[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 77 (Thursday, May 30, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E949]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           THE TAYLOR AUDUBON STUDENTS AND SCHOLARS PROGRAMS

                                 ______


                          HON. BOB LIVINGSTON

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 30, 1996

  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity and 
express my support for a program in my district, the Taylor Audubon 
Students and Scholars Program. This program provides positive 
incentives to our youth to stay in school and achieve good grades.
  Under the Taylor program, all Louisiana students in grades 7 through 
12, who complete the school year with good grades, will be awarded 
private memberships in the Aquarium of the Americas and the Audubon 
Zoo. Specifically, all students with an overall grade point average of 
2.5 or higher will earn a free year's membership in the aquarium. 
Students finishing with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher will 
qualify for the Scholars Program, which in addition to the Aquarium 
membership, includes a free year's membership in the zoo. I should also 
note that the program allows award winning students to take their 
parents to the aquarium and the zoo free of charge in January and 
February.
  All public, private, and parochial school students in Orleans Parish 
in grades 7 through 12 are eligible this year. Next year, the program 
will be made available to such students statewide.
  It is imperative that we encourage our children to take their school 
work seriously. Unfortunately, more and more of our children are 
dropping out of school. And, despite the massive expenditure of Federal 
and State funds, we have seen little improvement in the performance of 
those students who remain in school. For example, SAT scores have 
dropped from a total average of 939 in 1972 to 902 in 1994. In science, 
17-year-olds scored 11 points worse than they did in 1970. Reading 
scores are also down, with 66 percent of 17-year-olds not reading at a 
proficient level. While U.S. students scored worse than all other large 
countries except Spain, I believe the Taylor Audubon Students and 
Scholars Program will help reverse this dangerous trend.
  I am impressed with how the Taylor program affords students a 
positive incentive to stay in school and improve their performance. I 
hope that other States and cities will look to the Taylor approach as a 
model for education improvement. Having visited the Aquarium of the 
Americas and the Audubon Zoo myself on numerous occasions, I am 
confident that all will notice the positive change in their children's 
attitude toward school.
  Mr. Patrick Taylor, the father of this most worthy program, deserves 
our praise and our appreciation for a wonderful contribution to the 
betterment of our world.

                          ____________________