tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53459430508264994342024-03-20T04:40:39.688-07:00School News & Language Arts Information...a place to share education news as well as ideas, thoughts, and strategies, about the instruction of language.Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.comBlogger2568125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-67250169593122876732015-10-27T08:42:00.002-07:002015-10-27T08:42:28.929-07:00Ryan Has An Education Record That Suggests Compromise.<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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<a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102701nea&r=2487662-146d&l=01f-61f&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Education Week</a> (10/27, Ujifusa) reviews the track record of the next Speaker of the House, Rep. Paul Ryan, on education issues. The article suggests that Ryan will be willing to compromise on education issues with the Obama Administration and highlights Ryan’s past support for school choice and student loan reform.</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-27491665936714638492015-10-27T08:41:00.002-07:002015-10-27T08:41:39.110-07:00Common Core News of the Day<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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Poll: More New York Voters Oppose Common Core Than Support It.</h3>
The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102701nea&r=2487662-146d&l=01c-0b3&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Rochester (NY) Democrat & Chronicle</a> (10/26, Spector) reports a Siena College poll found that more New York voters believe that Common Core has worsened public education in the state rather than improved it. The poll found that 40% of voters believed the standards were bad for schools, while only 21% believed they were good for schools, with the rest being unsure. Voters in New York City were more supportive of Common Core, while voters in the city’s suburbs and upstate New York were more opposed to it. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and the state DOE previously announced they would review the standards.<br />
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Study: NAEP And Common Core Have “Overlap”, But Gaps Remain.</h3>
<a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102701nea&r=2487662-146d&l=01d-fbf&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Education Week</a> (10/27, Heitin) reports a study by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Validity Studies Panel found that the NAEP test had “reasonable” overlap with Common Core standards, but the test failed to measure some of the standards in the Common Core curriculum. For example, 87% of the NAEP’s eighth grade math test questions “matched material from the common-core standards”, but only 58% of the Common Core standards were tested on the NAEP.<br />
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Missouri Panel Submits Proposed New Standards To Replace Common Core.</h3>
The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102701nea&r=2487662-146d&l=01e-d4c&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">AP</a> (10/27, Ballentine) reports a panel of Missouri education experts, teachers, and parents presented their recommendations to the state BOE after working for a year to develop new academic standards to replace Common Core as well as for social science and science. The panel was created in 2014 by the state legislature in response to criticism of Common Core. The new recommendations from the panel have been criticized for challenging Common Core and also for being too similar to Common Core. One panel member said the sixth to twelfth grade English standards work group said many of the new standards are “exactly” the same as the old standards.</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-25411039821606129322015-10-27T08:40:00.002-07:002015-10-27T08:40:56.285-07:00Segregation Of Latino Students Is A Growing Problem That Needs Attention.<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102701nea&r=2487662-146d&l=01b-8af&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Huffington Post</a> (10/27, Klein) highlights the ongoing problem of school segregation in the US with special attention paid to the segregation of Latino students from their peers. The article illustrates the disparity between the quality of education received by Latino students in California versus their non-Latino peers. The article also quotes several school segregation experts who decry the lack of research on how school segregation affects Latino students compared to the large amount of research on how it affects black students, but some also predict that a growing Latino population will shift the focus of those working for school integration away from the black-white divided towards the Latino-white divide. Some educators are hopeful that John King, who is scheduled to replace Education Secretary Arne Duncan later this year, will place more emphasis on stopping school segregation. King said, “Schools that are integrated better reflect our values as a country.”</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-91346952092577950992015-10-27T08:35:00.002-07:002015-10-27T08:35:36.114-07:00Migration Policy Institute Report Recommends Teachers Do More To Adapt To Culture Of English Language Learners.<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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<a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102701nea&r=2487662-146d&l=01a-dd3&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Education Week</a> (10/27, Mitchell) reports the Migration Policy Institute released a report recommending that educators do more to adapt their teaching to the culture of foreign students learning English to facilitate their education. The new report was based in part on a two-year ethnographic study that followed 19 Somali Bantu refugees attending an elementary school in Chicago. The ethnographers’ concluded that educators’ insistence that the refugees follow all the classroom rules created lots of “avoidable problems and conflicts.”</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-34358552118276354342015-10-27T08:34:00.002-07:002015-10-27T08:34:22.023-07:00Montgomery County Teachers Don’t Want To Get Rid Of Final Exams.<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102701nea&r=2487662-146d&l=00b-b55&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Washington Post</a> (10/27, St. George) reports that a “large number” of Montgomery County high school teachers said that eliminating final exams “could have a negative effect on how well students are prepared for what they will face in college,” according to a survey from the county teachers union. The “strong voice of support for exams” comes a month after the school board first addressed the question and two weeks prior to the board voting on policy revisions that reflect the change. The board decided to get rid of final exams “amid concerns about overtesting and lost instructional time.”</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-64740613353075106422015-10-27T08:33:00.002-07:002015-10-27T08:33:57.498-07:00More Educators And Parents Reducing Or Eliminating Homework.<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102701nea&r=2487662-146d&l=00c-c4b&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">AP</a> (10/27, Boccella) reports there is a growing movement to end homework in US schools. The article shares the story of a parent in Ardmore, Pennsylvania who requested her daughter’s first grade teacher stop giving her child homework, and the teacher complied. More school districts and educators have begun reducing or eliminating homework because of concerns that too much can affect children’s health and well being by causing stress or sleep deprivation.</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-26178309701032702662015-10-27T08:32:00.004-07:002015-10-27T08:32:26.850-07:00New York City Will Make SAT Free For Juniors.<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102701nea&r=2487662-146d&l=009-3e0&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">New York Times</a> (10/27, Harris, Subscription Publication) reports New York City will begin offering the SAT free to all public school juniors. The test will be administered during the school day, instead of on a<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1977414269" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Saturday</span></span>, which is the current practice. The change takes effect in the spring of 2016-17, and New York joins “several statewide efforts to increase the number of students taking college entrance exams.” According to the Education Department, only 56 percent of the city’s class of 2015 took the SAT at least once.<br />
<a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102701nea&r=2487662-146d&l=00a-1c2&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Chalkbeat New York</a> (10/26) adds that the initiative will cost the city about $1.8 million per year. It is part of a “number of new efforts of Mayor Bill de Blasio to help more city graduates reach college.” Chancellor Carmen Fariña said <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1977414270" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Monday</span></span>, “This is saying, we believe in you, we know you are ready to go to college.” She added that the initiative will be “paired with new teacher training, classroom materials, and parent workshops that focus on preparing students for college.”</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-72982055879506316062015-10-27T08:32:00.001-07:002015-10-27T08:32:02.248-07:00Obama Makes Case For “Smarter” Standardized Testing.<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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In a <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102701nea&r=2487662-146d&l=002-af3&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Huffington Post</a> (10/26, Obama) op-ed titled “An Open Letter To America’s Parents And Teachers: Let’s Make Our Testing Smarter,” President Obama yesterday called for limits on standardized testing in schools, arguing that he has “heard from parents who worry that too much testing is keeping their kids from learning some of life’s most important lessons,” and from teachers “who feel so much pressure to teach to a test that it takes the joy out of teaching and learning, both for them and for the students.” The President went on to outline the Administration’s <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102701nea&r=2487662-146d&l=003-062&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Testing Action Plan</a>, noting that kids “should only take tests that are worth taking,” tests “shouldn’t occupy too much classroom time, or crowd out teaching and learning,” and tests “should be just one source of information.”<br />
Chris Jansing reported on <u>NBC Nightly News</u> (10/26, story 7, <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1977414267" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">2:15</span></span>, Holt) that in “a major reversal,” the Administration “is saying enough, calling on schools to cut back testing to no more than two percent of class time.” Under the White House plan, “annual standardized testing will stay as an assessment tool, but fewer overall tests with more local control.” <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102701nea&r=2487662-146d&l=004-cf1&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">NBC News</a> (10/26) also carries a report online.<br />
<a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102701nea&r=2487662-146d&l=005-bee&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">The Atlantic</a> (10/26) reported on its website that the Administration’s “high-profile pitch to reduce testing” comes in reaction to an analysis by the Council of Great City Schools, which “offers an unprecedented look at the testing load in large urban districts across the nation, finding considerable redundancy and a lack of coordination among the exams.” According to the analysis, “on average, students take over 110 federally, state, or locally mandated assessments between kindergarten and 12th grade,” and at “the eighth-grade level, where the testing load is the highest, test-taking accounts for 2.34 percent of the student’s instructional time.”<br />
<span style="font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; padding-right: 10px;">Obama, Duncan, King Meet With Educators On Testing. </span>The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102701nea&r=2487662-146d&l=006-bf2&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Washington Post</a> (10/27, Brown) reports that the President met with two teachers “along with a cadre of federal, state and city education officials” at the White House<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1977414268" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Monday</span></span>. Several people in attendance “said the president made it clear that some minimum amount of standardized testing is needed to hold schools accountable for educating all children, especially those from groups that have been historically underserved.” The Post adds that he “mused that one solution could be to give a short assessment at the beginning of the school year to establish a baseline and a brief test at the end to measure student growth.”<br />
<span style="font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; padding-right: 10px;">Testing Time Cap Sparks Controversy. </span><a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102701nea&r=2487662-146d&l=007-c3e&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">US News & World Report</a> (10/26) reports that the Council of Chief State School Officers and the Council of the Great City Schools are taking issue with “the administration’s recommendation that schools cap the amount of time students spend taking tests at 2 percent” saying it could drive districts to cut tests “blindly” irrespective of their value. The article quotes Council of Great City Schools Executive Director Michael Casserly saying, “It’s not clear to me that a one-size-fits-all cap is the solution. It will reduce time, but the issue of quality won’t be addressed.”</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-22517038463431318462015-10-26T08:01:00.005-07:002015-10-26T08:01:50.947-07:00Kids In Foster Care More Likely To Have AD/HD Diagnosis, CDC Study Suggests.<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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<a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102601nea&r=2487662-e239&l=01c-815&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">TIME</a> (10/24, Brown) reports that a study due to be presented Oct. 26 at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics and conducted by the CDC “has found that rates of children in foster care diagnosed with attention-deficit/<wbr></wbr>hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) towered above rates of children not in foster care.” After reviewing “Medicaid claims from 2011,” researchers found that “children (ages 2-17) in foster care were three times more likely than children not in foster care to have a diagnosis of AD/HD.”<br />
According to <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102601nea&r=2487662-e239&l=01d-d3e&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">HealthDay</a> (10/24, Preidt), “about half” of the youngsters with AD/HD “in foster care also had some other psychological disorder, such as depression, anxiety or oppositional defiant disorder.” The study revealed some “good news,” however. “All children with AD/HD, regardless of their home situation, were equally likely to be treated with AD/HD medication,” researchers found. <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102601nea&r=2487662-e239&l=01e-6ec&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Medical Daily</a> (10/24, Scutti) also covered the story.</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-37776866571778688012015-10-26T08:01:00.002-07:002015-10-26T08:01:17.180-07:00Experts Recommend Early Intervention To Help Children With Selective Mutism.<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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<a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102601nea&r=2487662-e239&l=01f-926&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">HealthDay</a> (10/24, Willingham) reported on a condition called “selective mutism,” a “little-known anxiety disorder that renders one in every 150 children speechless in certain situations.” Kids with the condition “may be able to speak easily at home, but in other situations will become silent and even appear ‘frozen’ when expected to talk.” Symptoms “usually” appear before a child’s fifth birthday and kids with the condition “don’t just grow out of it.” Experts recommend “early intervention” to avoid social, psychological, or educational disadvantages.</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-76307582756494375402015-10-26T07:59:00.005-07:002015-10-26T07:59:49.880-07:00Common Core<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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Debate Surrounding PARCC Assessment Continues In Massachusetts.</h3>
The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102601nea&r=2487662-e239&l=017-a07&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Worcester (MA) Telegram & Gazette</a> (10/23, O'Connell) reported that Commissioner Mitchell Chester introduced the concept for a standardized test at last Monday’s board of education meeting which combines elements from both the previous MCAS assessment and the recently adopted PARCC, which is more closely aligned with the standards established by Common Core. However, despite the compromise, supporters of the PARCC have reportedly been steadfast in their support for the assessment, maintaining that PARCC represents a significant improvement over the previous exam and provides educators and employers with a better metric to measure students’ abilities. Opponents of the PARCC exam, however, voiced there concern that that assessment’s standards actually fell below those previously established by the state, and argued that, with the adoption of PARCC, Massachusetts could lose control over the standards of state education.<br />
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Maine Adopts SAT As 11th Grade Assessment Replacing Common Core’s Smarter Balanced Test.</h3>
The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102601nea&r=2487662-e239&l=018-bb7&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Portland (ME) Press Herald</a> (10/20) reports the Maine DOE announced they would use the SAT as their 11th grade assessment test, and use a New Hampshire company, Measured Progress Inc., to provide their third through eighth grade assessments. The SAT will replace the Smarter Balanced test, which was widely criticized for being difficult to administer and take.</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-71025797944759895062015-10-26T07:59:00.002-07:002015-10-26T07:59:24.588-07:00Governor Jindal Appeals Court Ruling Against His Common Core Lawsuit.<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102601nea&r=2487662-e239&l=016-a3c&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">AP</a> (10/23) reported that Governor Bobby Jindal’s administration has filed an appeal at the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals contesting a previous ruling rejecting his lawsuit against the US Department of Education alleging that states were illegally coerced to adopt Common Core standards. In that ruling, Judge Shelly Dick argued that Gov. Jindal had provided “no evidence” supporting his allegations.</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-113456814331596802015-10-26T07:58:00.003-07:002015-10-26T07:58:44.057-07:00Teachers Benefit From Good Training.<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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<a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102601nea&r=2487662-e239&l=012-c5b&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">NPR</a> (10/24, Hulett) writes on its Education Blog about Deborah Ball, Dean of the University of Michigan’s School of Education, who is “trying to model...a system where future teachers have to model they can do some core things” before being allowed to teach. The article summarizes her view as: “Good teachers aren’t born, they’re trained,” which it says has made Ball a “kind of a rock star in the field of teacher education.”</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-35557242185196734462015-10-26T07:58:00.001-07:002015-10-26T07:58:12.676-07:00TechBoston Connects Local Schools With Nonprofit To Teach Math In An Interactive Way.<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102601nea&r=2487662-e239&l=011-fbe&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Boston Globe</a> (10/26, Fox) reports eight Boston schools are participating in TechBoston, a joint venture with “EdVestors, a nonprofit group that connects local schools with funders seeking to improve public education.” The program allows students at participating schools to solve math problems on computers and receive instant feedback.</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-77057496962570736532015-10-26T07:57:00.003-07:002015-10-26T07:57:31.976-07:00Nonprofit Working To Close Gender Gaps In STEM.<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102601nea&r=2487662-e239&l=00e-1ea&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Houston Chronicle</a> (10/26, Radcliffe) reports on the efforts of Girlstart, an Austin-based nonprofit focused on closing gender gaps in STEM fields. The article says that “it takes more than painting a robot pink” to get some girls to think of becoming engineers. The article says the girls need to be shown that STEM jobs can improve the world. The article says that cultural change is needed to assure girls that engineers are “builders and problem-solvers” rather than “nerds.”</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-30074455936280559642015-10-26T07:56:00.005-07:002015-10-26T07:56:54.284-07:00Ambitious Colorado Wood Manufacturing Class Gains Interest.<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102601nea&r=2487662-e239&l=00d-f1b&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Denver Post</a> (10/25, Hernandez) reports that in the small, rural town of Peyton, Colorado a teacher named Dean Mattson has been recruited to create a “business-oriented” wood manufacturing program for Peyton Junior High and Peyton High School. According to the article, equipment worth $700,000 has been donated for the new program, the facilities of which will be visited by “executives from across the globe.” The article’s headline calls the facilities the “most advanced woodworking lab in the country.” Mattson says that woodshop is “where you make birdhouses,” while his wood manufacturing classes are “where we take kids who are often ignored and give them professional training on real-world machinery so they can get high-paying jobs out of school.”</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-27883006878763342622015-10-26T07:56:00.002-07:002015-10-26T07:56:21.329-07:00Administration Urges Cap On Standardized Testing.<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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President Obama <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_492026088" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Saturday</span></span> called for a cap on standardized testing as his Administration conceded partial responsibility for the over-reliance on the examinations. Media reporting – including two minutes on CBS – is sympathetic toward the new policy, but also focuses on the previous White House push for the testing as being a significant reason that the education system’s reliance on the tests reached the current level.<br />
The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102601nea&r=2487662-e239&l=002-3ae&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">New York Times</a> (10/25, Zernike, Subscription Publication) reports that “faced with mounting and bipartisan opposition to increased and often high-stakes testing,” the White House “declared <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_492026089" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Saturday</span></span> that the push had gone too far, acknowledged its own role in the proliferation of tests, and urged schools to step back and make exams less onerous and more purposeful.” The Times quotes Education Secretary Arne Duncan saying, “I still have no question that we need to check at least once a year to make sure our kids are on track or identify areas where they need support. But I can’t tell you how many conversations I’m in with educators who are understandably stressed and concerned about an overemphasis on testing in some places and how much time testing and test prep are taking from instruction. It’s important that we’re all honest with ourselves. At the federal, state and local level, we have all supported policies that have contributed to the problem in implementation. We can and will work with states, districts and educators to help solve it.”<br />
In a video released on Facebook, according to the <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102601nea&r=2487662-e239&l=003-fca&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">AP</a> (10/25, Lederman, Kerr), Obama “called for capping standardized testing at 2 percent of classroom time.” Obama said, “Learning is about so much more than just filling in the right bubble. So we’re going to work with states, school districts, teachers, and parents to make sure that we’re not obsessing about testing.” The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102601nea&r=2487662-e239&l=004-b0a&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">NPR</a> (10/24, Kamenetz) “NprEd” blog quoted Obama as adding, “I hear from parents who rightly worry about too much testing, and from teachers who feel so much pressure to teach to a test that it takes the joy out of teaching and learning both for them and for the students. I want to fix that.”<br />
<a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102601nea&r=2487662-e239&l=005-935&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">USA Today</a> (10/25, Doering) reports the White House released a 10-page plan that “outlined a series of steps to help educators end assessment that is burdensome or not benefiting students or teachers.” The Administration says tests should be “‘worth taking,’ time-limited and provide a ‘clearer picture’ of whether students are learning.” Obama echoed that feeling <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_492026090" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Saturday</span></span>, when he said that in “moderation, smart, strategic” tests can help understand students’ progress and facilitate learning. According to <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102601nea&r=2487662-e239&l=006-042&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Politico</a> (10/24, Emma), the plan says “In too many schools, there is unnecessary testing and not enough clarity of purpose applied to the task of assessing students, consuming too much instructional time and creating undue stress for educators and students.” It adds that “The administration bears some of the responsibility for this, and we are committed to being part of the solution.”<a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102601nea&r=2487662-e239&l=007-97a&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">CNN</a> (10/24, Ure, Liptak) reported on its website that the White House “isn’t citing specific tests that should be continued or scrapped, leaving that decision” to specific jurisdictions, but the <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102601nea&r=2487662-e239&l=008-e3f&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Los Angeles Times</a> (10/25, Resmovits) indicates the Administration promised to provide “‘clear guidance’ on how to use federal money for testing audits by January 2016.” In its report, the Times reports that Duncan and “his nominated successor, John B. King Jr., will meet with Obama at the White House <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_492026091" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Monday</span></span> to discuss how to reduce the amount of time students spend on what the administration called ‘redundant or low-quality tests.’”<br />
<a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102601nea&r=2487662-e239&l=009-598&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">The Hill</a> (10/24, Richardson) “Briefing Room” blog reported that while the President “can’t force states and districts to change their testing policies,” he will “direct the Education Department to make it easier for schools to satisfy federal testing mandates.” Obama Duncan will meet with education professionals <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_492026092" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Monday</span></span> “to outline a plan to reduce time spent test-taking.” The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102601nea&r=2487662-e239&l=00a-3ab&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal</a> (10/25, Tau, Subscription Publication) reports the Administration also urged Congress to reduce student testing as part of its reworking of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.<br />
The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102601nea&r=2487662-e239&l=00b-32a&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Christian Science Monitor</a> (10/25, Toh) quotes Duncan as saying, “I still have no question that we need to check at least once a year to make sure our kids are on track or identify areas where they need support,” but teachers “are understandably stressed and concerned about an overemphasis on testing in some places and how much time testing and test prep are taking from instruction.”<br />
On the <u>CBS Evening News</u> (10/24, story 5, <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_492026093" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">2:00</span></span>, Axelrod), Julianna Goldman reported the “mea culpa was timed to a survey released <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_492026094" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Saturday</span></span> showing standardized tests have exploded in the past decade.”</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-8099437643986792512015-10-26T07:55:00.003-07:002015-10-26T07:55:24.981-07:00Gridlock Over Pennsylvania’s Budget Threatens Schools.<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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<a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102301nea&r=2487662-9856&l=022-7e1&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Reuters</a> (10/22, Russ) reports that the political gridlock over Pennsylvania’s 2016 budget, which is now 113 days overdue, poses a severe threat to the institutions and services which rely most heavily on state support. The current deadlock is reportedly partly due to a lack of consensus over how to pay for increased education funding, and it is the school system that is among the most effected by the lack of resolution. Although some school districts have described their financial system as “desperate,” state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale remarked that, “we don’t see any settlement any time soon” and confirmed that some less districts that are more reliant on the state will be “getting close to a breaking point” by mid-November if funds are not dispersed.<br />
The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102301nea&r=2487662-9856&l=023-561&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Philadelphia Inquirer</a> (10/22, Boccella, Nussbaum) expands coverage of the budget impasse with a 1,004-word examination of the hardships school districts across the state are facing and reports that, in reaction to Governor Tom Wolf’s statements this week that he would not advance money to school districts in need, many are considering lines of credit and other measures to cover expenses in the meantime. In an effort to provide assistance, the Wolf administration reportedly stated that it would help districts obtain low-interest loans and would work to include plans for reimbursement of interest and fee payments incurred as part of the final budget agreement. In the words of Jeff Sheridan, a Wolf spokesman, “the administration will continue to work with districts to mitigate the effects of the impasse and will continue working toward a final agreement on a budget.”<br />
The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102301nea&r=2487662-9856&l=024-201&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">AP</a> (10/22) reports that Philadelphia is among the school districts considering borrowing money due to the budget impasse. However, emphasizing the severity of the situation, Superintendent William Hite Jr. has stated that, even with a loan, Philadelphia’s schools could not remain open if a budget is not passed by the end of the year.<br />
The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102301nea&r=2487662-9856&l=025-d86&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Philadelphia Inquirer</a> (10/22, Graham) provides further coverage of the effects of the Philadelphia school districts weak financial position, and reports that the School Reform Commission will meet to authorize temporary borrowing, yet gave no estimate regarding how much the district will take. However, while borrowing may provide a stopgap measure to continue operating, SRC Commissioner Feather Houstoun expressed her concern that any cuts that the school district makes “come right out of the classroom.” Furthermore, the Inquirer reportedly that the Philadelphia school district has been unable to fill teaching vacancies and also lacks sufficient nursing services. Officials did, however, announce <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_492026084" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Wednesday</span></span> that the district was no longer considering plans to outsource nursing services.</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-78060556284632949042015-10-26T07:54:00.004-07:002015-10-26T07:54:29.358-07:00ACLU Wants Schools To Review How They Use Resource Officers.<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102301nea&r=2487662-9856&l=01f-918&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">AP</a> (10/23) reports that in the wake of an incident last week in Providence, Rhode Island in which a school resource officer was filmed “taking [a] student down,” the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island “is calling on schools with resource officers to reevaluate how they’re used.”</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-1020370667330559162015-10-26T07:54:00.001-07:002015-10-26T07:54:00.840-07:00Los Angeles Allocates $5 Million To Prepare Schools For El Nino.<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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<a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102301nea&r=2487662-9856&l=021-0f0&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">KABC-TV</a> Los Angeles (10/22, Bankert) reports that the Los Angeles Unified School District has allocated $5 million to prepare schools for El Nino, which will be put towards making necessary repairs at 10 LAUSD campuses. Roger Finstad, LAUSD director of maintenance and operations, noted the urgency of these efforts to prepare for severe weather, and measures are reportedly also being taken to prepare all schools in the district.</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-67612241047672925592015-10-26T07:52:00.002-07:002015-10-26T07:52:47.396-07:00Utah School Reverses Position Allowing Teacher To Keep Instagram Account With Fitness Pictures After Parent Complaints.<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102301nea&r=2487662-9856&l=017-c36&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">New York Daily News</a> (10/23, Ng) reports North Sanpete Middle School in Utah reversed its position on a teacher’s Instagram account after some parents complained the teacher’s pictures were “inappropriate” and “pornographic.” Mindi Jensen posted “pictures of herself body-building and wearing bikinis in competitions” to her account in order to inspire women to be physically fit. After parents complained about the account, the school threatened to fire Jensen unless she deleted the pictures or made her account private. Jensen at first complied, but then challenged the school saying her pictures were motivational and inspiring to other women and there was nothing inappropriate about them. Jensen said, “If you are not comfortable with seeing me in my fitness uniform on stage posting then take that way from your kid. Don’t take it away from me.”</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-26259203717598643262015-10-26T07:51:00.002-07:002015-10-26T07:51:18.896-07:00Teach For America Pledges To Increase Number Of Latino Recruits.<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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<a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102301nea&r=2487662-9856&l=014-a81&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">NBC News</a> (10/23, Nevarez) reports Teach For America has “pledged to recruit 2,400 Latino undergraduates and young professionals to teach in low-income public school nationwide over the next three years.” The organization will also work towards having 30% of those recruited will have a background in STEM fields. Teach For America wants more students to identify with their teachers and found that while a quarter of K-12 students are Latino, only 8% of teachers are.</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-60080578507399955622015-10-26T07:50:00.005-07:002015-10-26T07:50:46.948-07:00All-Girls Schools Advocated As Way To Encourage More Women To Enter STEM Fields.<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102301nea&r=2487662-9856&l=012-b99&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Christian Science Monitor</a> (10/22, Khadaroo) reports some education leaders are creating all-girls schools in order to encourage more women to enter STEM fields. The Young Women’s Leadership School (TYWLS) of Astoria in New York City is part of a network of five public schools just for girls around the country. Advocates of the model say that girls who attend such schools can develop the confidence they need to enter fields, like STEM, where they are often underrepresented. TYWLS student Geraldine Agredo says that attending an all-girls school lets her focus on her studies and worry less about how she looks, “It gives us that freedom.”</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-37960001630583787452015-10-26T07:50:00.002-07:002015-10-26T07:50:19.745-07:00Opinion: Smaller High Schools Can Improve Student Achievement.<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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In a <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102301nea&r=2487662-9856&l=010-cad&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">Hechinger Report</a> (10/23, Grauer) opinion piece, Dr. Stuart Grauer, teacher and founder of the Small Schools Coalition, advocates for smaller high schools with fewer than 400 students, but ideally fewer than 250 students. Grauer explains that the social dynamics of large high schools often distract students from learning, which is why many teachers have called for smaller schools for decades. Grauer also cites ED research that found larger high schools are more likely to have high dropout rates and violent incidents among students as further evidence that small high schools are better for students’ well being.</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345943050826499434.post-20168626523861147832015-10-26T07:49:00.003-07:002015-10-26T07:49:39.284-07:00New Jersey District Implementing Eighth Grade STEM Class.<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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The <a href="http://mailview.bulletinmedia.com/mailview.aspx?m=2015102301nea&r=2487662-9856&l=00e-18b&t=c" style="color: #0e4d96;" target="_blank">North Jersey (NJ) Media Group</a> (10/23, Bahrenburg) reports Closter public schools in New Jersey are implementing a mandatory STEM class for all eighth graders. Students at Tenakill Middle School meet four days per week to learn about robotics for their STEM class.</div>
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Room #18http://www.blogger.com/profile/02814830061263192825noreply@blogger.com0