Reducing class size can raise standards, improve discipline, and give children the individual attention they need. The funding will also be used to support the highest-quality teacher training and prepare those teachers to teach students to reach for high standards. National data shows that the nation will need 2 million new teachers over the next decade. Our goal is to place one National Board certified teacher in every school by the year 2006, for a total of 100,000. Over one million professional training opportunities have been provided annually through the Eisenhower Professional Development State Grants.
Most juvenile crime takes place in the hours immediately after school is dismissed.
For the first time since 1991, teen drug use is leveling off and, in some cases, even decreasing, but drug use is much too high and we need everyone's help to keep kids away from drugs. In 1998, the U.S. Department of Education will issue a National Report Card on School Violence in conjunction with the Department of Justice using technology to share information on promising drug and violence prevention strategies identified. This will double the number of children receiving child care subsidies, help working families pay for child care through tax credits, and improve the safety and quality of child care. Work is beginning to take place that will do a better job linking the Head Start program to kindergarten and first grades so young children have a good transition to school. Secretary Riley has led a Partnership for Family Involvement in Education through which 4,000 local, state, and national organizations, are getting more involved in children's education at school and at home.