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

     FOR RELEASE                  	                   Contact: David Thomas   September 22, 1997                   	                    (202) 401-1576    

RILEY ANNOUNCES $15 MILLION IN STAR SCHOOL GRANTS

U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley announced today the award of nine grants totaling $15 million to help improve teaching and learning through the use of new technologies.

The Star Schools Program supports the use of distance learning -- including satellite, cable, fiber optics, and multi media technologies -- to improve teaching of subjects such as math, science, foreign languages, literacy skills and vocational education.

"These grants will help to advance our efforts to move American education forward for all students, including those in the most remote regions of the country," Riley said. "These projects will continue our efforts to use advanced telecommunications and computer technologies to create new ways of achieving high quality courses and curricula."

Star Schools will not only serve as a bridge to vast distances across the country, they also will help reach under served students, including the disadvantaged, limited English proficient, and individuals with disabilities. At the same time, these projects will explore new ways to engage students and connect communities of learners while delivering needed academic courses and curricula to elementary and secondary schools.

Among the program's priorities are developing instructional programming to:

• integrate reading throughout the curriculum at all grade levels for all children and their families;

• deliver challenging content and advanced placement courses in math, science and foreign languages for elementary and secondary students;

• employ technology such as broadcast television, coupled with computer networking or other technologies, that advance the role of distance learning in supporting school reform at the local level; and

• offer professional development opportunities for teachers to focus on early reading and elementary and middle school math instruction to help students achieve to high standards.

Grants ranging from $500,000 to $2.1 million were awarded in two categories: eight in General Projects and one in Dissemination. The five year grants, made to educational organizations in eight states, will be used to obtain, develop and produce programs to teach students, train teachers, pay for facilities, and purchase equipment.

The dissemination grant will help state and local education agencies plan and implement technology based distance learning systems.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Attached is a list of grantees.

CALIFORNIA
Downey	Los Angeles County Office of Education Don Lake Serving: Los Angeles and Los Angeles County plus urban and rural sites in Arizona, Massachusetts, North Carolina, California, Michigan, District of Columbia, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, and Utah
FLORIDA
Tallahassee	Florida Corrections Juvenile Justice Learning Consortium Mary Anne Hariluk (904) 656 7600 Serving: Texas, Florida, and New York
HAWAII
Honolulu	Pacific Resources for Education and Learning John W. Kofel (808) 533 6000 Serving: American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau, and Hawaii
ILLINOIS
Macomb	Western Illinois University David R. Taylor (309) 298 1690 Serving: Florida, Illinois, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Texas
MASSACHUSETTS
Cambridge	Massachusetts Corporation for Educational Telecommunications P. Cardie Texter (617) 252 5700, Ext. 783 Serving: Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire,and District of Columbia
SOUTH CAROLINA
Columbia	Satellite Educational Resources Consortium Gary N. Vance (803) 252 2782 Serving: Mississippi, South Carolina, Louisiana, Virginia, New Brunswick, Texas, West Virginia, Georgia, Arkansas, Michigan, New York, Kentucky, North Dakota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Nevada
WASHINGTON
Spokane	Educational Service District (ESD) 101 Steve Witter (509) 456 7685 Serving: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Pacific Region
WYOMING
Riverton	Mountain Plains Distance Learning Partnership Lynn Lee (801) 678 2201 Ext. 119 Serving: Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, and Montana
DISSEMINATION GRANT
CALIFORNIA
San Francisco	WestEd Kathleen Barfield (415) 565 3055

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