July 25, 2000 - Minnesota's rural communities are more diverse, and that means more children are entering the state's schools with limited English. Helping those students learn to read and write in English is difficult if they don't communicate well in their native language. A new Spanish reading program in Long Prairie is trying to strengthen Latino children's love for books so they can make an easier transition into English. Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post reports.
July 26, 2000 - For the past ten years, a Saint Paul social services agency has operated a preschool program for children traumatized by abuse or family instability. Agency officials say these economically deprived children are too troubled to enroll in Head Start or other programs. This early intervention effort tries to prevent later academic and social problems in school. And the demand is far greater than what the program can accomodate. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
July 27, 2000 - MPR’s Tom Scheck reports on Minnesotans with disabilities are marking the 10th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In South Minneapolis, nearly a thousand people visited the Anne Sullivan School to take part in a day long celebration of the signing of the legislation. Disability rights activists say the ADA literally opened doors and businesses to millions of Americans, but they say more needs to be done.
July 28, 2000 - State education officials say a private company's mistakes have resulted in 47-thousand inaccurate scores on the Basic Standards Test in mathematics. That means thousands of Minnesota students who were told they failed actually passed, and some seniors were wrongly denied their diplomas. The state's education commissioner says she's outraged by the foul-up but remains committed to the need for basic skills tests.
July 31, 2000 - Recent polls have found more people recognize former State Auditor Mark Dayton than any of the other DFL U.S.Senate candidates. Dayton is a politician who's run in 5 statewide elections, but perhaps more importantly, his name calls to mind the department store his family founded. He came in fourth in the DFL gubernatorial primary two years ago, but this time, many observers think he's got a good shot at winning the Senate primary. In the first of our series of candidate profiles, Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum looks at Mark Dayton's career and campaign...
July 31, 2000 - State education officials and testing experts say additional oversight might be needed to prevent another testing snafu in Minnesota. Members of the Senate K-12 Finance Committee held a hearing today to find out how thousands of students were wrongly told they had failed this year's Basic Standards Test in mathematics. Lawmakers say they want assurances it won't happen again. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
August 1, 2000 - Republican convention on the net. Cable television and the internet are picking up the slack that standard television channels are dropping. The internet is covering indepth information regarding the convention.
August 1, 2000 - School districts across the state are managing the aftermath of the grading mistake. In Minneapolis, school officials are holding meetings and handling phone calls from parents who want to know the status of their children's education. David Heistad, Director of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment for the Minneapolis Public Schools, comments.
August 4, 2000 - Food safety is the focus of much public debate and academic research but the subject has only recently become available for study at the undergraduate level. At North Dakota State University in Fargo the Great Plains Summer Institute of Food Safety has developed a special series of courses in food safety. Officials at NDSU say they're the first in the nation to offer students a minor in the subject. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Reha reports.
August 8, 2000 -