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August 29, 2008
Quick: How many American kids are living in poverty?
If you answered about 13 million, you're close to the actual figure … enough to fill about 200 football stadiums seating more than 65,000 youngsters each. Indeed, according a new report by the Census Bureau, the latest kids-in-poverty figure (it's for 2007) comes to 13.3 million children younger than 18, or 18 percent of the population in that age group. That's about half a million more than in the previous year. Among black kids, nearly 40 percent were below the poverty line, compared with 28.6 percent of Hispanic youths, 14.9 percent of whites, and 11.9 percent of Asians. That compelling situation comes to light amid other statistics showing that the overall poverty rate in the U.S. last year was 12.5 percent (versus 12.3 percent a year earlier), that household income was up a bit (to $50,233), and that the number of people without health insurance dropped to 45.7 million from 47 million. All the same, the Children's Defense Fund (CDF), for one, was outraged by the new statistics on poverty-stricken kids. Marian Wright Edelman, the group's president, said the data amounted to "yet another loud alarm about how far off course our country remains in providing a just and moral society for all of America's children." Pointing to yet another Census Bureau finding, she called it "unconscionable that in our nation -- the richest in the world -- nearly 9 million children are uninsured." Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal quoted Desmond Lachman, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, as noting that the picture from the Census Bureau was etched "before the U.S. economy started taking some of its worst blows. Poverty and income figures for 2008, when they’re released a year from now, may make 2007 look quite good in comparison." Today, Lachman added, the economy is reeling from "a variety of shocks of a very big magnitude that are showing no sign of abating."
See the Census Bureau's report at www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/p60-235.pdf
Read the CDF press release at http://www.childrensdefense.org/site/PageServer?pagename=newsroom_20080826_CensusData
Out-of-district attendance may be too far out, study suggests
For people seeking ways to reduce economic and racial segregation in public education, there's growing interest in allowing students to transfer to schools beyond district lines, notes Education Sector in a new report. But while the strategy may be seen as a way to "give students in failing schools a better chance to achieve," the nonprofit think tank says its analysis shows that the approach actually is "unlikely to increase most students’ educational opportunities significantly." The report, "Plotting School Choice: The Challenges of Crossing District Lines," by policy analyst Erin Dillon, concludes that "even under the best-designed interdistrict choice programs, the number of such students would be, in most localities, limited. The majority of students -- 80 percent to 90 percent -- will remain in the same low-performing schools. Ultimately, policymakers will have to pursue additional solutions to the isolation of disadvantaged students and students of color in highly segregated underperforming schools." The analysis relied on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping technology of school performance information in California, Texas, and Florida.
Read the press release at http://www.educationsector.org/research/research_show.htm?doc_id=702217
Read the report at http://www.educationsector.org/usr_doc/Interdistrict_Choice.pdf
SAT by the numbers: The most test takers ever; no change in overall scores
The number of students taking the high-stakes SAT for college admissions has registered its highest total ever, 1,518,859, the College Board reports. But test results for the high school graduating class of 2008 show that two closely watched indicators have remained fairly constant. Overall, average scores on various portions of the test (critical reading, math, and writing) were unchanged, in contrast to slight fluctuations in recent years. Meanwhile, differences in test results by ethnic group persist, with black and Hispanic students attaining considerably lower scores on average than white and Asian students. Still, with increasing numbers of minority and low-income students among those taking the SAT, the fact that overall scores did not go down this past year is seen by some educators as an encouraging sign. (Earlier testing dept.: The College Board plans to begin offering a standardized SAT-type of assessment for eighth graders beginning in 2010, the Los Angeles Times reports. The so-called Preliminary SAT, or PSAT, is currently taken in high school as a warmup for the SAT.)
See the SAT press release and related links at http://www.collegeboard.com/press/releases/197846.html
Read the LA Times story at http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-test8-2008aug08,0,3148234.story
Why schools are failing to improve teacher quality
Can there be any more important "school-related factor" in student achievement than teacher quality? No, proclaims the summer issue of Voices in Urban Education (a.k.a. VUE), a quarterly print and online product of the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. And yet, says the publication, "many school systems have not focused on attracting, preparing, and supporting high-quality educators." What’s going on here? Instructional quality is often a problem, says VUE's editor, Robert Rothman, because the rules and procedures affecting it are often haphazard. "Unlike leading-edge private companies," he says, "many school systems have failed to focus on developing human capital." VUE's articles include advice on how school districts can "prioritize human capital management as a key function of their central offices" and how to turn superficial teacher evaluations into more effective, comprehensive strategies for improvement in the classroom.
Read more at http://www.annenberginstitute.org/VUE/index.php
Follow the money: An alternate route to better teaching
A Duke University economist says schools should stop paying teachers to acquire more credentials, and should use the money instead to give them higher starting salaries and bigger raises in their first years on the job. That way, says Jacob Vigdor, an associate professor of public policy studies and economics at Duke and a faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research, teachers can be rewarded for early evidence of strong performance. Writing in the fall issue Education Next ("Scrap the Sacrosanct Salary Schedule"), Vigdor points to signs of a weak connection between paying teachers to obtain extra credentials, such as a master’s degree, and their effectiveness on the job. On the other hand, he finds substantial evidence that teaching can be improved if the "ability to educate students" influences how well teachers are compensated at the beginning of their careers.
Read more at http://www.hoover.org/publications/ednext/27452784.html
See the complete article at http://media.hoover.org/documents/ednext_20084_36Vigdor.pdf
With teachers armed, some parents are alarmed
A tiny school district in rural Texas has attracted national attention for allowing teachers to carry guns in their classrooms. The Harrold Independent School District's board of education adopted the policy last fall because of safety concerns, but not everyone is pleased. In Weatherford, Texas, about 150 miles southeast of Harrold, the Weatherford Democrat reports that many parents are "concerned the presence of a gun could make a bad situation worse, or the gun could easily be stolen by a student." The newspaper quotes the school superintendent in its community, Deborah Cron, as saying she would oppose a policy like Harrold's for her district. "I’m not familiar [with the Harrold] district, its administrators, or its board members," she said, but Weatherford's schools "promote a learning environment..., and any type of weapon inside a school building does not contribute to this learning environment -- unless it is carried by a law enforcement officer."
Read more at http://www.weatherforddemocrat.com/local/local_story_241105305.html
Also see an AP report at http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/aug/27/teachers-armed-for-school
Post-shooting report in Cleveland stresses 'positive approaches'
In the wake of a fatal shooting incident in a Cleveland school last year, the city has received a set of recommendations from the American Institutes for Research (AIR) on steps that the schools and community can take to improve the environment for students and teachers. According to a summary by the public-interest news service AScribe, the AIR's advice, which was requested by the city and followed a six-month study, includes "freeing up guidance counselors and school psychologists so they have more time to counsel students," changing counterproductive procedures such as reassigning so-called problem students to other schools, and training school employees to "use positive approaches to discipline rather than reactive and punitive actions." Said David Osher, the report's lead author: "Schools cannot do this work alone. Many Cleveland students, families, and educators confront daily the impacts of poverty, environmental toxins, and trauma. Fortunately, they live, attend school, and work in a city rich in human and cultural capital and good will."
Read more at http://newswire.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/behold.pl?ascribeid=20080822.053033&time=07%2016%20PDT&year=2008&public=0
See the report at http://www.air.org/news/documents/AIR_Cleveland_8-20-08.pdf
Examining what schools mean to their communities
So you think that the quality of public education has major implications for your community -- that good schools can have a substantial and positive effect on such things as employment and earnings, local tax revenues, the value of housing in the area, crime rates, and residents' physical and mental health? If that's your view, it is also the chief conclusion to be drawn from a broad review of the literature -- about 150 books and articles -- by the RAND Corporation. The results, summarized in a report that has been made available online, were pulled together at the request of school and community leaders of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District in California. In a nutshell, the analysis finds that better schools are associated with a higher likelihood of employment, higher wages, lower disease rates, higher property values and tax revenues, fewer crimes, increased participation by residents in cultural events, and increased economic growth. The report, by Stephen J. Carroll and Ethan Scherer, includes a bibliography.
See the report at http://www.rand.org/pubs/documented_briefings/2008/RAND_DB562.pdf
Celebrity wakeup calls for sleeping teens
To help teenagers get up in the morning and get themselves to school, the Ad Council and the Army have teamed up with Cellit, a Chicago-based mobile marketing company, to enable parents and peers to send the kids free wakeup messages recorded by professional athletes and celebrities, reports Business Wire in the Wall Street Journal. A website, www.boostup.org, allows visitors to preview and select the messages, which can then be sent to specified cell-phone numbers at a given time. The basketball star Amare Stoudemire helped start the program. In one message, he says, "Good morning. This is Amare Stoudemire from the Phoenix Suns. Just calling to remind you it's time to get out of bed and go to school. Don't make me call you twice!"
Read more at http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/its-monday-morning-did-your/story.aspx?guid={BFB0635A-8797-4A90-80C0-AA2C1427B317}&dist=hppr
Former Head of Ford Foundation to address PEN's annual conference
Susan V. Berresford, who retired from the Ford Foundation early this year after more than a decade as its president, will address the opening plenary session of Public Education Network's 2008 annual conference November 16 in San Francisco. The three-day conference, whose theme is "Legacy, Focus, and Impact," will celebrate a quarter-century years of local education funds -- started with Ford support in 1983 -- and examine their history and future role in school reform.
See the preliminary agenda at http://publiceducation.org/annualconference/agenda.html
BRIEFLY NOTED
Helping minority and low-income students prepare for college
A case study looks at the success of students at the STAR Early College School in New York, where many who otherwise might have struggled to finish high school have earned college credit.
NEW GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION
Airborne Teacher Trust Fund: Grants for Music and Art
The Airborne Teacher Trust Fund invites elementary and middle school teachers to submit proposals for art and music programs that their schools are unable to fund. Maximum award: $10,000. Eligibility: teachers in both public and private elementary and middle schools. Deadline: Oct. 31, 2008.
Prudential Financial: Spirit of Community Awards
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards honor young people for voluntary service to their communities. Maximum award: $5,000 for an honoree and a $5,000 grant to a nonprofit, charitable organization of the honoree's choice. Eligibility: students in grades 5-12 who have engaged in a volunteer service activity within the past year. Deadline: Oct. 31, 2008.
Ciba Foundation: Science Teaching Awards
The Ciba Specialty Chemicals Exemplary Middle Level and High School Science Teaching Awards recognize teachers in one or more of the following areas: creativity using science teaching materials; design and use of innovative teaching plans and ideas; and development and implementation of department, school, or school-community programs that improve science instruction and/or stimulate interest in science and the learning of science. Maximum award: $2,000, a one-year membership in the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), and up to $500 to attend the NSTA National Conference on Science Education, March 19-22, 2009. Eligibility: full-time classroom teachers. Deadline: Nov. 30, 2008.
NSTA: Award for Distinguished Service to Science Education
The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Distinguished Service to Science Education Award recognizes extraordinary contributions to science education through personal commitment to science teaching or science and through significant contributions to the profession that reflect dedication to NSTA, as well as to the entire educational community. Maximum award: three nights’ hotel accommodations and up to $500 to attend the 2009 NSTA National Conference on Science Education, Mar. 19-22, 2009. Eligibility: NSTA members. Deadline: Nov. 30, 2008.
Vernier/NSTA: Innovative Use of Data-Collection Technology
The Vernier Software & Technology/National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Tech Award recognizes innovative use of data-collection technology with a computer, graphing calculator, or handheld device in the science classroom. Maximum award: $3,000 -- $1,000 in cash for the teacher, $1,000 in Vernier Products, and up to $1,000 toward expenses to attend the 2009 NSTA National Conference on Science Education, Mar. 19-22, 2009. Eligibility: current teachers of science from kindergarten through college. Deadline: Nov. 30, 2008.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"I have a dream."
-- Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)
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PEN Weekly NewsBlast
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