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Members of the Civic House talk about their experiences and challenges tutoring in West Philadelphia public schools. Penn students have often taken an active role in contributing to West Philadelphia public education.

PENN

In early January 2002, two Penn Engineering student groups merged in order to combine forces to improve technology in West Philadelphia schools.

One beneficiary of CommuniTech/Puente's aid was John P. Turner Middle School, located at 59th Street and Baltimore Avenue.

In addition to donating and installing the computers, CommuniTech/Puente also provided the school with Internet access and Microsoft Office applications.

"Providing and installing this technology allows us as Engineering students to better use our knowledge and expertise to improve these schools," said CommuniTech/Puente President Ross Friedman.

Puente originally worked on improving technology in third-world countries such as India and Ecuador. CommuniTech provided technical services to local non-profit organizations.

Both student groups were orginally founded in 1999.

NATION

On Jan. 9, 2002, President George W. Bush signed a $26 billion plan to enhance academic testing, triple spending for literacy programs and help children get out of America's worst public schools.

The bill, commonly referred to as the No Child Left Behind Act, was the most far-reaching federal law passed in four decades.

Bush additionally pledged to increase federal education spending and hold states and educators responsible for failures in teaching the nation's 48 million public-school students.

Although the bill received broad bipartisan support, critics have condemned Bush for not taking sufficient action to implement its goals.

Teachers' unions, including the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, were among the bill's most vocal opponents.

A wave of testing in math, science and reading occurred in the fall of 2005 with the goal of identifying additional failing public schools.

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