Visit Multiplies Hopes at N.Y. School : In her first trip since the inauguration, Hillary Rodham Clinton helps with a math class for young students in a drug-plagued neighborhood.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, making her first trip as First Lady, stood amid math texts and mythologies, encyclopedias and Bible studies books Tuesday in the library of a public school in a drug-infested neighborhood of Upper Manhattan and, to the delight of the pupils, played multiplication bingo.

“Ready, everybody? I have never done this before,” she said before promptly plunging into the game. “O-9x5, N-2x5, O-7x6, I-10x10, N-10x3, I-4x1, N-5x0, E-10x10.”

“You are going to have to do better here,” she said, glancing down at one pupil’s card. “ . . . G-5x1, O-2x2, N-1x8. Yea, Mark, that’s great,” she said, praising another. “You all were doing two cards, too. I’m impressed.

“My father and mother used to quiz us on the multiplication tables. My father would get up in the morning and quiz us before breakfast,” she said. “I would say, ‘Why do I have to do this now?’ ”

It was a significant and symbolic first visit, designed to underscore the White House commitment to volunteerism and to inner-city education. At Public School 115, Clinton met tutors from New York Cares, a voluntary organization that provides one-on-one assistance to fourth- and fifth-graders at the school.

Forgoing the typical transportation of first ladies, she traveled to New York on a commercial flight. “She just wanted to fly commercial,” said Lisa Caputo, her spokeswoman.

Later in the day, before receiving an award for service to young people, she used the occasion to confer with four health care experts among her fellow prize recipients.

Those at the private meeting said issues discussed included how health services are delivered in poor neighborhoods, the health problems of farm workers and medical questions involving adolescents, including teen-age suicide and addiction to alcohol and drugs.

At the Park Avenue reception that followed, Clinton received the Lewis Hine award of the National Child Labor Committee, a New York-based group that promotes the rights, dignity and well-being of children. The Hine award is named in honor of an early 20th-Century photographer who documented in gripping black-and-white pictures the exploitation of children.

“There is no substitute for love and caring and compassion and human beings helping one other,” the First Lady said in accepting the award. “No matter how much we do, from the White House to the courthouse . . . what children need is adults who care about them, who are willing to stand up and fight for them against a world that is often unfair.”

Speaking to the audience about her visit earlier to the public school in Washington Heights, a neighborhood with a well-founded reputation as a cocaine supermarket near the George Washington Bridge, she said: “We need to remember those children who were lit up and happy because of the volunteers who had come to see them.”

Earlier, speaking to reporters about her assignment to lead the President’s drive to reform the nation’s health care system, she stressed that a “key part” of the plan will be to make health care more accessible for children.

Asked to define her goals as head of the President’s health care reform committee, she said she wants to do “what my husband asked me to do--perform the functions he outlined yesterday (and) work and coordinate with a lot of people” to formulate a proposal to take to Congress.

The First Lady has long been interested in children’s issues. In 1973, she joined the staff of the Children’s Defense Fund in Washington and later served as a board member and chairwoman. When Bill Clinton was elected governor of Arkansas in 1978, she founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.

Mrs. Clinton said she decided to visit P.S. 115 to see the work of Maria Alvarez, a vice president of the Chase Manhattan Bank and a fellow Hine Prize winner, who had established the highly successful tutoring program.

At ease in the glare of television lights, Mrs. Clinton sat down at low tables with the students on the third floor, helping them with multiplication flash cards and reading exercises.

“I’m being reminded of a lot of things,” she told one group of pupils. A few minutes later, as people waved from fire escapes across the street, she addressed students massed at outdoor ceremonies in the school’s courtyard.

“I know it is cold and I want all of you to get back inside where it’s warm. How many of you saw my husband, President Clinton, when he was sworn in to be President?” she asked. “Did you see him on television?”

The pupils raised their hands and cheered.

“Well, one of the things that he said was all of us are going to have to work harder to be better citizens and better Americans. . . . All of the students here, each of you, will have to work to learn as much as you can learn. I just met some students, and I know that you can learn a lot. So thank you for letting me come.”

As she spoke, George Tomka, the principal, proudly stood listening.

“It’s a big ray of hope,” he said. “It shows that we are being noticed.”

THE TIMES POLL

Redefining the Role?

Hillary Rodham Clinton has become a symbol for the changing role of women in American society. More than half of Americans believe she will be more heavily involved in presidential decisions than her predecessors, a Times Poll found. The poll was taken before President Clinton this week named his wife as chairwoman of the presidential Task Force on Health Reform:

A NEW DIRECTION

Do you expect Hillary Clinton to play a more important role in national affairs than previous first ladies? More important role: 51% Less important role: 4% About the same: 40% Don’t know: 5% *

HER VALUES

Does she represent the values that you find important? Yes: 50% No: 26% Don’t know: 24% *

PAST COMPARISONS

Do you think she will be a better role model for women than past first ladies? Will be a better role model: 41% Will not be a better role model: 41% Don’t know: 18% *

CABINET CONNECTION

Do you think the new First Lady should sit in on the President’s Cabinet meetings? Should sit in: 24% Should not: 68% Don’t know: 8% *

HER INFLUENCE

Is her influence on her husband a good thing for the country? Good: 39% Bad: 13% Has little effect: 40% Don’t know: 8% *

OVERALL IMPRESSION

What is your impression of Hillary Clinton? Favorable: 58% Unfavorable: 19% Don’t know: 23% Source: Los Angeles Times Poll of 1,733 adults nationwide, Jan. 14-17. Margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.