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

       FOR RELEASE                              Contact: Melinda Kitchell Malico     October 11, 1996                                  (202) 401-1576

Illinois Receives 3rd Year Goals 2000 Funds

States that participate in Goals 2000 receive funds to help launch and sustain ongoing school improvement efforts to raise student achievement by setting higher standards, involving parents in schools, bringing technology into the classroom, upgrading teacher training, and building partnerships with business and community groups.

Illinois is one of 26 states currently receiving third year Goals 2000 grants. Under Goals 2000, states that have education improvement plans in place automatically receive third, fourth and fifth year funding if appropriations are available.

"Illinois is making local school improvement a top priority," said Riley. "McKendree College and Bartelso School District #57, for instance, are using Goals 2000 support to train teachers in how to use technology to improve academic achievement. Lesson plans utilizing technology are being developed jointly by college teachers in training and classroom teachers and are reviewed and certified by a panel of classroom teachers and professors. By expanding the resources for both teaching and learning -- technology is benefiting students and teachers in Bartelso and in other school districts through the addition of communications networks, challenging academic lessons and resources, and new options to engage and motivate students."

The grant announced today is being made from the fiscal year 1996 appropriations. President Clinton requested $476 million for Goals 2000 state and local grants in fiscal year 1997, a 40 percent increase over 1996. Congress appropriated that amount to fund fourth year Goals 2000 funds, which will be available July 1, 1997.

Goals 2000 provides resources for local and state education improvements, with flexibility in how states and communities choose to develop and implement their improvement efforts. Riley said the absence of regulations provides states with the latitude to effectively implement their locally designed school improvement initiatives. Schools and local school districts use Goals 2000 funds for a wide range of school improvement activities that reinforce local approaches to helping all students learn the basics and the core subjects.

Illinois' first and second year Goals 2000 grants totaled $20,438,078.

States receiving third year funding to date under Goals 2000 include Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia.

-###-