A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

     FOR RELEASE                      Contact:  Stephanie Babyak (202) 401-2311      April 24, 1996                             Jane Glickman (202) 401-1307

The William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan program and the Goals 2000 Teacher Forum were named among 22 federal projects in the national competition of some 1,560 applicants.

"As the direct student loan program and Goals 2000 Teacher Forum demonstrate, innovation in government is not an oxymoron. These are two examples of creative, highly effective approaches to meeting pressing needs in education," said U.S. Education Secretary Richard W. Riley. "It is a great credit to the Education Department to have two initiatives selected for this prestigious recognition.

"I'm very proud of Leo Kornfeld and his direct lending team and Terry Dozier and the Goals 2000 Teacher Forum staff. These are remarkable accomplishments."

Begun in 1994 at 104 colleges, Riley said the direct loan program, popular among schools and students, transformed a complicated, paper-intensive process offered through a myriad of lenders and secondary markets into "one-stop shopping" for obtaining federal loans for postsecondary students. Direct loans also offer students flexible repayment plans that fit their incomes. Now offered at some 1,350 colleges and trade schools, direct lending serves an estimated 2 million borrowers.

"The direct loan program has proved its success, and it would be a travesty to curtail the program for purely political reasons," Riley said. "Students and schools should have the right to choose the student loan program that works for them." Congress is currently debating whether to restrict the availability of direct loans to students.

The Goals 2000 Teacher Forum seeks to shift the focus of the education reform movement from teachers as objects of reform to teachers as partners in reform by building teacher leadership capacity. The forum provides a vehicle for teacher input on education reform policy issues.

Teachers from across the country, including state level teachers of the year, participate in the national conference held annually in Washington. Issues such as upgrading professional skills, effective teaching strategies, federal and state policy development, and improving communication with parents are discussed to help teachers become local community leaders in efforts to improve education. Following the forum, teachers continue to communicate via the Internet and share information and best practices.

"It's a novel but obvious approach to involve teachers in education reform. They are in the classrooms every day, and know what works best with children to achieve results," Riley said. "They are our eyes and our ears, and we make it a point to listen and learn."

The Goals 2000: Educate America Act provides schools, school districts, and states with new resources to encourage education improvements based on high standards.

The applicants for the Innovations in American Government Award program are evaluated based on four criteria: novelty; effectiveness in addressing important problems; the value of the services provided to clients; and the degree to which it can be replicated. Competition winners will be announced in December.