From the News
Debating the math on education fundingHenrico Citizen, April 18, 2013
During the General Assembly’s 2013 session, state legislators debated how much to spend on public education. But has education funding been going up or down? It depends on whom you ask. Democratic politicians and the Virginia Education Association say funding for the commonwealth’s public schools is at its lowest level since 2008.
Lockheed Martin works with STEM students in Prince George’s CountyWashington Post, April 17, 2013
Lockheed Martin, the Prince George’s County school system and the county’s Office of Information Technology have entered into a private-public partnership that will allow students and teachers at three high schools to learn from and share information with each other in a secure, cloud-based environment, county officials announced Wednesday.
Teen ‘sexting’ case goes to trial in Fairfax CountyWashington Post, April 17, 2013
Three Fairfax County high school students made cellphone videos of drunken sex acts with fellow teens and shared them among themselves, authorities said. When they go on trial Thursday, they face a charge usually reserved for adult predators: child pornography.
Del. unveils new strategic early childhood education planWDEL, April 15, 2013
Delaware's early childhood education program comes under the federal microscope, and the U.S. Secretary of Education reveals what areas could use improvement as the state unveils a new strategic plan.
Pressure of PSSAs failing studentsDaily Times, April 15, 2013
If you’re a teacher, student or parent, you’re probably sick of hearing about the state assessment tests, what with all the pep rallies, study sessions and such.
Pennsylvania's education debate must focus on kids, parents LDNews, April 15, 2013
Presently, it is parents who decide to enroll their children in cyber schools (or other schools). Parents should make such decisions: They know best what’s best for their children. I don’t think government – any government – should interfere with these rights – ever.
No Child Left Behind gauge may end in PennsylvaniaPittsburgh Post Gazette, April 15, 2013
Adequate yearly progress has been the assessment measurement for schools and school districts in Pennsylvania since the enactment of the federal No Child Left Behind Law in January 2001.
Schools demanding news literacy lessons to teach students how to find fact amid fictionWashington Post, April 15, 2013
News literacy programs are expanding in classrooms across the country, with a growing nonprofit sector dedicated to the cause and new education standards that require students to read and analyze more nonfiction text.
Virginia law makers push STEM-H education, but are students interested?WDBJ7, April 12, 2013
"And the concern is not where to find the jobs its will there be enough people to fill them. So that is really what this is all about," said Chris Horne with the institute.
Academic Gains in NYC, D.C., and Chicago Overstated, Report ContendsEducation Week, April 11, 2013
The school improvement strategies highly touted by leaders such as U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and former District of Columbia schools chancellor Michelle Rhee, have produced overwhelmingly disappointing results for the poor and minority children in Chicago, New York, and the District of Columbia, a forthcoming report written by a national group that favors a more holistic approach to improving public schooling, contends.
TELL Delaware: Teachers feel safe in class, but not all have mentorsWDEL, April 11, 2013
The majority of Delaware's teachers say they feel safe in the classroom, even after Sandy Hook. But more than 10-percent of teachers aren't meeting state requirements because they don't have a mentor.
Highlights of Prince George’s County school planWashington Post, April 10, 2013
State lawmakers approved a compromise bill that allows Baker to select the superintendent, appoint three members to the school board and name the board’s chair and vice chair. The school board makes final decisions on the budget.
New standards, state test for studentsCape Gazette, April 9, 2013
The state's top educator attended Cape Henlopen School District's recent board of education meeting to talk about a new statewide test for students and aligning Delaware's curriculum with other states.
Investments in Education May Be MisdirectedNew York Times, April 2, 2013
Children of mothers who had graduated from college scored much higher at age 3 than those whose mothers had dropped out of high school, proof of the advantage for young children of living in rich, stimulating environments.
Education officials disagree with NRA's school safety planCharleston Daily Mail, April 2, 2013
Christine Campbell, president-elect of the West Virginia chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, echoed the statement from the national group, saying that the call for armed guards in schools serves only to distract from the issues at the heart of school violence.
Honors Classes: A Need for More Diversity Edutopia, March 28, 2013
I work in a middle school that many would call diverse, if you were looking at nationalities rather than race. The student body is 49 percent Latino and 49 percent Asian. The Asian demographic is, however, divided into many different countries, from China to Vietnam. So it should go without saying that our honors classes, those classes helping to move students beyond simply meeting the standards and into more rigorous, pre-AP level discussions and material, should reflect that same break down, right? Wrong.
D.C. school facilities plan considers charters for the first timeWashington Post, March 27, 2013
Neighborhoods in Southeast Washington, on Capitol Hill and along the eastern border of Rock Creek Park are among those most in need of school renovations, according to a school facilities plan the Gray administration released Wednesday.
Prince George’s school takeover legislation introduced in Md. SenateWashington Post, March 26, 2013
Under the legislation, Baker would select the school system’s chief executive — currently known as the superintendent — who would then have to be confirmed by the County Council to serve a four-year term. The CEO, who would become a member of the county executive’s cabinet, would be responsible for day-to-day management and oversight of the school system’s fiscal affairs.
Partners Are EssentialEducation Week, March 26, 2013
Leaders and their schools need partners in this business of educating society's youth and creating responsible, productive, creative and active citizens. Hopefully, these young people will possess values, conscience and courage as well. If we truly care about that whole description, we need partners.
10 stats about bullying in Pennsylvania schoolswitf, March 25, 2013
One of the most common methods for identifying a potential bullying problem in a school is a student survey. In 2011, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency's PA Youth Survey (PAYS) asked students a series of eight questions about bullying at school and internet safety.
Special-ed legislation would ‘level playing field’ for Md. parents, bill supporters sayWashington Post, March 24, 2013
The party that files a special education legal complaint in Maryland — most often the parents of the child — has the responsibility of convincing a judge that a school system’s individual education program for a disabled child is or is not appropriate. But Senate Bill 691 and House Bill 1286 would change that. The legislation proposes requiring Maryland public school systems to defend the appropriateness of learning plans they create for students regardless of who files the complaint.
English-Learner Achievement Mixed in Big City School SystemsEducation Week, March 22, 2013
The experiences of English-language learners in some of the nation's largest school systems vary widely when it comes to who teaches them, what types of language instruction programs are available to them, and how well schools do in supporting their progress toward becoming proficient in English.
D.C. schools chief’s lofty goals face some tough tests Washington Post, March 20, 2013
Provide equal educational opportunities across a city that is divided by one of the largest income gaps in the country — that’s the plan, according to D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson.“We are now able to say, for the first time, that all elementary schools will get art, music, foreign languages and libraries — not just the ones with PTAs that can pay for those things,” Henderson said in a recent interview. “The goal is to get kids who are below grade level up while at the same doubling the number of kids who are advanced. I’m not going to sacrifice the advanced kids for the ones who are behind, nor vice versa.”
Teachers facing achievement gap try cross-race connectionsEducation Week, March 20, 2013
All the bleak statistics about Minnesota's achievement gap became personal to fifth-grade teacher Jen Engel, when she realized that gap was playing out in her own classroom.
Statewide cyberbullying policy takes effectCape Gazette, March 20, 2013
“Along with the dramatic increase in electronic messaging and social networking among kids, there has been an explosion of cyberbullying in schools across our state,” Biden said. “This new statewide cyberbullying policy is a common-sense tool to help schools and law enforcement better protect kids by recognizing the prevalence of online communication, the damaging effect it has on students who are victimized, and the significant disruption it causes to our schools.”
State adopts Pennsylvania Common Core StandardsThe Times Herald, March 19, 2013
The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) voted to put Pennsylvania Common Core Standards into place and will also require students to meet proficient requirements on either the Keystone Exams, or comparable examinations, in order to graduate.
Better Colleges Failing to Lure Talented PoorThe New York Times, March 16, 2013
Most low-income students who have top test scores and grades do not even apply to the nation’s best colleges, according to a new analysis of every high school student who took the SAT in a recent year.
Fragmented Data Systems a Barrier to Better Schools, Experts Say Education Week, March 15, 2013
The fragmented nature of data systems in school districts, a lack of common data standards across states, and the financial challenges of providing professional development to data users in schools combine to leave many districts and states struggling to provide meaningful, real-time data about student performance to educators.
Latino students attending increasingly segregated schools in VirginiaWashington Post, March 12, 2013
Latinos, the largest minority group in Northern Virginia, are attending increasingly segregated schools, according to a report released Tuesday that examines enrollment patterns across the state during the past two decades.