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September 12, 2008 |
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| New Michigan law seen narrowing kindergarten options |
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A new state funding law in Michigan could force school districts to eliminate half-day kindergarten classes and offer only a full-day option at greater expense unless they cut other programs, according to the Detroit News. Conversion to full-day programming would force districts to add teachers and buy more instructional materials without receiving additional money from the state. Schools where some kindergarteners attend in the morning and others in the afternoon would need new furniture and more space. Some parents, meanwhile, worry that a full day is too much for a four- or five-year-old.
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| Relatively few takers for free tuition in Washington State |
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A Washington State program offering free college tuition for students from low-income families has attracted applications from only about 16,500 of 56,000 eligible middle-school students, the Seattle Post Intelligencer reports. The surprisingly low figure appeared to result, at least in part, from inadequate communications within schools and with parents. Established by the state legislature in 2007 with a $7.4 million set-aside for the first two years, the program is known as College Bound Scholarships. It requires students to pledge to maintain at least a 2.0 grade-point average through high school, and to stay out of trouble with the law. Acceptance by a particular college isn’t guaranteed, and a student's eligibility hinges on his or her family's financial status. The scholarship grew out of a 2006 blueprint for improving education in the state.
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| With standard relaxed, many California high schools still fall short |
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Because of a more relaxed standard for measuring adequate yearly progress than is used for elementary and middle schools, more California high schools met federal academic targets this year than otherwise would have, according to an analysis by the Los Angeles Times. The proportion that did so, however, was only 48 percent. In a separate rating system devised by the state, high schools are not rated on whether students master coursework intended for their grade level, but on whether they pass a test that is designed as a minimum standard to show what students have learned and that serves as a requirement for high school diplomas. The Times says that if high schools were rated on results of the state's "STAR" tests -- the method used for lower grades -- hundreds more high schools could face sanctions for insufficient academic achievement.
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| Girls’ interest in math and science shown to benefit from adults' support |
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Contrary to a widespread view that little can be done if middle- and high-school-aged girls show no interest in science or math, a study at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has found that encouragement and confidence instilled in young girls about math and science by their parents and teachers is more important than girls' initial interest, Science Daily reports. "For the last 20 years, there has been all this work done on boosting interest of girls early on. But I don't think that's it," says Nadya Fouad, a vocational psychologist who was one of the authors of the National Science Foundation-funded study. Instead, support -- or its absence -- and perceptions play heavily into whether girls follow and develop their interest, and gender-based preconceptions are still common in teachers.
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| Considering how Obama would reform education |
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In a look at Barack Obama's stance on education policy issues, Paul Tough, an editor at the New York Times Magazine, has examined the views of three people whose work embodies pieces of the presidential candidate's approach to education reform. One analyst, James J. Heckman, an economist at the University of Chicago, sees persistent poverty as a deficit of skills and resources that allow people to compete in a high-tech, service-driven economy. Early intervention in the lives of poor children can narrow or eliminate that deficit, Heckman argues. Education scholar Susan B. Neuman, meanwhile, points to nine non-school programs designed to improve the lives of poor children. In a forthcoming book, "Changing the Odds for Children at Risk," the University of Michigan professor describes efforts that work in tandem with schools to provide the kind of intensive intervention in the early years of a child's life that Heckman proposes. And Geoffrey Canada, president of Harlem Children's Zone in New York City, takes the approach of Neuman's programs a step further, integrating school and social services from the time of a child's birth through high school graduation. In a synthesis of such ideas, Obama has proposed what he calls "Promise Neighborhoods." They would be run as public-private partnerships, with the federal government providing half the funds, with the rest coming from local governments, private philanthropies, and businesses. A new book by Tough is titled, "Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada’s Quest to Change Harlem and America.”
Read more | Another Take | McCain vs. Obama | Back to top
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| Florida high court strikes education amendments from ballot |
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The Florida Supreme Court has removed three controversial school-related amendments from the November ballot, reports the Miami Herald. The amendments had been placed on the ballot directly by the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, a citizens' panel that meets once every 20 years. The court held that the amendments were misleading to voters. One was aimed at eliminating property taxes that pay for schools, lowering average tax bills by 25 percent, and forcing legislators to replace the money with sales and other taxes. Another amendment would have repealed a century-old ban on direct state funding of religious institutions, including religious schools. The third amendment would have overturned a decision by the state Supreme Court that invalidated state-paid vouchers for students in failing public schools to attend private schools. The amendments were opposed by a coalition of unions, school boards, and various interest groups in business, healthcare, and education.
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| Policy groups join forces on education benchmarking |
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Three national policy organizations have joined ranks to ensure that states have a means to benchmark their K-12 education systems to those of top-performing nations. The National Governors Association, the Council of Chief State School Officers, and Achieve, Inc., have formed the International Benchmarking Advisory Group. Its participants are education experts, members of the business community, researchers, former federal officials, and current state and local officials. The new group -- which will be co-chaired by Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, and Craig Barrett, chairman of the board at Intel Corporation -- will provide guidance on education benchmarking in such areas as standards, accountability, the workforce, and assessments. Said Napolitano: "The most recent results of Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) show U.S. students finished 21st in science skills and 25th in mathematics skills. In a globally competitive world, the U.S. must do better. We need students capable of competing for high-paying jobs with students from top-performing countries."
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| Lawmakers question rising college tuition |
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Two members of Congress recently convened a roundtable to examine why college tuition keeps rising when many academic institutions have endowments of hundreds of millions of dollars. Reporting on the event, which took place in Washington, the New York Sun says Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) are asking institutions of higher education to justify their nonprofit status. They want college presidents and academics to consider ways to reduce charges for students and increase financial aid. Grassley favors legislation that would require colleges to spend at least 5 percent of their endowments annually toward reducing student costs, in the manner of foundations. Academic presidents were largely unreceptive to the idea, however, saying that mandated spending would make it difficult for their institutions to finance programs regardless of how their investments performed.
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| DC chancellor seeks more flexibility to hire, fire teachers |
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In a move that would substantially increase her ability to remove teachers she considers to be unsatisfactory, Michelle Rhee, schools chancellor in Washington, DC, has been preparing to overhaul the existing system of annual personnel evaluations that spell out procedures for terminating teachers, the Washington Post reports. The plan dovetails with new rules that give the District's state superintendent of education the ability to create an advanced teaching credential specifying benchmarks that instructors would have to meet to keep their jobs. The credential would not require review by the city council or the DC State Board of Education. Rhee also has received national attention for a contract proposal in which teachers would forfeit tenure in exchange for much higher pay, but there has been opposition from the Washington Teachers' Union.
Read more | Background | Back to top
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| Election campaign brings new focus on teenage pregnancy |
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The pregnancy of 17-year-old Bristol Palin, daughter of Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin, has refocused attention on sex education and how to prevent teen pregnancy. Advocates of "abstinence only," as well as those favoring a more comprehensive approach, each say they can point to data supporting their views. Accounts in various newspapers offer different assessments. According to the Houston Chronicle, the evidence seems to support sex-education programs that include discussions of contraception. USA Today, meanwhile, says there appears to be little correlation between what teens are taught and their actual sexual behavior. And the Los Angeles Times reports that the views of Governor Palin herself on the topic are somewhat mixed. While she has opposed "explicit" sex education, she also has called herself pro-contraception, saying, "I think kids who may not hear about it at home should hear about it in other avenues." The GOP's presidential candidate, John McCain, has said abstinence education is the only kind of sex education that he supports.
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Another article | More | Back to top
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Taking stock of school-based reading coaches
Do they really improve student achievement? A RAND study in Florida finds "mixed" evidence.
Latinos now account for one-fifth of public school students
High birth rates and immigration boost their enrollments, reports the Pew Hispanic Center.
Skills, education, and competitiveness: A new policy guide
Improving public education so Americans can "triumph in the global skills race" is the "central economic competitiveness issue for the next decade," says the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.
Coming to PBS: 'Where We Stand: America's Schools in the 21st Century'
Public TV will air a documentary about U.S education, and what experts say about its problems, on September 15 at 10pm (check local listings).
School-choice program in Massachusetts attracting many affluent students
But kids from low-income families, though targeted in the state plan, don't seem to get much out of it, says an analysis by Education Sector.
Ideas for engaging and re-engaging students in learning
Amid growing concern about the nation's dropout epidemic, the UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools has issued what it calls a "guide for practice." Keyword: motivation.
'Green clean' your school
Healthy Schools Campaign, a not-for-profit group, has released the second edition of the "Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools." |
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| NEW GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION |
Carnegie/New York Times: Exceptional Librarians
The Carnegie/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award encourages library users to recognize exceptional public, academic, and school librarians. Users may nominate a librarian online based on the quality of service that the nominee has provided, the librarian's demonstrated knowledge of the library and its resources, and the nominee's commitment to helping library users. Maximum award: $5,000, a plaque, and a $500 travel stipend to attend an awards reception in New York hosted by the New York Times on Dec. 9, 2008. A plaque will also be given to each award winner’s library. Eligibility: public, school, and academic librarians. Deadline: public librarians -- Oct. 1, 2008; school and academic librarians -- Oct. 15, 2008.
Toyota/NCFL: Family Literacy Teacher Award
The Toyota Family Literacy Teacher of the Year Award is given to educators, selected by the National Center for Family Literacy, who demonstrate exemplary efforts to help parents and children achieve their academic and non-academic goals. Nominations must be placed online. Maximum award: $7,500. Eligibility: any educator who strives to help families improve their literacy skills. Deadline: Dec. 5, 2008.
AXA/U.S. News & World Report: College Achievement Scholarships
AXA Achievement Scholarships, presented in association with U.S. News & World Report, provide resources that help make college possible for qualified students. Maximum award: $25,000, a laptop computer, and the offer of an AXA Financial Services internship. Eligibility: high school students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico who will graduate in 2009. Deadline: Dec. 15, 2008.
TOYOTA/NSTA: Grants for Science Teachers
The Toyota/National Science Teachers Association TAPESTRY Grants for Science Teachers recognize K–12 science teachers for innovative projects that enhance science education in a school and/or school district. Maximum award: $10,000. Eligibility: K–12 science teachers with a minimum of at least two years of science teaching experience. Deadline: Jan. 21, 2009.
Liberty Mutual: Responsible Sports Community Grants
Liberty Mutual Insurance Company Responsible Sports Community Grants support equipment upgrades, facility repairs, and scholarship programs for families in need of assistance. Maximum award: $2,500. Eligibility: youth sports organizations. Deadline: Nov. 30, 2008.
To view more grants, visit: http://www.publiceducation.org/newsblast_grants.asp
"Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than a giving of right answers."
-- Josef Albers (1888-1976), artist and educator
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PEN Weekly NewsBlast
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and Editor, PEN Weekly NewsBlast
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