| |
|
August 28, 2009 |
Click here to read printable version |
|
| Americans like the schools they know |
| |
A new poll by Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) International/Gallup finds that most Americans want No Child Left Behind (NCLB) changed, and support reforms such as charter schools and teacher merit pay, eSchool News reports. With no prompting, 32 percent of respondents said funding was the biggest challenge facing public schools, the highest number to say this since the poll started in 1969. More than 50 percent gave their community's schools either an A or a B, but fewer than 20 percent gave the same grade to the nation's schools as a whole. "This continues a long-standing difference, suggesting that Americans like the schools they know but are much less positive about public education in general," according to the PDK report accompanying the poll. Analysts say this may indicate less openness to local reform. The poll also shows that by a two-to-one margin, Americans support testing via a single national test, or national standards. But though mandated testing for grades 3-8 is also a component of NCLB, support for the law "continues to decline, as almost one out of two Americans view it unfavorably." Only one out of four Americans believe NCLB has helped schools in his or her community.
Read more | See highlights of the poll | Back to top
|
|
| Easily quantified, tests trump playtime in kindergarten |
| |
With a national push for universal kindergarten and preschool, pressure has risen on administrators to prove these programs are worth the investment. This has led to increased teaching and testing of literacy and math skills for young children, a trend bemoaned by child development experts, writes The Salt Lake Tribune. While "Doubling time in kindergarten should mean twice the time for instruction," said Reed Spencer, who is designing a uniform testing tool for Utah's full-day kindergarten programs, child advocates are calling for a return to play-based teaching. A report from the Alliance for Childhood warns that the nation is "blindly pursuing educational policies that could well damage the intellectual, social, and physical development of an entire generation." Classic play materials like blocks, sand-and-water tables, and props for dramatic play are disappearing, and in many kindergartens there is no playtime. Edward Miller, a co-author of the study, says research shows that kids who engage in complex socio-dramatic play develop higher levels of thinking, stronger language and social skills, and more empathy and imagination than children who don't. Despite this, curriculum designers continue to push phonics and other discrete skills, since they're easier to measure.
Read more | See the report | Back to top
|
|
| Mississippi may mandate K-12 civil rights education |
| |
The state of Mississippi will pilot a new program that teaches students from kindergarten through high school about the civil rights movement, writes The Associated Press. By the 2010-2011 school year, the Mississippi Department of Education plans to have the program in place at all grade levels as part of social studies courses, which would make it the first state to mandate such a curriculum at all levels. Deborah Menkart, executive director of Teaching for Change, said that students should understand that Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weren't the only figures in the civil rights movement. "The traditional version would be that it started in 1954, thereby leaving out the fact that a lot of groundwork had to be done before that," Menkart said. "The other part that gets left out is the struggle for economic justice, like Martin Luther King's support of the sanitation workers in Memphis." Chauncey Spears, who works in Mississippi's education agency, explained that the curriculum won't require new textbooks, and teachers can develop their own lesson plans, perhaps calling on people in their community who lived through these events, to incorporate their experiences into the classroom.
Read more | Back to top
|
|
| Young researchers find downturn hits students of color especially hard |
| |
A group of high school student researchers -- the Council of Youth Research, sponsored by UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access (IDEA) -- spent five summer weeks this year researching the effects of education cuts in Los Angeles-area schools and neighborhoods, writes UCLA Today. What they found: "The economic crisis is biased, which means that it impacts everyone differently," according to council member Gabriela Dominguez. The council, 25 students from South and East Los Angeles high schools, studied educational theory, surveyed nearly 700 LAUSD students, and interviewed students, teachers, principals, and policy makers that included LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines. To a standing-room-only audience at Los Angeles City Hall, council members relayed that the economic crisis has deepened inequality both between and within schools and neighborhoods. For example, poorer neighborhoods have lost more teachers, since in these schools teachers tend to have less seniority than elsewhere. Teacher layoffs, larger class sizes, and tightened school budgets have combined with diminished health care and community programs to compound effects for students in African-American and Latino neighborhoods. The council recommended reinstating funding to education, providing information about schools to parents and communities, and making education a priority for policymakers.
Read more | Back to top
|
|
| Study sees the future, and it is online learning |
| |
A new report conducted for the U.S. Department of Education has concluded that on average, students in online learning situations learn better than those who get face-to-face instruction, the Bits blog of The New York Times reports. The study looked at the comparative research on both kinds of learning from 1996 to 2008, mainly in colleges and adult continuing-education programs, though some research pertained to K-12 education. The analysis found that the average student who did some or all of a course online tended to rank in the 59th percentile in tested performance, compared with the average classroom student who scored in the 50th percentile. "The study's major significance lies in demonstrating that online learning today is not just better than nothing -- it actually tends to be better than conventional instruction," said Barbara Means, the study's lead author and an educational psychologist at SRI International, which undertook the federal study. In the opinion of the blog, the results could mean that online education will expand rapidly in the next few years, especially inasmuch as it tailors itself specifically to a student's needs, thereby better engaging a student. This won't isolate students, however, since they'll have an online community that will foster learning and inquiry.
Read more | Back to top
|
|
| NEA pans the Race to the Top |
| |
The National Education Association (NEA) has formally announced its opposition to core elements of the administration's $4.35 billion Race to the Top (RttT) fund, Education Week reports. Chief among its complaints are the program's push for test scores to evaluate teachers, charter schools, and alternative routes to teacher licensure. "The administration's theory of success now seems to be tight on the goals and tight on the means," writes Kay Brilliant, the NEA's director of education policy and practice, in a letter accompanying the union's comments on RttT guidelines. "We have been down that road before with the failures of No Child Left Behind, and we cannot support yet another layer of federal mandates that have little or no research base of success and that usurp state and local governments' responsibilities for public education." NEA's position is a departure from its support of the Democratic Party and for President Obama, in particular. However, given RttT's conflict with many of NEA's policies, observers have said a union collision with the administration was "all but inevitable," according to Ed Week. Thus far, the American Federation of Teachers has kept a "lower profile" concerning RttT, according to the paper.
Read more | Read the letter | Back to top
|
|
| SAT-takers are a more diverse group, but demographic gaps widen |
| |
New data from the College Board show that the average national SAT scores for 2009 dropped two points versus last year, but the pool of test-takers was the most diverse ever, writes USA TODAY. The report cited a 40 percent minority participation rate among test-takers this year, up 29 percent from 1999. Also up: More than a third of students said they would be first-generation college students, and more than a quarter said English is not their first language. Bob Schaeffer, spokesman for the National Center for Fair & Open Testing and a critic of standardized tests, saw a different pattern: "widening gaps of all sorts -- race, gender and income -- at a time when the nation is spending billions of dollars allegedly trying to close those gaps." One of the most salient determinants was household income, with the average score of students who said their families earned more than $200,000 a year up 26 points to 1702, versus students reporting family incomes of less than $20,000 a year at 1321, up 1 point. The College Board noted that students who had completed a core curriculum, taken their school's most rigorous courses, and familiarized themselves with the test were among the strongest performers.
Read more | Back to top
|
|
| NYC principals' program yields student achievement |
| |
A new report from the Institute for Education and Social Policy at New York University finds that principals trained at a New York City Schools program oversaw increased achievement in their schools. Through its Aspiring Principals Program (APP) at the Leadership Academy, begun in 2003, the district asserted greater responsibility for training and developing its own school leaders, a move to address its persistent shortage of principals due to high turnover, retirements, and the rapid creation of new schools. The study found that in comparison with schools led by non-APP new principals, schools with APP leaders improved apace with the city in English Language Arts, whereas comparison schools fell behind the citywide average. This held true despite the fact that, according to the study, APP principals were more likely to be placed in schools that were low-performing and trending downward. Although the study examined performance over a relatively short period of time, it concluded that its results suggest the need for continued monitoring and follow-up to understand "whether -- and to what extent -- improvements in test scores persist, and to identify the kinds of schools or conditions under which Aspiring Principal Program graduates are particularly successful (or unsuccessful)."
See the report | Back to top
|
|
| Ohio communities see 'disconnect' in teacher pay raises |
| |
As many Ohioans see their paychecks frozen, cut, or taken away, pressure is mounting on Ohio's teacher unions and school administrators to share in the sacrifice, writes The Columbus Dispatch. While 60 percent of schools are getting reduced state aid over the next two years, pay raises for teachers top five percent in some districts, when automatic pay bumps are included. In fact, considering all pay increases for experience or academic training, most Ohio teachers would get a raise even if they took a contractual salary freeze. Given that other state and municipal employees have made financial concessions, teacher raises are building resentment, particularly where voters have been asked to accept higher taxes. School employees in some cities have already taken action, voluntarily forgoing base pay increases, since otherwise colleagues would have to be laid off. Yet the state teacher union has cautioned against cutting teacher salaries, citing correlations between teacher pay and student achievement. Ohio lawmakers are less sympathetic: "School boards run a great risk of alienating the public if they continue to give out salary and benefit increases in these times," said State Sen. Gary Cates, R-West Chester, who heads the Ohio Senate Education Committee.
Read more | Back to top
|
|
| Doing more with less, thanks to Core Knowledge |
| |
In a profile of New York City's PS/MS 124, The Christian Science Monitor relates how after an initial $785,000 grant ten years ago, the school has consistently husbanded money to sustain a curriculum called Core Knowledge, yielding high rewards. Core Knowledge integrates world history, civics, literature, science, and art -- for instance, having second-graders depict the Statue of Liberty in the style of Picasso or Matisse when they study immigration. The curriculum has led to lower teacher turnover, increased collaboration, and achievement gains, such as 75 percent of the school's fourth-graders and 70 percent of its eighth-graders meeting or exceeding standards in 2007-2008, significantly more than New York City public schools as a whole. Principal Valarie Lewis says she uses school money "wisely," keeping class size near the maximum of 30 and using extra dollars to invest in other supports for her fewer teachers. A cadre of lead teachers conduct professional development rather than outside groups, and teachers substitute for one another. Lewis has also used outside expertise strategically, paying a data consultant to train teachers so they could better focus instruction, which allowed teachers to spend time with children instead of "sitting by computers all day running data."
Read more | Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Make roads, not grades
Colorado Republican state senator suggests money now used for public schools could pump nearly $4 billion into highway construction in the future.
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_13173251
Mr. Huxtable goes to Harrisburg
Comedian Bill Cosby protests education cuts in Pennsylvania capitol.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090819/ap_en_ce/us_people_bill_cosby
The end of tater tots?
A movement is afoot to remove processed food from school lunches.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/19/dining/19school.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&emc=eta1&adxnnlx=1251388820-0pET9/TE1icGT1duxEdAFw
LAUSD may cede control of 250 campuses to outsiders
Move by LA Board of Education called 'a startling acknowledgment' that the school system cannot improve enough schools on its own.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lausd-schools26-2009aug26,0,4203620.story
Schwarzenegger woos Race to the Top
The California governor called for a special session to repeal a law preventing use of student test scores to evaluate teachers.
http://www.sacbee.com/politics/story/2127381.html |
|
| NEW GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION |
State Farm YAB Grants
The State Farm Youth Advisory Board grants fund student-led service-learning projects in the United States and in the Alberta, New Brunswick, and Ontario provinces of Canada that address, in a structural way, the issues of environmental responsibility, natural and societal disaster preparedness, driver safety, financial education, and accessing higher education/closing the achievement gap. Maximum award: $100,000. Eligibility: organizations/institutions located in the United States or Canada, with a primary applicant who is either an educator currently teaching in a public K-12, public charter, or higher education institution, or a school-based service-learning coordinator whose primary role is to coordinate service-learning projects in a public, charter, or higher education institution. Deadline: October 2, 2009.
http://www.statefarmyab.com/apply.php
Vernier/ NSTA: Tech Award
Vernier Software & Technology/National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Tech Award recognizes the innovative use of data collection technology using a computer, graphing calculator, or handheld 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 NSTA National Conference on Science Education, March 18-21, 2010. Eligibility: current teachers of science in grades K-College. Deadline: Nov. 30, 2009.
http://www.vernier.com/grants/nsta.html
Foundation for Technology Education: Pitsco/Hearlihy Grant
The Pitsco/Hearlihy/Foundation for Technology Education Grant recognizes and encourages the integration of a quality technology education program within the school curriculum. Criteria include: evidence of an effective quality technology education program, documented success in the integration of technology education with other academic subjects, and plans for professional development via the anticipated grant. Maximum award: $2,000. Eligibility: Teachers K-12 who are members of the International Technology Education Association. Deadline: Dec. 1, 2009.
http://www.iteaconnect.org/Awards/granthearlihy.htm
NCTE/CEL: Award for Exemplary Leadership
The Conference on English Leadership (CEL) Award for Exemplary Leadership is given annually to an NCTE member who is an outstanding English Language Arts educator and leader. CEL members nominate an exceptional leader who has had an impact on the profession through one or more of the following: work that has focused on exceptional teaching and/or leadership practices (e.g., building effective department, grade level, or building teams; developing curriculum or processes for practicing ELA educators; or mentoring), contributions to the profession through involvement at both the local and national levels, or publications that have had a major impact. Maximum award: a plaque, recognition on the CEL website and at the Sunday CEL Luncheon, a CEL luncheon ticket, and CEL registration. It may also include an invitation to be the luncheon speaker in a later year or to speak at the CEL Convention. Eligibility: NCTE members. Deadline: February 1, 2010.
http://www.ncte.org/cel/awards/exemplaryleader
For more grants, see http://www.publiceducation.org/newsblast_grants.asp
"The commitment I seek is not to outworn views but to old values that will never wear out. Programs may sometimes become obsolete, but the ideal of fairness always endures. Circumstances may change, but the work of compassion must continue. It is surely correct that we cannot solve problems by throwing money at them, but it is also correct that we dare not throw out our national problems onto a scrap heap of inattention and indifference."
- Senator Edward M. Kennedy, address to the Democratic National Convention, August 1980.
http://tedkennedy.org/ownwords/event/1980_convention
See also: http://www.publiceducation.org/2009_Emails/20090826_Kennedy.html
The PEN Weekly NewsBlast, published by Public Education Network, is a free electronic newsletter featuring resources and information about public school reform, school finance, and related issues. The NewsBlast is the property of Public Education Network, a national association of 79 local education funds working to improve public school quality in low-income communities throughout the nation. Please forward this e-mail to anyone who enjoys free updates on education news and grant alerts.
Some links in the PEN Weekly NewsBlast may change or expire after their initial publication here, and some links may require local website registration.
Your e-mail address is safe with the NewsBlast. It is our firm policy never to rent, loan, or sell our subscriber list to any other organization, group, or individual.
TO UPDATE OR ADD A NEWSBLAST SUBSCRIPTION
PEN wants you to receive each weekly issue of the NewsBlast at your preferred e-mail address. If you are already a subscriber and would like us to change your e-mail address, please click on "Update Profile/Email Address" near the bottom of the NewsBlast mailing.
People wishing to add a NewsBlast subscription can go to PEN's website (http://www.publiceducation.org) and follow the instructions in the lower left-hand section of the homepage. Current subscribers can unsubscribe by clicking the appropriate link near the bottom of the NewsBlast mailing.
If you use spam filters to protect your inbox, you may wish to take a moment right now to add PEN@publiceducation.org to your e-mail address book, spam-software whitelist, or mail-system whitelist. Adding the address will help ensure that you receive the NewsBlast and that your e-mail software displays HTML and images properly.
To view past issues of the PEN Weekly NewsBlast, visit http://www.publiceducation.org/newsblast_past.asp.
If you would like to submit a proposed article or news item about your local education fund, public school, or school-reform organization for a future issue of the NewsBlast, please send a note to PEN@PublicEducation.org. For the NewsBlast's submission policy, see http://www.publiceducation.org/newsblast_submission_policy.htm.
Kate Guiney
Contributing Editor
PEN Weekly NewsBlast
Public Education Network
601 Thirteenth Street, NW
Suite 710 South
Washington, DC 20005-3808
PEN@PublicEducation.org |
|
