone, and through occasional home visits. In California, children can enroll in an independent-study program through a public on ing these caveats in mind, virtually all the available data show that the group o f home-schooled children who are tested is above average. The pattern for children for whom data is available resembles that o f children in private schools. People also disagree about whether home schooling helps or hinders a child's social development. Children engaged in home schooling spend less time with same-aged children and more time with people o f different ages. Most spend time with other children through support and networking groups, scouting, churches, and other associations. Many spend time with adults other than their parents through community volunteer work, running their own businesses, tutoring or mentoring arrange ments, or other activities. There is no conclusive research suggesting that additional time with same-aged peers is preferable to more time with individuals o f vary ing ages. Limited testing ot a self-selected train them through life in the community. In the 1970s, other families opted for home schooling, despite easy access to schools. In the early stages o f this contemporary movement, most were pursuing a philosophy o f child-led learning, as articulated by writers and educators such as John Holt. Later, many families with strong religious convictions also turned to home schooling. How Many Children Are Home Schooled Today? On any given day, roughly Haifa million school-aged children are probably learning outside o f a school classroom. They make up about I percent o f the total school-aged population and almost 10 percent o f the privately schooled population. This estimate assumes modest growth since the fall o f 1990, when data were collected from three independent source those state education agencies (SEAs) that have data; distributors o f popular curricular packages; and memberships o f supportive associations. Since each source represents the tip o f an iceberg, upward adjustments were made based on surveys o f home-schooling groups (Patricia Lines 1991). Because many children are home schooled for only a few years, the percentage o f children who reach age 18 with some home-schooling experience will be larger than 1 percent. Until a well-designed household survey is conducted, however, it will be extremely difficult to estimate this percentage. Toestimate the number o f children engaged in home schooling within its borders, a state could begin with its own database, if it has one, then supplement it with surveys to assess how many families file reports or other papers required o f home schoolers. States cannot assume 100 percent compliance with filing requirements. If a state does not collect data, an assessment o f families who are members o f state and regional associations could serve as a starting point. Is Home Schooling Legal and Constitutional? Today all state compulsory-education laws explicitly make home schooling a valid option, or the state interprets compulsory' school-attendance laws to include “attendance at a “school” located at home. States have also liberalized requirements for the home teacher. For example, parents do not need teaching certificates, and only Michigan requires the involvement o f a certified teacher. Even in Michigan, however, court decisions have restricted the scope o f this requirement. With very few exceptions, all states require families to file basic information with either the state or local education agency (SEA or LEA). Many states have additional require ments, such as the submission o f a curricular plan, testing o f students, or, less frequently, education or testing requirements for parents. In the past two decades, some states have charged parents with violating compulsory- education laws. Parents have responded with lawsuits asserting a constitutional right to direct the education o f their children. Some courts have stricken compulsory-education laws for being too vague or have found that more restrictive regulations exceeded the state education agency’s statutory authority. Other courts have allowed prosecution o f parents when their educational program does not meet state requirements. The United States Supreme Court has not explicitly ruled on home schooling, but it did rule against compulsory school requirements in Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972), a limited decision involving the Amish. More generally, it has also upheld the right ot parents to direct the education o f their children. school then base their studies in the home. Washington and Iowa require public schools to enroll children on a part-time basis if they apply. Some districts have organized education centers where families may obtain resources, find instructional support, and/or sign up for sched uled classes. Other states or districts also allow part-time enrollment, “shared schooling,” “dual enrollment,” or similar forms o f part-time school attendance. How Well Do Home-Schooled Children Perform? People disagree on whether home schooling is advantageous aca demically. Research has not determined whether the same children would perform better or worse in a public or private classroom, or in a home-schooling arrangement. Analyses o f test scores are available, based on data from states that require testing or from home-schooling associations. Data from both sources may not be representative o f home schoolers as a whole, however, because not all families cooperate with state testing requirements and private efforts rely on volunteers. Keep- Rigors o f calculus reach the Web Educators at Oregon State Uni versity are finding that electronic, World Wide W eb-based education - if it’s properly done - may not only be an alternative way to teach, but sometimes even a better one. And a new experiment proves it can work with even the one course that traditionally gave college stu dents cold shivers and night sweats - calculus. This “CalculusQuest” course is fine-tuning some o f the concepts in electronic education and providing new options for both on-campus students and distance learning, say OSU officials. The university already has re ceived a national award for leader ship in the use o f technology in education “ We would never suggest that W eb-based courses are the right, only or best way for all students,” said Robby Robson, an OSU asso ciate professor o f mathematics. “Clearly they are a plus for distance learning, with students whose other demands make it difficult for them to get to campus. “ But beyond that, w e're finding that our approach provides new op- t ions for resident students, who could take a conventional course if they wished.” Common fears about on-line edu cation are that it will be dry, passive and impersonal, Robson said, with individuals becom ing anonymous and isolated. Student reactions to Calculus- Quest appear to counter that stereo type CalculusQuest is not passive. Stu dents are active at every stage and classroom “discussions" no longer are dominated by a few vocal stu dents. On their computers, students read instructional material, work on exercises, get feedback, carry on detailed discussions with each other and their teachers, write papers and take quizzes. The course is built around the metaphor o f a “mountain climbing adventure,” and some lessons are takeoffs on Greek mythology. The interactions am ong students, and between students and their teacher, include comics and puns. Enthusi asm is evident. “This is one o f the most personal classes I have,” one student wrote to Robson after he helped her clear up some misconceptions. And CalculusQuest opens up new options for all students, on campus and away. They can study and “attend class” at their conve nience, move ahead and work at various speeds. Differing needs can be accommodated. “ In my regular class last year, I had one student who was a single mother commuting 45 minutes to campus, three times a week, and taking 15 credit hours,” said Will iam Bogley, and associate profes sor o f math and co-creator o f the new course. “She was a good stu dent but the schedule w asn’t hu manly possible She eventually bailed out.” The course, which was devel oped with funding from the O r egon State System o f Higher Edu cation “ Women should wear perfume whenever they want to be kissed “ said Coco Chanel about her most famous perfume, No. 5. Bui for most o f us perfume has remained a m ystery-un til now. John Oakes, in a charming and w itty style, paSSlOLI for fragrances, POWELI/S BOOKS expresses his his knowledge o f their history, S C C T C t ingredients, the power they wield when Over I Million I \ed A \ cu' Hook\ worn correctly in Perfumes 1005 W Burnside, downtown Portland 503-228 4651 ss h m p o n d is .coni 1 t The Book of < How Do Public Educators, Policy-Makers, and the Public View Home Schooling? The practice of home schooling is controversial. The national Parent-Teacher Association opposes the practice; in 1988, the National Education Association adopted a resolution calling for more rigorous regulation o f home schooling. And the National Association o f Elementary School Principals has maintained that education is “most effectively done through cohesive organiza tions in formal settings.” Since 1983, it has condemned home- schooling in its platform. A majority o f Americans responding to a Gallup poll nonethe less said parents have a right to engage in home schooling. State legislatures agree, and many have amended their laws to provide greater flexibility for home schooling. Oregon issues $40 million in bonds Oregon State Treasurer Jim Hill announced that the state is currently in the process o f selling $40 million o f the very popular Oregon Bacca laureate (ORB AC) bonds. The order period for the bonds begins today. ORB AC bonds are chiefly used as a savings veh icle to help Oregon fam i- lies defray the rising cost o f higher education. Hill also announced that the Treasury is continuing a feature added to last year’s sale. The Trea sury will again sell a limited number o f bonds valued at $1,000. Tradi tionally, all ORBAC bonds were valued at $5,000. "Higher education is extremely important to the State o f Oregon, and with its rising cost, parents are in need o f different and creative ways to save for their children's future educational needs," Hill said. "What I am hoping to achieve by again offering a portion o f the bonds val- This advertising space is reserved for you Call 503.288.0033 PDC roklLANb ~ DEVELOPMENT "COMMISSION1 COMMISSION MEETING D a te M ay 22,1997 Place: PDC 1900 SW Fourth, Suite 100 Portland, OR Tim e: 3:00 p.m. Com m ission m eetings are open to the p u b lic. A com plete agenda is available at PDC o- by calling 823-3200. Citizens w ith disabilities m ay call 823-3232 o r T D D 823-6868 fo r assistance at least 48 hours in advance. A n Executive Session is scheduled d ire c tly fo llo w in g the regular Com m ission meeting. UMS group o f home-schooled children suggested above-average so cial and psychological development. ued at $ 1,000 is to give more Orego- nians an opportunity to buy a bond who otherwise could not afford one." "Since 1990, tuition at Oregon's public colleges and universities has increased 80%. At the same time, the amount o f avai lable grants and schol arships has diminished, particularly for students from middle-income families," Hill said. "Today, fami lies and students are borrowing sub stantial amounts o f money to finance college expenses, which results in the average Oregon student graduat ing $24,000 in debt. I believe the best logical solution is to offer fami lies an incentive to invest and save rather than borrow." The sale o f ORB AC bonds is based on the capital needs o f the State Board o f Higher Education, which uses the bond proceeds to construct and renovate facilities on the cam puses o f Oregon's state colleges and universities. This year's proceeds are being used for a variety of projects at five Oregon universities, including student family housing at the Uni versity of Oregon, Smith Center reno vation at Portland State University and an addition and renovation to the main library at Oregon State University. Since 1988, the State Treasury has issued approximately $220 million in ORBAC bonds ORBAC bonds are tax free and sold at a discount from their maturity value. The purchase price varies ac cording to the interest rates and the date o f maturity. ORBAC bonds with a $1,000 maturity value will cost only a few hundred dollars. The State Treasury has worked with a number of outside firms to determine the number o f ORBAC bonds and their maturities that are appropriate for the sale o f $1,000 bonds. Looking for a convenient, affordable preschool? Look no further than your Concordia neighborhood. St. Michael's Lutheran Church Early Childhood Center offers a safe, Christian learning environment. St. Michael's Preschool admits students of any race, color, or national or ethnic origin. For information on class sessions call the church office at 282-0000
