Dean Faults Reagan Teaching Guidebook

The dean of the Graduate School of Education yesterday criticized a Department of Education guide to elementary and secondary education, released earlier this week, for ignoring the federal government's responsibility to the nation's youth.

Dean Patricia A. Graham--one of several educators faulting the 65-page booklet, entitled "What Works: Research About Teaching and Learning"--said the report does not acknowledge the importance of federally funded programs, such as those for children in low-income families.

Renowned behaviorist B.F. Skinner, Pierce Professor of Psychology Emeritus, also issued harsh words of criticism from the Ed School yesterday. Skinner, departing considerably from his intended speech on computer-aided learning, said the government book does not offer "a single thing of use" to teachers and said he was "terribly disappointed" by it.

The book, whose 100,000 copies are free and intended for public consumption, emphasizes the role legislators, principals, teachers and parents should assume in bolstering education. The book cost $120,000 to produce and includes 41 findings on which most educators today agree, Education Department spokesmen said.

Federal Funding

Graham, in criticizing the book, emphasized the vital role federal monies have played and must continue to play in educating underprivileged children.

"We now know that nine-year-old boys in the South are now reading at a higher level than ever before in our history. It seems unlikely that this has occurred because Mommy and Daddy read to them. Rather, they have been the recipients of federally funded programs," Graham told The New York Times.

The Education Department, however, said the purpose of the publication was not to discuss specific educational programs, but rather to suggest approaches the public can take to improve education.

Responding to Graham's criticisms, Education Department spokesman Mike Becker said, "I question whether she has read the report; otherwise she wouldn't have made such a comment."

Despite what she perceived as inadequacies in the report, Graham praised the government's efforts to disseminate information about successful educational methods.

The production of "What Works" has been a top priority of Education Secretary William J. Bennett, who has publicly, and in the report, called for a back-to-basics approach to education. It emphasizes the importance of hard work, self-discipline, rigorous textbooks and the need for fair and consistent disciplinary practices.

The report concludes, among other things, that "Skimpy requirements and declining enrollments in history classes are contributing to a decline instudents' knowledge of the past," and that,"Children improve their reading ability by readinga lot."

It also finds that, "Student achievement risessignificantly when teachers regularly assignhomework and students conscientiously do it."

Skinner said the Education Department'spublishing "What Works" would be similar to theDefense Department's publishing a layman's book onhow to fight battles. His analogy provokedlaughter from the audience.

American Federation of Teachers PresidentAlbert Shanker issued a statement praising theadministration "for coming out with research thatbacks up common-sense suggestions on how parentscan improve their children's educations."

Shanker's comment alluded to the 1960s and1970s, when "our schools made a big mistake oftelling their parents not to meddle withchildren's homework."

Nathan Glazer, professor of education andsocial structure, endorsed the principles behind"What Works," though he said he was basing hisjudgment only on newspaper accounts.

"We have learned something more about teachingthan we did 10 years ago," Glazer said,attributing the hands-off attitude characterizingthe previous decades to "excessiveprofessionalism."

At a press conference Tuesday, President Reagansaid, "We don't need a lot of governmentinterference and fancy gimmicks to produce goodschools. What we need is to concentrate hard onbasic academic subjects and fundamental moralvalues."

But Graham said the Reagan Administrationshould make programs such as Head Start, an earlykindergarden program, and Chapter One, aneducation program for underprivileged children,financial priorities.

"Publicly financed education programs can makeimportant differences in improving the educationof children," Graham said.

The book, which covers research findings aboutthe influence of home, classroom and schoolenvironments on students, presents specificstudies on parent involvement in student work,memorization, discipline, cultural literacy andvarious other topics