| |
|
October 3, 2008 |
Click here to read printable version |
|
| Two foundations end financing of education-awareness drive |
| |
Ed in '08? About 16 months ago, two of philanthropy's strongest supporters of education -- the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Broad Foundation -- pledged a total of up to $60 million to make education reform a top issue in the 2008 presidential election. But now, after jointly contributing about $24 million, the two foundations have stopped spending money on their nonpartisan Strong American Schools campaign (branded "Ed in '08"), the Puget Sound Business Journal reports. Although education has had a relatively low profile so far in the presidential campaign, spokespeople for both foundations say their efforts have been successful. But the newspaper quotes Arnold Fege of Public Education Network as saying: "For some reason in 2004, everyone wanted to be the education president. In 2008, nobody wants to be the education president." Fege, PEN's director of public engagement and advocacy, adds that in 2004, much of the public's attention was generated by the No Child Left Behind Act, while this year 38 states are cutting their spending on education. All the same, the link between education and the economy seems clear. "People are not saying that education is not important," observes the pollster Mark Hibbits, but "the issue of the day -- and the remainder of this presidential race -- is going to be dealing with finance and economic issues."
Read more | Back to top
|
|
|
The 'ugly reality' of urban education |
| |
The takeover of a troubled high school in Los Angeles's Watts neighborhood by Green Dot Schools, a private charter school organization, is the vehicle for a strongly worded online critique of American urban education in Dissident Voice, a self-described "radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and social justice." The writer, Reggie Dylan, focuses on what he calls "the ugly reality of the urban cores of this country, and the schools that serve them. It is producing a massive section of youth, seething with anger, who have been written off by this system, told 'there's nothing here for you,' and then shoved into the prisons at world record rates." Dylan says Green Dot seeks to close the "achievement gap" between racial groups by producing "a small number of students from inner city schools who will help fill the need for 'knowledge workers' in this society" -- professionals such as engineers, analysts, and marketers. But Dylan says those who do make it into that world actually "serve as a political and ideological force to shore up this system of exploitation and inequality."
Read more | Back to top
|
|
| Alabama bars illegal immigrants from community colleges |
| |
Alabama's state education board has voted to bar illegal immigrants from admission to Alabama's two-year colleges, according to the Montgomery Advertiser. The vote was 4-0 with one abstention, and it came despite the absence of four of the board's nine members. The new policy holds that, beginning next spring, applicants to community colleges in the state must show an Alabama driver's license, a state ID card, or an unexpired U.S. passport or permanent resident card. International applicants must provide a visa and an official translated copy of their high school or college transcript, along with other information such as exam scores and proof of adequate financial support. Shay Farley, a lawyer and spokeswoman for the Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, questioned the policy. "We are bound by federal law to provide education to any student, K-12, regardless of legal status," she said. "A lot of children are brought [to the U.S.] by their parents -- they did not choose to come here. If we deny them a two-year college education, where will they go for their education?"
Read more | Back to top
|
|
| Utah bill would permit alternative approach to testing in some schools |
| |
Utah lawmakers have passed a bill to allow exemptions from state testing requirements in some school districts and charter schools so they can try an alternative approach, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. If the U.S. Department of Education agrees, some Utah schools would no longer have to give the standardized tests that are currently used statewide. Instead, they would administer the ACT and so-called computer adaptive tests, which adjust to students' skill levels as they take them. The goal would be to provide better assessment data, according to supporters of the alternative program. Critics, however, say that widespread adoption of the new approach would increase the amount of time that students spend on testing.
Read more | Back to top
|
|
| Federal grant aims at reducing preschool expulsion rates in Delaware |
| |
According to the Yale Child Study Center, Delaware has the fourth highest rate for preschool expulsions -- 13 children for every 1,000 enrolled in daycare, reports the Delaware News Journal. That could change, however, as a result of a $9 million grant from the Center for Mental Health Services in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The money will be used to teach parents how to bond with their emotionally disturbed children through parent-child interaction therapy, which is said to improve relationships, increase children's pro-social behavior, and improve parenting skills. About 60 families annually will receive in-home treatment and about 85 families will be served as outpatients at a therapist's office. The effort will focus on troubled children, typically 2 to 5 years old, who often act out in aggressive ways, such as by hitting other children, pulling their hair, or throwing things across the room, says Susan Cycyk, director of Delaware's Division of Child Mental Health Services.
Read more | Back to top
|
|
| Massachusetts district pushes bilingual programs |
| |
Under a six-year-old state law, Massachusetts students younger than 10 must first spend 30 days in an English-only classroom. The Boston Globe reports, however, that some educators think the requirement may do more harm than good. After the waiting period, parents or guardians can sign a waiver that allows their children to go into bilingual classes if they are having problems with English-only instruction. But Tony Marin, a bilingual special-education teacher in Framingham, says that makes no sense. "The kid is not even learning anything," he says. Critics of so-called immersion programs cite rising dropout rates and special-education referrals for English-language learners, and they point to alternatives such as "sheltered English" classes taught mostly in English by bilingual teachers who can explain concepts in the students' native language when that is needed. Another approach is teaching English as a second language. Massachusetts gauges English-language proficiency and progress toward that goal through a system called Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives. Last year the Framingham district, the only one in Massachusetts that aggressively offers families a bilingual option for their children, exceeded its targets for student progress and educational attainment.
Read more | Back to top
|
|
| Examining the link between 'student loads' and student performance |
| |
The theory: Fewer students per teacher -- that's "total student loads," or TSLs, in eduspeak -- leads to better student performance. Many people say that ought to be a no-brainer, but it's not always easy to implement. Now, in a column for the Washington Post, education writer Jay Mathews cites fresh evidence from a management expert, William G. Ouchi, that "when middle or high school principals are given control of their schools' budgets -- a rare occurrence in big districts -- they tend to make changes in staffing, curriculum, and scheduling that sharply reduce TSL." Some urban school districts, Mathews adds, have TSLs approaching 200. "But after principals get budgeting power, the load drops sharply, sometimes to as low as 80 kids per instructor. When that happens, the portion of students scoring 'proficient' on state tests climbs." Mathews quotes Ouchi, a UCLA professor and author of "Making Schools Work," as saying: "When a district has too few classroom teachers, student loads per teacher rise to the point where teachers can no longer know their students well enough to establish a bond of trust with them. Without this trust, a teacher can neither establish an orderly classroom nor push a student to do his or her best, and the teacher's job often becomes frustrating and constantly stressful."
Read more | Back to top
|
|
| Class rankings bite the dust at some Wisconsin high schools |
| |
In an effort to improve their students' chances for college admission, a number of high schools in Wisconsin have ended the practice of reporting the students' class rankings, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. School officials say the change has helped more of their students get into competitive colleges, including the University of Wisconsin at Madison. At Milwaukee's Whitefish Bay High School, where rankings were eliminated five years ago, the principal, Bill Henkle, says the removal of class rankings also has reduced students' anxiety during the college-application process. "They used to be obsessed with it," he says. "With each passing semester, it was like kids were watching their stock go up or down, thinking, 'I just fell out of the top 10 percent and now I'll never get into such-and-such a place.' " That said, a lack of class rankings can put extra emphasis on ACT and SAT test scores at a time when some critics have called for less dependence on standardized testing for college admissions.
Read more | Back to top
|
|
| Arkansas program turns school bus rides into learning opportunities |
| |
Coordinators of an Arkansas school district's pilot program that turns school buses into mobile virtual classrooms say it should be expanded, reports the Arkansas News Bureau. Begun in April 2007 in the Sheridan School District, the project equips students with laptop computers and iPods and allows them to take online math and science courses while traveling to and from school. The project's director, Vanderbilt University professor Julie Hudson, says it makes constructive use of transit time for students in rural areas who have bus rides of up to three or four hours a day. So far, students in the pilot program have completed 14 semesters of study in addition to their regular courses.
Read more | Back to top
|
|
| Florida requires districts to offer online schooling |
| |
A new Florida law requires that, starting next year, school districts create their own full-time virtual schools, or provide them by collaborating with other districts or contracting with state-approved providers, the Palm Beach Post reports. But while the law is wide-ranging, it speaks only vaguely about providing computers and Internet access to students "when appropriate," leaving it up to individual districts to determine what that means. The uncertainty has raised concerns that the program may not benefit students whose families cannot afford home computers or reliable Web access. Some school administrators have proposed opening school computer labs as a less expensive alternative to giving students laptops to use at home. Online programs are not expected to save the schools money because, even though they would not have to accommodate students themselves, they would still have to pay teachers, revamp their curricula, and buy new technology.
Read more | Back to top
|
|
| Kentucky urged to correct 'highly unequal' college prep for blacks, whites |
| |
Kentucky's educational system has "massive leaks" that negatively affect the prospects for its minority students for college enrollment and success, according to a study commissioned by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education and described by the Louisville Courier-Journal. A report of the study, by the Civil Rights Project at the University of California Los Angeles, concludes that "the preparation of black and white students for college remains highly unequal, as do the family and community conditions in which children develop." Among the project's recommendations: Include consideration of race in admitting students to highly competitive state colleges and universities, as well as in awarding financial aid. The report also calls for stronger collaboration between institutions to ensure that minorities graduate from high school, have the skills necessary for college, and receive information early on about financial aid. In addition, the state is urged to expand its definition of diversity to include Hispanics and American Indians, and to consider creating an accountability system for recruiting and enrolling students of any race from the poorest counties in Eastern Kentucky.
Read more | Report | Back to top
|
|
| Differentiated instruction: challenges and benefits |
| |
The idea that teachers should work to accommodate and build on students' diverse learning needs, often referred to as differentiated instruction, is explored in a recent Teacher Magazine interview with Carol Ann Tomlinson, an education professor at the University of Virginia. Pretending all kids are alike and teaching them the same things in the same way over the same time period usually doesn't work very well. To use differentiated instruction, Tomlinson says, teachers have to get to know and understand their students -- their learning styles, interests, strengths, and weaknesses. The key, she says, is "to actively get kids to show you who they are and what their needs are."
Read more | Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Financial pressures forcing states to recast budgets for 2009
Their leaders take urgent steps to cushion the effects of the Wall Street crisis on state programs.
Economic problems threaten local spending, bond offerings
The nation's recent economic turmoil and tightening of credit have severely damaged prospects for city budgets and local bond offerings, including those for public schools.
AAA credit ratings little help to two NC counties
In a sign of the times, Wake and Durham Counties found it almost impossible to borrow from banks to pay for schools and other projects.
Most states struggling to meet NCLB standards on weak schools
Only a third of state education officials in a nationwide survey say their departments have adequate capacity to improve low-performing schools, as required by the federal law.
Many teaching slots go unfilled in DC schools
After spending more than $200 million on repairing and renovating school buildings, the District of Columbia is having a hard time filling them with teachers.
Georgia's governor challenges local schools on lawsuits against the state
Gov. Sonny Perdue wants the state's attorney general to determine whether school districts can use local tax revenue to finance legal challenges.
Need help opening college doors? (It'll cost you)
NPR tells how a high-priced consultant paves the way for kids to get into prestigious institutions. |
|
| NEW GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION |
ECS: James Bryant Conant Award
The Education Commission of the States James Bryant Conant Award recognizes an individual for outstanding contributions to American education. Nominations deadline: Oct. 24, 2008.
VFW: Teaching of Citizenship Education
The Veterans of Foreign Wars' National Citizenship Education Teachers' Award recognizes the nation's top elementary, junior high, and high school teachers who teach citizenship education topics regularly and promote America's history and traditions. Maximum award: $1,000. Eligibility: K-12 teachers. Deadline: Nov. 1, 2008.
AIAA: Grants for Science and Math Programs
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Science and Math Programs Grants assist educators in presenting mathematics, science, and technology principles to K-12 students in an exciting, hands-on manner. Maximum award: $1,000. Eligibility: AIAA Educator Associate K-12 teachers. Deadline: Nov. 30, 2008.
Goldman Sachs Foundation: Prizes in International Education
The 2008 Goldman Sachs Foundation Prizes for Excellence in International Education seek to increase awareness of the growing importance of international knowledge and skills for U.S. students. Maximum award: $25,000. Eligibility: Any public or private elementary, middle, or high school with a clear focus on raising American awareness of the world and bridging the international knowledge gap. The prizes are also available to states, large school districts, and media/technology programs within a U.S.-based public or private organization. Deadline: Dec. 1, 2008.
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
The Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program, administered by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, supports efforts to recruit and educate the next generation of librarians and the faculty members who will prepare them for their careers. It also supports grants for research related to library education and library staffing needs, curriculum development, and continuing education and training. Maximum award: $1,000,000. Eligibility: all types of libraries except federal and for-profit libraries. Eligible libraries include public, school, academic, special, private (not-for-profit), archives, library agencies, library consortia, and library associations. Also eligible are institutions of higher education, including public and not-for-profit universities and colleges. Deadline: Dec. 15, 2008.
For more grants, see http://www.publiceducation.org/newsblast_grants.asp
"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."
-- Alvin Toffler, American writer and futurist (b. 1928)
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 81 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
Robert L. Jacobson
Senior Associate, Communications,
and Editor, PEN Weekly NewsBlast
Public Education Network
601 Thirteenth Street, NW
Suite 710 South
Washington, DC 20005-3808
PEN@PublicEducation.org |
|
