Wednesday. March 30, 197 The Daily Tar Heel 3
Lgisl0gm
By BEVERLY MILLS
Staff Wrher
Three bills aimed at improving public
education in North Carolina recently were
introduced in the General Assembly with the
strong support of Gov. James B. Hunt.
Legislation proposing competency tests
for 1 1th graders, standardized testing and
greater community involvement in public
schools have been, introduced in the Senate
by D. Livingston Stallings, D-New Bern.
Rep. Dwight Quinn, D-Kannapolis,
introduced the bills in the House.
In related action, the Department of
Public Instruction has proposed a $45
million expansion of the Primary Reading
Program in its budget for 1978-79.
According to Betty Owen, policy
development analyst for Gov. Hunt, the
Primary Reading Program for first through
third grades will be expanded from 305
classrooms to 5,500 by the 1978-79 school
year.
"Many youngsters graduate from high
school functionally illiterate." Owen said.
One of the functions of the state is to
provide the basics. We feel that by placing
emphasis on first through third grades, the
state will see more immediate results for the
money."
The $5,000 per classroom cost will provide
a full-time teacher's aide and $6 per child for
teaching materials. Owen said the function
of the aide will be to provide students with
individual attention.
"Actually, this program is not terrifically
expensive in terms of education costs today,"
Owen said. "This is not as expensive as
adding a teacher to each classroom."
Success of the Primary Reading Program
will be measured by two diagnostic tests. A
prescriptive reading inventory will be given
at the beginning of each year, placing each
child at his reading level. A comprehensive
evaluation of skills will be administered at
the end of each year to measure individual
progress.
The objective of the program is to teach
each child basic reading skills by the end of
the third grade. If a child fails to meet these
standards, the local school system will decide
what action to take.
"It is the hope of Gov. Hunt that within
four years all schools can have this program.
The proposed $45 million will be two-thirds
of the way to funding the whole project."
Owen said.
Gov. Hunt is also in strong support of a
bill to establish a competency test to be given
to llth graders. This test would measure
survival skills reading, writing, and math.
A student must pass this test in order to
receive his diploma.
Under the bill, a 15-member commission
would be set up to determine the details
surrounding the competency test. The
commission would include professionals, lay
people, psychologists and testing experts.
Sen. Stallings. chairperson of the Senate
Education Committee, said, "I don't know
what we'll do with those students who fail.
That is a problem we'll have to answer soon.
There will be some students who won't pass
and will have to get less than a standard
diploma."
A companion bill to the competency test is
one of standardized testing for grades 1 . 2, 3.
6 and 9 to determine any deficiencies
students might have.
"We've been letting kids go through our
schools without measurement. This program
has been needed for a long time." Stallings
said.
The competency testing will cost $ 1 55.335
the first year and $116,415 the second.
Standardized testing will cost $552,283 the
first year and $296,359 the second.
Stallings and Quinn also have introduced
a bill which calls for more community
involvement in public schools.
Spring time
is Pearl time
Helms aide talks to Republicans
on the bankruptcy of liberalism
CHAPEL HILL
in
ETCHINGS
$3.00
The Old Book Corner
137 A EAST ROSEMARY STREET
OPPOSITE CCNB BUILDING
CHAPEL HILL N. C. 275 14
By BERNIE RANSBOTTOM
Staff Writer
In 1952, the students of the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill elected Hamilton Horton student body president. Today,
Horton, a native of Winston-Salem, is still in politics, but on the
national level as administrative assistant to U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms,
R-N.C.
Horton was back in Chapel Hill Saturday to speak to the N.C.
Federation of College Republicans (NCFCR). After his speech, he
talked about his job, his philosophy, the future of the Republican
party and what originally motivated him to get involved in politics.
Emphasizing that it would be impossible to attribute his interest in
politics to any one factor, Horton said he believes that it was mainly
his love for history, and especially his love for North Carolina, which
generated that interest.
Horton served in the N.C. House of Representatives from 1969 to
1971 and in the N.C. Senate from 1971 to 1974. Now working in
Washington, D.C., which he jokingly called "Sodom on the
Potomac" in his speech to the NCFCR, Horton said that his job "can
be anything from washing out coffee cups to entertaining visiting
firemen."
"When people come in from North Carolina, what I do is refer
them to people that can help them on the staff."
Horton said he firmly believes that senators and their staffs are in
Washington to serve the people of their respective states, but he
emphasized that this is almost impossible now because of the ever
increasing size of government and bureaucracy.
"The senatorial staffs have grown themselves as the bureaucracy
has to try to keep pace, until now we have the situation where five, six
people are sharing one oil ice. "
Horton's soft Southern drawl was barely audible above the
afternoon hum of the Carolina Union. And, as the students in the
basement commented on the course of the UNCC-Marquette
basketball game. Horton reflected on the problem of
depersonalization in government.
"The big problem is that big government, no matter how well
meaning it is, is about to just smother the initiative in a man's life to
just do as he pleases."
Horton said he believes that the Republican party now is
recognizing this problem and will begin making changes in an
attempt to deal with it.
The outlook of America's college students also is changing,
Horton noted, and he said he feels the change will be in the
Republicans' favor. "
"College-age people in this country are moving conservative,"
Horton said. "This has been indicated in a number of polls. No one
can really account for it."
However. Horton seems to have his own philosophy as to the
causes of this movement.
"The intellectual bankruptcy of liberalism was demonstrated in
World War 1. but it has taken 50 years for the philosophic destruction
to filter down to the people at large, and they are now beginning to
perceive it . . . ."
Horton has chosen his position on the side of the conservatives,
with an outlook which he describes as "not an old-fashioned
negativism, not Wall Streetism or free enterprisism that's an ism.
too but a true, creative kind of conservatism that is trying to put
things together."
No matter which guy she chooses,
the shirt's available at the Student Store!
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Staff photo by Bruce Clark
A UNC speech course that uses students to teach inmates better methods of
communication had its roots in a prograrp originally designed for speech students
and instructors to train offenders in public speaking. The 'tell it like it is' program
helped inmates in telling high school audiences how to avoid a life of crime.
prison
Continued from page 1 .
There are also numerous committees,
such as those setting up special sessions
for the class to meet with drug offenders,
lawyers and counselors. Another
committee is planning a banquet which
will be held at FCI at the end of the
semester the climax of the course.
Students also are required to visit at
least three prisons or halfway houses
during the semester.
Several students are working with the
"Tell It Like It Is" program, which has
been renamed "Speak Out." Those with
community volunteer passes have taken
three honor-grade prisoners from
Triangle Correctional Center to speak
and answer questions at UNC
Greensboro and , Wake Forest Law
School this semester.
"This course takes up a lot of time
normally used for reading and
studying," Smith said. "There is less
reading and more doing and thinking
than most courses. It puts a great deal of
responsibility on the students."
Students are given a midterm and final
examination based on the concepts they
are trained to teach.
For the first time. Speech 95-96 will
be open to any students who want to
apply for it for fall 1 977.
Applicants are interviewed by
Brandes and by members of the class.
"We look for a wide variety of
backgrounds and majors fraternity
and nonfraternity people scholars and
so forth," he said.
Students fund a good portion of the
course themselves, with expenses
including transportation, office
expenses and the banquet. Last
semester, each student paid $12, with
other sources including bake sales,
contributions, some funds from the
University and a small trust account.
Outside funds have been limited,
except for provisions for the syllabus by
the U.S. Department of Health.
Education and Welfare under Title I of
the Higher Education Act of 1965 and a
small grant from the NIC.
Brandes saia he has tried his best to
locate other programs similar to the
communication course. "I'm sure there
are more than we know about." The
closest thing he has found is a course
with 150 students at Vanderbilt
University, but its goals are only to
expose students to prison life.
Smith doesn't plan any major changes
in the structure of the course next year.
"We'll probably conduct courses in
Butner or some state prisons or
prerelease centers. The goals of the
course will never change. I might vary
the sessions, but then, we eliminate and
add all the time."
Inmates apparently have benefited
from the course, too.
"1 think this is definitely preparing me
for when 1 get out," one inmate said. "I
look forward to this more than anything
else all week."
The Student Council for Exceptional
Children of UNC will sponsor FUN
DAY on Saturday, April 30th, from
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This day will consist of pairing college student volunteers with han
dicapped and non-handicapped children for a day of fun, games, lunch,
and entertainment of the Father-Son Picnic variety.
It is our hope that this day provides students with genuinely reliable
information about children, information that will be needed in order to
make future decisions concerning children and handicapped children
and adults.
It would also be a time to provide children of this area with a special
day of fun and college student volunteers could effectively model the
acceptance of others with different needs.
If you or your organization has an interest, drop by Room 010
Peabody Hall on Tuesday, April 5th anytime between the hours of 2
p.m. and 8 p.m.
If you are unable to come by drop your name, address, and phone
number in campus mail addressed to:
FUN DAY - SCEC
Dept. of Special Education
Peabody Hall
UNC Campus
or call Tim Rogers at 933-3279.
FUN DAY - Fun for all, and more.
Cactus Ted's Famous Ranch House
invites you to come in for lunch.
Beginning Monday, April 4th, the Ranch House will be
open for lunch from 1 1:30-2:00 Every Mon.-Fri.
Lunch will feature Daily Specials, as well as regular
entrees and a Salad Bar.
All at moderate pricesl
There's Plenty of Free Parking and Private Facilities are
Available for Groups.
there's more in the
ON CAMPUS'