The e-mail newsletter of the Council of Chief State School Officers

• Texas Chief Shirley Neeley Announces Resignation
• ETS Releases Results of Survey on Americans’ NCLB Opinions
• AACTE Holds Press Briefing to Discuss STEM Teacher Preparation

Texas Chief Shirley Neeley Announces Resignation
By Evan Omerso

On July 20, Texas Commissioner of Education Shirley J. Neeley announced she would be leaving her position as head of the Texas Education Agency (TEA), effective July 1, 2007. Neeley earned a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Houston and was appointed Texas's education chief in January 2004. She has been a member of the Council's School Emergency Preparedness Committee, which is committed to examining the current state of school health and safety systems and ways in which those systems can be strengthened to support safe and healthy learning environments.

“Commissioner Shirley Neeley has been an outstanding leader in education—her deep compassion and dedication to the children of Texas, as well as the nation, is a true inspiration to us all,” said CCSSO Executive Director Gene Wilhoit. “Always a strong friend and supporter of CCSSO, we will sincerely miss her contributions, wisdom, and dynamic personality.”

During her tenure as chief state school officer, Neeley oversaw improved test security measures, the implementation of comprehensive public schools reform legislation, and the development of the Texas High School Project, among other advancements. “I leave this office sooner than I originally had hoped but with my head held high because of the enormous strides we have made in public education,” said Neeley in a prepared statement.

Click here to view the TEA news release.

ETS Releases Results of Survey on Americans’ NCLB Opinions
By Evan Omerso

On Tuesday the Educational Testing Service (ETS) hosted a press briefing in Washington, DC, to discuss the results of their seventh annual poll of public opinion surrounding the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Standards, Accountability and Flexibility: Americans Speak on No Child Left Behind Reauthorization focuses entirely on reactions to the law whereas previous ETS Americans Speak surveys have tracked views on additional national educational issues.

Results from the poll generally show that the American public supports the reauthorization of NCLB as part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), although many people are uninformed as to the law’s specifics. Approval of NCLB was shown to increase (to 56 percent) among those polled after the law’s principal components were defined by the surveyor.

The report also shows varying beliefs among parents, the general public, teachers, and administrators of when English language learners should learn the core curriculum and when their test scores should be counted. In a press release, poll co-author Peter Hart said, "Another message that comes across loud and clear is that Americans believe there should be more flexibility in fixing underperforming schools. They overwhelmingly reject blanket solutions for schools that perform poorly on state tests and want solutions tailored to individual schools. And, 57 percent believe that funds should be increased to hire more teachers, reduce class size and improve conditions."

Click here to access survey results on the ETS website, including key findings, a PowerPoint presentation, and press release.

AACTE Holds Press Briefing to Discuss STEM Teacher Preparation
By Evan Omerso

The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) this morning hosted a briefing on “Preparing STEM Teachers: The Key to Global Competitiveness” in the Dirksen Senate Building on Capitol Hill. Presented in conjunction with the Senate Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education Caucus, the congressional briefing featured a panel of two teachers of science and mathematics, IBM Vice President Robin Willner, and Stanford University Education Professor Linda Darling-Hammond. The speakers discussed the critical shortage of STEM teachers and the importance of STEM teacher preparation to educating the future workforce and sustaining a competitive American economy.

The event also marked the release of the AACTE publication Preparing STEM Teachers: The Key to Global Competitiveness, which highlights 50 teacher preparation programs across the country dedicated to increasing the number of effective K–12 STEM educators. According to AACTE President and CEO Sharon Robinson, the document provides impressive examples of programs for the benefit of policymakers and further research.

Click here for more information, including written remarks of the panelists, speaker biographies, and a PDF version of the new publication.

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues. The Council seeks member consensus on major educational issues and expresses their views to civic and professional organizations, federal agencies, Congress, and the public.