A 25-year veteran of the U.S. Education Department who administers the federal Star Schools program and was a major force in securing federal backing for “Sesame Street’’ and other educational programming has been named to oversee the educational-technology efforts of the Council of Chief State School Officers.
Frank B. Withrow, an employee of the department’s office of educational research and improvement, was named last month as director of learning technologies for the state chiefs.
In his new position--which he is scheduled to assume Sept. 1--Mr. Withrow will oversee the council’s effort to implement the recommendations of a policy statement entitled “Improving Student Performance Through Learning Technologies.’'
The statement, adopted unanimously at the council’s 1991 annual meeting, outlines actions to be taken by several levels of government to integrate the use of technology into precollegiate education.
It recently was distributed in a new report that the council released in late July called “Learning Technologies: Essential for Education Change.’'
The new document features issues raised in four papers that were submitted for consideration at the council’s Fifth State Technology Leadership Conference, held in 1991.
The papers include “Learning Alternatives: Technology in Support of Lifelong Education’’ by David Thornburg; “Student Outcomes’’ by Saul Rockman; “Human Resources’’ by Karen Sheingold; and “Planning for Learning Technologies’’ by Barbara O’Connor.
Copies of the report may be obtained for $10 each from the C.C.S.S.O., 1 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Suite 700, Washington D.C. 20001-1431.
Sixty-five members of the Technology Student Association have founded an honor society open to middle- and secondary-school students who maintain outstanding grade-point averages, perform community service, and hold office in their schools.
The T.S.A. Technology Honor Society was inaugurated during the association’s annual meeting in Richmond in late June.
To be eligible, students must maintain a 3.0 grade average (on a scale of 4) in both their technology and other courses.
Ceil Holland, a T.S.A. spokesman, noted that while the honor society is open to most students who are enrolled in the association’s technology-based curriculum, it was founded on a pilot basis and may not be open to T.S.A. members in all states.
The association enrolls 60,000 student members from 1,400 schools in 44 states.
Members enroll in elective technology-education courses in the areas of communications, energy, power, transportation, construction, manufacturing, and biotechnology.
