News in Brief: A Washington Roundup

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White House To Hold Conference on Teens

The White House will hold a conference on teenagers next week to explore ways to "raise responsible and resourceful adolescents," President Clinton announced this month.

The one-day event, to be held May 2, will bring together researchers, educators, youth workers, parents, and teenagers to examine the anxieties and difficulties facing adolescents.

Mr. Clinton announced plans for the meeting, which he and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton will host, a few days before the first anniversary of the April 20, 1999, shootings at Colorado's Columbine High School. That incident focused intensive national attention on factors that might contribute to youth violence and other problems involving teenagers.

President Clinton also announced this month that $41 million in grants would be awarded to 23 communities to establish violence-prevention initiatives, and that he would designate $60 million to hire additional police officers to work in schools in 223 communities around the country.

—Jessica Portner

Reinventing the High School Is Topic of June Meeting

The Department of Education will host a conference in June to discuss strategies for "reinventing" the American high school.

Sessions are planned on innovation in designing schools, educational technology, the creation of smaller, more personalized learning environments, academic rigor and high expectations, and teacher and principal leadership.

The June 14-16 event in Washington is expected to draw more than 1,500 educators, policymakers, parents, and others.

For more information, call (703) 299-1680 or go online at dtiassociates.com/reinventinghighschool.

—Erik W. Robelen

FCC Announces Funding for E-Rate Program's 3rd Year

The federal E-rate program will receive funding of up to $2.25 billion in its third year, beginning July 1—the same level as in the second year, the Federal Communications Commission announced last week.

The Universal Services Administrative Co., which runs the program, received 36,000 applications for discounts totaling $4.7 billion for 2000-01, up from $2.4 billion requested for 1999-2000.

Money to pay for the education-rate program, which subsidizes telecommunications services and related wiring projects for schools and libraries, is collected from the nation's telecommunications companies.

—Andrwe Trotter

Vol. 19, Issue 33, Page 35

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