The years between a child's birth and his first day in school are a preparation for formal education. But if a child is surrounded by social, physical, and cultural deprivations, he does not have the opportunity to develop his skills and grow. And children who are not given sufficient opportunity to learn cannot compete for opportunities. Tests given to Kansas City MN children bear this out. At 16 of the 29 schools in the areas, kindergarten children got lower scores on the tests that 80 to 90 per cent of the rest of the children throughout the country. By sixth grade, entire classes of our children are two years behind their proper grade level in reading and elementary mathematics. Another measure of MN educational deficiencies is the number of dropouts. From 1965's 778 ninth grade pupils in the three MN high schools, the classes diminished to 409 students by 1968-a 47 per cent drop. This school year, there have been 981 full-year suspensions; 881 of these high school age students are still out of school. To this may be added another problem, poorly educated adults and their families. The result is a concentration of educationally handicapped residents, young and old, in the area. The major causes seem to be the limitations imposed by home and neighborhood environments, the failure on the part of educators to respond to special inner-city needs, the continuance of ineffective school practices, and chronic lack of planning and coordination FIVE YEAR GOALS To increase the readiness of pre-school children for school, to the point where they hold their own with other children throughout the nation. To provide an instructional program for children and youths which will bring their academic achievements to a level equal to that achieved by other students. To provide a comprehensive program for adult education. To provide educational opportunities for the mentally and physically handicapped, and the socially disadvantaged. PILOT SCHOOLS (Early Childhood Program) Four hundred MN children will be served by a comprehensive early childhood program, similar in spirit to the Headstart program. The best of three different educational approaches will be determined in the first two years. Medical, dental, nutritional and other services will also be provided. This project will be administered by the Division of Urban Education, Kansas City School District (K.C.S.D.). All funds will come from Federal programs. Twenty-four assistant teachers will be recruited from the MN, and residents will advise the Division of Urban Education on policy and content of the programs. TRAINING EDUCATION PERSONNEL Inner-city school problems require specially trained teachers. Under this project, Model Cities will contribute to a training program sponsored by Mid-Continent Regional Education Laboratory (McREL). Intensive training programs will be developed for teachers in Model Neighborhood schools RESIDENT EDUCATION ADVISORY BOARD MN residents will hold jobs under most of the education projects. But their voices will also be heard as decisions are made and policies determined. So Model Cities will fund a Resident Educational Advisory Board which will develop its own capability to assess existing educational programs and propose new ones. The project will also develop means to insure that citizens may introduce their needs, desires, and ideas into public school policy. Plans for non-school educational programs will be evolved, and, in certain cases, those programs will be undertaken if possible. Many of the Board's directors are MN residents, and all are actively involved in educational activities in the MN. (Directors are listed on page 77.) URBAN EDUCATION PROGRAM Model Cities will provide funds to the K.C.S.D. to expand its Title I urban education program to include additional MN children. (Sixty per cent are currently served by the program). The major portion of the program involves intensive Reading. It will introduce special teachers, textbooks, curriculum and equipment more suited to the inner city. Other segments may include social studies, speech, art, music, drama and physical education. The project will be administered by the K.C.S.D.'s Department of Urban Education. EXTENDED USE OF SCHOOLS MN Schools now close at 3:10 P.M. But under this program, tutorial groups, adult education programs, and recreation projects will be able to use the schools after regular classes close. Another service would be to open the schools earlier for the convenience of parents who want to bring their children to school, yet must be at work early. The funds will be enough to keep the schools open for about 3,000 additional hours, exclusively for citizen activities. OPERATION UPGRADE This tutorial program for children in first through sixth grades was begun in 1968 on an experimental basis, and proved to be a great 52-314 O-71-28 |