SELECT COMMITTEE ON EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY WALTER F. MONDALE, Minnesota, Chairman JOHN L. MCCLELLAN, Arkansas ROMAN L. HRUSKA, Nebraska WILLIAM C. SMITH, Staff Director and General Counsel (II) QUALITY IN URBAN EDUCATION Page McAndrew, Dr. Gordon, superintendent of schools, Gary, Ind Gittell, Dr. Marilyn, professor of political science, Queens College, N. Y.. Robinson, Isaiah E., president, Board of Education, New York City.. Monacel, Dr. Louis D., assistant superintendent in charge of the Office of Federal, State, and Special Programs of Detroit Public Schools, Detroit, II. Historical Development of Compensatory Educational Programs in the Detroit Public Schools with a focus on ESEA title I.... III. Evaluation Summary of the effects of compensatory educational programs serving pupils in Detroit Public Schools... IV. Recommendations made to the U.S. Office of Education by Evaluation Report-Pre-School Bilingual Education program, 1 5682 From Dr. Robert F. Wheeler: Inner City Primary Students Learn To Read: Progress in Title I 5776 Webster/McGraw-Hill Research Report 2 5761 From Dr. Ruth Love Holloway. 5795 How Many Americans Read Well Enough to Survive?. 5795 5796 From Louis D. Monacel.. From Harold Howe II.. Responses to questions submitted From Charles H. Smith: Responses to questions.. Appendix 2. Material submitted by other than witnesses: 5807 5811 5821 5828 5835 From Senator Birch Bayh, of Indiana....... Appendix 3. Articles of interest: The Wall Street Journal, July 14, 1971: Sharing the Load-Drive To Equalize School Taxes in States WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 1971 U.S. SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY Washington, D.C. The Select Committee met at 2:15 p.m., in room 1318, New Senate Office Building, the Honorable Walter F. Mondale, chairman of the committee, presiding. Present: Senators Mondale and Bayh. Also present: William C. Smith, staff director and general counsel; Donald Harris, staff member; Francis A. Hennigan, Jr., minority staff director. OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR MONDALE, CHAIRMAN Senator MONDALE. The committee will come to order. This afternoon we begin a series of hearings focusing on a particular aspect of the crisis in American education-namely, education in our Nation's cities. Until now the Select Committee has devoted much of its time to exploring the problems and process of school desegregation in both the North and South. We have looked at and heard testimony from districts attempting to successfully integrate their schools voluntarily, as well as those forced to do so under the law. For a variety of reasons, successful integration of students would be difficult at best in many of our major urban centers. Through these hearings we intend to explore what these difficulties are, how and what strategies seem feasible in overcoming them. Additionally, we look forward to hearing testimony about the problems of governance, local decisionmaking and participation, and the impact and effect of compensatory programs in various urban settings. We also hope to learn what reforms are most hopeful and realistic in bringing about equal educational opportunity for all children in these large and complex schools systems. Finally, we will be seeking not only descriptions of what the problems are, but also recommendations for solutions. Our panel includes Dr. Marcus A. Foster, superintendent of schools of Oakland, Calif. public schools; Dr. Gordon McAndrew, superintendent of schools, Gary, Ind.; and Dr. Marilyn Gittel, professor of political science, Queens College, New York. Will you please come to the witness table. We will start in the order listed with Dr. Foster first. Dr. Foster, it is nice to see you again. I remember our very useful conversation of some months back. We are delighted to have you here with us today. STATEMENT OF DR. MARCUS A. FOSTER, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, OAKLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS, OAKLAND, CALIF. Dr. FOSTER. It is good to be here with you, sir. Honorable Chairman Mondale and distinguished members of the Senate Select Committee on Equal Educational Opportunity: It is with extreme pleasure and pride that I respond to your invitation to participate in your committee hearings concerning the great issues facing urban education today. Having had over 20 years' experience of service to urban children as a teacher, elementary and secondary school principal, consultant, and associate superintendent in the city of Philadelphia, and for the past year as the superintendent of schools in Oakland, Calif., I believe that this background does qualify me to comment with some authority upon the problems and challenges facing urban education today. While it is true that the problems of urban education are great, I must say that the rewards and potentials for success in this area are equally as great. Had this not been so, you may be certain that I would have left this field and sought another endeavor long ago. As I have just indicated, I have been in Oakland for a little over 1 year now since leaving Philadelphia. This year in Oakland, a most interesting and challenging one, has placed me in contact with the numerous advantages and excitement of being a participant in the life of this urban community. It has also placed me in intimate contact with the multitude of educational problems facing the students who attend our schools. OAKLAND DEMOGRAPHIC DATA With a school population of nearly 68,000 enrolled in a total of 90 schools, the Oakland school district is about 50th in size among the city and county school districts in the United States. We rank fifth in size in California. The most recent census data show Oakland to have an estimated 360,000 residents of which approximately 45 percent are members of ethnic minority groups. The ethnic makeup of the school population is somewhat different, however. Almost three-fourths of our students are members of minority groups-59 percent black, 8 percent Spanish surname, 5 percent Asian, and less than 2 percent in the other nonwhite category. The economic plight of the families who send children to our schools is staggering. During the past 5 years we have seen the number of children from AFDC families rise from 10.000, or about 16 percent of our elementary and secondary enrollment, to more than 24.000, or 38 percent. The educational needs of our students are equally as impressive. More than two-thirds of our students read below national and State |